Volkswagen Surpasses Toyota in Global Auto Sales

Despite slowdowns in China, Russia and Asia, Volkswagen surpassed Toyota in global auto sales by delivery in the first half of 2015, Automotive News Europe is reporting.

Volkswagen sold 5.04 million cars in the first six months of 2015, compared to 5.02 million for Toyota, according to the report. Sales were down 1.5 percent and 0.5 percent for Toyota and VW respectively.

GM was the third-largest automaker with 4.86 million vehicles.

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: World July 2013 Roundup: Volvo V40 and GMC Sierra Get Their Place in the Sun

What better way to finish one month and start a new one than going through our traditional World Roundup? None, I know.

Enough of the world? That’s fine, I knew some of you would feel that way, and I’ve prepared something else: you can check out new car sales data for 176 additional countries and territories on my blog. Go on, you know you want to!

Now if you want to know what happened worldwide in the magical world of car sales, jump in!

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: World May 2013 Roundup: Europeans Buy More Local

Finally the much anticipated Worldwide May 2013 Roundup is here! First a bit of overview of the largest markets with a very contrasted picture this month: China (+9%), the USA (+8%) and Brazil (+10%) are all up significantly while Japan (-9%), Germany (-10%) and Russia (-12%) all have full brakes on.

If last month the Toyota RAV4 was under the spotlight, in May we witness an interesting trend across a few European countries: whether it is a coincidence or not is something that will become clearer as the year goes by, but it would appear that European consumers have been very patriotic this month…

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: How The Chinese Are Setting Themselves Up For Success (Part 5: Mature Markets)

This is the last Part of a 5 Part-series about how the Chinese car manufacturers are faring abroad.

You can check out Part 1 about Africa here, Part 2 about Latin America here, Part 3 about Eastern Europe here and Part 4 about Asia here.

The first 4 Parts in this series have shown Chinese manufacturers securing the less developed markets in each region as springboards to expand further. Less developed means smaller and less sophisticated but also less regulated as far as pollution and safety are concerned. These last two aspects have been the main barrier to the Chinese carmakers’ entrance in mature markets to date, and specific strategies have had to be developed to address this. This is why I am grouping all ‘mature markets’ in one article, independent of their geographic location…

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: How The Chinese Are Setting Themselves For Success (Part 4: Asia)

This is Part 4 of a 5 Part-series about how the Chinese car manufacturers are faring abroad.

You can check out Part 1 about Africa here, Part 2 about Latin America here and Part 3 about Eastern Europe here.

In the first 3 parts of this series we have observed that Chinese carmakers have managed their expansion into Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe by securing less developed markets and using them as anchor points for a more widespread presence in these regions. In this context it’s interesting to note that in their own ‘backyard’, Asia, the same strategy has not been met with the same success, with only a handful of small markets in the region ‘cracked’ so far..

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: How The Chinese Are Setting Themselves Up For Success (Part 3: Eastern Europe)

This is Part 3 of a 5 Part-series about how the Chinese car manufacturers are faring abroad.

You can check out Part 1 about Africa here and Part 2 about Latin America here.

As illustrated in Africa and Latin America, Chinese manufacturers have been working extra-hard below the radar to secure less developed markets that will form the bulk of global car sales growth over the next couple of decades. Their approach to Eastern Europe is very similar. There are currently three Chinese assembling hubs in the region – in Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria – acting as a very convenient springboard for further expansion throughout the continent, including all the ex-USSR nations and potentially Western Europe…

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Wuling Hongguang (aka Chevrolet Enjoy) Third Best-Seller Worldwide In February!

Last time I opened my mouth, we travelled to Norway, the new land of the Nissan Leaf, and before that we religiously went through our monthly worldwide Roundup, spending time praising the ever-impressive performance of the Nissan Qashqai. Now it’s time to look at the 200 best-selling models worldwide. And there is a big (Chinese) surprise on the podium…

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: World March 2013 Roundup

After studying how Chinese brands may finally find their mojo at home and before I hit you with a few impressive sales figures for April let’s take a bit of time for our much anticipated World Roundup for March.

