TOKYO / BERLIN — Germany's Volkswagen has taken the crown as the world's top carmaker after its sales overtook those of Japanese rival Toyota during the first half of the year.
Toyota, the manufacturer of Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and the top-of-the range Lexus, said Tuesday its group sold 5.02 million vehicles worldwide in the six months ended June, down 1.5% from a year earlier due to weak domestic sales.
Volkswagen, which has a long-held goal to overtake Toyota as the world's No. 1, said this month it sold 5.04 million vehicles in the six-month period.
VW sales also fell during the first six months of this year, sliding by 0.5% after strong demand in North America and Europe failed to offset a drop in sales in China -- the world's biggest car market.
Based in the German city of Wolfsburg, VW last year sold 10.14 million of its stable of brands, which includes its flagship VW Golf along with Porsche, Bugatti and Audi.
VW, which is also Europe's biggest carmaker, is due to release its second-quarter results on Wednesday.
Global first-half sales for Detroit-based General Motors, which is the world's third-biggest carmaker, stagnated at 4.8 million after they hit 9.92 million last year.
The difference in sales between VW and Toyota is only 20,000 and analysts point out that the order of top global carmakers could change once full-year figures have been tallied up.
In Toyota's case, Tuesday's data showed domestic sales as having dragged down the group's total sales.
Toyota's Japan sales, which includes Daihatsu Motor Co and Hino Motors Ltd, fell 9.7% to 1.12 million units through June, the carmaker said, following a sales-tax hike the previous year.
Sales outside Japan edged up 1.2% to 3.9 million units in the first six months of the year, it said.
Toyota is scheduled to release earnings results for the April-to-June quarter next week.