Toyota Retains Global Sales Lead

Toyota Motor Corp. and its affiliates sold 7.6 million vehicles worldwide in the first nine months of 2014, up 3% compared with the same period last year, Bloomberg News reports.

Toyota's results, which include sales by its Daihatsu minicar and Hino truck units, topped reported January-September totals of 7.40 million vehicles for Volkswagen and 7.37 million for General Motors.

Bloomberg notes that Toyota is being helped by strong sales in the U.S. (+6% to 1.8 million in the first three quarters). VW's volume, which has trailed year-earlier totals for 18 consecutive months, was down 14% at 271,000 units.