This month the worldwide star is the Nissan Qashqai…

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The 1000 (One. Thousand.) Best Selling Cars Around The Globe in 2012

We have now gone to China, Europe, Russia, India, Israel, Italia, Indonesia, France, Canada and Germany to explore what cars these countries bought in 2012. While we’re at it, why not explore the entire world?

Way too much to stomach? That’s ok, you can check the best-selling models and brands in 173 different countries and territories on my blog, one by one. So enjoy!

Back to the world. No one up to now had dared to publish a worldwide models ranking because of all the controversy: why is this model not counted as a separate one? But what about the sedan version? The Jetta is really a Golf with a boot, so why don’t you count them together? Is this a Chevrolet, a Buick or an Opel? And so on. But that was up to now. And now is the time to break the last car sales data taboo, take the bull by the horns, draw a line in the sand, or whatever tired expression you choose to insert here.

At last.

I give you the 1000 (yes, one thousand) best-selling models around the planet in 2012.

Jump in.

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Discover the Actual Best Selling Cars Around The Globe, For Once…

Last time you heard about me, I took you through the best-selling cars in China over 2012. This time I thought I’d expand to… well the whole wide world. Even then, it’s the same winner…

Not into the world? That’s ok, you can check out the best-selling models in 171 countries and territories on my blog. Enjoy!

Back to the world.

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: My 50 Questions For 2013

Now that the Top 150 most popular vehicles around the globe are out of the way and 2013 has finally arrived, I thought I would ask 50 questions for this New Year… If you know the answer please feel free to comment! And also post yours…

Can’t be bothered about the New Year and wish you were in 2012 still? That’s fine, you can check out the best-selling cars in 2012 in 171 countries and territories in my blog. Yes. That many.

Back to my questions…

And the first one is:

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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Toyota Corolla Now #3 In The World!

After giving you my monthly World Roundup for November a few days ago, I will now rewind back one month (detailed data by model worldwide takes some time to compile…) to offer you an estimate of the Top 150 best-selling models in the world in October…

Had enough of the world and you just want to know which cars sell best in your own backyard? Easy. You can visit 171 countries and territories in my blog in the comfort of your own lounge. Just like that.

Back to our the world…

If in September the Ford Focus had started to benefit from the Japanese drama in China to pass the Toyota Corolla and historically grab the worldwide pole position, in October things are getting worse for Toyota…
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Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Toyota Corolla Victim of China-Japan Tensions

Last time I shared with you 10 things I don’t understand. Today I suggest we simply check out what are the Top 150 best-selling cars worldwide. Too lofty an ambition for you? That’s ok, you can check out 170 countries and territories in my blog, all from the comfort of your home. Or today I can also offer you the 264 best-selling models in the USA in October 2012. Every single one of them.

Back to the world.

Something big has happened in the world.

Yes, Sir.

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The 170 Best Selling Cars Around The Globe Over The First 8 Months of 2012

After trips to Iran, Japan, Russia, wealthy America, Puerto Rico and California, let’s just go crazy and have a look at the entire world.

Yawn? That’s fine. You can discover the best-selling models in 169 additional countries and territories in my blog. But you won’t know which of the Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla holds the title of world’s most popular car. Unless you have a look at the Top 150 best-selling models worldwide for the month of August 2012

Back to our 8 months, year-to-date Top 170 world best-sellers ranking.

Focus?

Corolla?

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The Top 150 Best Selling Cars Around The Globe

A while ago I gave you the Top 100 best-selling models around the globe over the first Quarter of 2012. And you liked it. A lot. I know because you told me. As you know progress never stops, which is why this time I give you… the Top 150 best-sellers worldwide for June 2012.

Update: You can now also check out the Top 120 best-selling models worldwide over the first 6 months 2012 here.

Yes you have read correctly.

Who in his right mind would have ventured such an epic exploration of the varied car tastes in the entire world?

Your favorite car sales nerd, me.

If you had enough of all this worldwide grandiloquence, that’s ok because you can visit 168 countries and territories in my blog, one by one, to figure out which models sell best in each of them. Another crazy thing I do…

Back to the world.

And the nagging question comes back again: has the Focus beaten the Corolla yet?

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  • CanadaCraig VOTE NO VW!
  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?