Toyota Regains Sales Lead Over VW

Toyota Motor Corp. has regained a slight sales lead over Volkswagen AG through the first nine months of 2015 after falling behind in the first half of the year.

Toyota’s reported group sales, which include its Hino truck and Daihatsu minicar units, totaled 7.49 million units in January-September compared with 7.43 million for VW Group. Volumes for both companies were down about 2% year on year.

Sales by third-place General Motors Co., which also declined 2%, totaled 7.2 million over the same period.

Analysts expect VW to struggle with reduced demand through the remainder of the year and well into 2016 because of the scandal surrounding the company’s admission that it rigged 11 million diesel-powered vehicles to cheat government emission tests. The revelation came two weeks before the end of the third quarter.

VW’s crisis means Toyota is all but certain to retain its position as the world’s largest carmaker in 2015. Last year Toyota, VW and GM sold 10.23 million, 10.14 million and 9.92 million vehicles, respectively. VW previously set a goal of outselling Toyota by 2018.