The Japanese Toyota retained its world number one crown in 2021, having sold 10.5 million vehicles over the whole of last year (+ 10.1%), according to data published Friday by the group.
This performance reflects the resistance in the whole of the Japanese giant's production (which also includes its Hino and Daihatsu brands) despite the severe disruption of the global supply chains of the automotive industry, in particular for semiconductors. .
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Toyota has risen to the top for the second consecutive year ahead of the German Volkswagen group (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat brands, etc.), whose global sales fell by 4.5% last year, to 8 .88 million units, according to figures published in mid-January.
The extreme attention paid by Toyota to its suppliers for many years has enabled it to better prepare for the shortage of semiconductors compared to many rivals, especially in the first half of 2021. Subsequently the group has also experienced production difficulties, linked in particular to Covid-19 in Southeast Asia, and its production in Japan is currently slowed down by the Omicron wave.
Number one in the USA
Toyota also benefited last year from its more balanced global geographic position than that of Volkswagen, which is much more dependent on the European market than is the Japanese group.
Europe, where the car market experienced a record low last year, accounts for only around 10% of Toyota's volume sales, while the continent accounts for nearly 40% of the German group's sales.
The icing on the cake for Toyota, it also rose to first place in car sales in the United States last year, ahead of the American General Motors, which had nevertheless been the unshakeable leader in the country since 1931.
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True to form, Toyota did not show off on Friday, aware of the exceptional factors that played in its favor last year and the clouds that persist.
In December, its global sales fell (-5.5% group-wide) for a fourth month in a row.
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The outlook for both Covid-19 and parts supplies remains uncertain, and we will continue to do everything to minimize the impact
" of these disruptions, the group said in a statement.