Toyota maintained its leading position in global vehicle sales during the first six months of this year. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Japanese group has achieved this, delivering a total of 5,39 million vehicles worldwide. This figure far surpasses its German rival Volkswagen, which sold approximately 4,13 million units.

However, for the January-June period, the company's global sales declined by 2,8% compared to the same period in 2025. This marks the first decrease in two years, reflecting weakened demand in the Chinese market due to rising gasoline prices.

The RAV4 is Toyota's top-selling vehicle worldwide. *Photo: Toyota*

Furthermore, supply chain disruptions caused by the situation in the Middle East also impacted operations, leading to a slight 0,3% decrease in the group's global production, to 5,51 million vehicles. Exports from Japan to the Middle East for the Toyota brand alone dropped by 36%, totaling 104,093 vehicles.

The group's sales in international markets fell by 4,5%, reaching 4,3 million vehicles. Conversely, the domestic Japanese market saw a 4,4% increase, reaching 1,1 million vehicles, driven by the appeal of the new electric vehicle, the bZ4X.

In the eco-friendly vehicle segment, Toyota's sales of electrified vehicles (primarily hybrids) increased by 9,1%, reaching 2,71 million units. Notably, sales of battery electric vehicles surged by approximately 2,4 times, totaling 193,172 vehicles. Both figures represent new records for the first-half reporting period.

Regionally, the company's sales in China decreased by 17,1% to 694,670 vehicles, while the Middle Eastern market saw a 21,6% drop to 218,855 vehicles. Conversely, the North American market edged up by 0,9%, reaching 1,45 million vehicles, driven by stable demand for hybrid models.

For June alone, the group's global sales saw a slight 1,1% dip to 926,688 vehicles, but production volume increased by 2,2%, reaching 984,408 units.

Organizationally, the Hino Motors brand has not been consolidated into Toyota's financial reports since April, following its merger with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus. Previously, Hino was a Toyota subsidiary, similar to Daihatsu.

My Anh (according to Nikkei Asia)