Once again, Toyota has dominated sales, maintaining its position as the world’s largest automaker for a fifth consecutive year.à
In 2024, nearly 10.8 million Toyota vehicles were sold worldwide—a staggering figure, considering that some manufacturers struggle to deliver even tens of thousands of units annually. The irony is that despite this achievement, the Japanese automaker actually recorded a 3.7% decline compared to 2023.
A Peak Performance
Toyota is the only group to have surpassed the 10 million-unit mark this year. Volkswagen is not far behind, with around 9 million units sold, while Hyundai secured third place with over 7 million units.
As you might expect, the majority of Toyota Group\'s sales come from Toyota and Lexus, with a total of 10,159,336 vehicles. Daihatsu contributed 536,588 units, while Hino accounted for 125,556 sales.
North America remains one of the company’s key markets, with 2.7 million units sold. However, Asia leads in overall sales volume, with 3.2 million units. Japan follows closely with 1.8 million units—a remarkable number for a market of its size.
A Decline in Sales
Even though Toyota remains at the top in 2024, it’s important to acknowledge the decline in sales compared to 2023. This could be attributed to some major recalls, particularly affecting the Prius Hybrid. Nonetheless, hybrid vehicle sales remain strong for the group, with over 4.2 million units sold in this segment alone. In contrast, only 140,000 fully electric vehicles were sold worldwide, revealing the company’s strategic focus.
Toyota has made it clear that it prioritizes hybrid vehicles over fully electric models. Moreover, market trends seem to align with this strategy, which suggests that the Japanese automaker could experience an exceptional sales year in 2025. Of course, this is just a prediction, but given the figures presented in 2024—despite some certification challenges—I genuinely believe Toyota has the potential for significant growth this year.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier
