Toyota versus Volkswagen - which automotive group topped the global sales charts in 2021?

The annual global sales battle between the world’s biggest automotive groups has been fought and won.

Drum roll please…

The automotive manufacturer that captured the most sales in 2021 was Toyota Motor Corporation.

The Japanese giant took the crown for the second year running, edging out its German rival, Volkswagen Group.

Toyota captured 10.5 million sales in 2021, which represented a 10.1 per cent jump on its 2020 result.

VW Group recorded 8.9 million sales, which was a 4.5 per cent dip on its 2020 haul.

Toyota toppled VW Group in 2020, returning to the top of the global sales tables for the first time since 2015.

Toyota said the effects of COVID-19 were less severe last year than they were in 2020, however the company put its 5.5-per cent December sales decline down to parts supply shortages caused by the spread of COVID-19 in South-East Asia and a lack of semiconductor supply.

VW Group also put its full-year sales drop down to the semiconductor shortage.

It may not have taken top spot, but VW Group was keen to talk up its battery electric vehicle sales.

In 2021, the Group sold 453,000 EVs globally, a 95 per cent increase on 2020. That means EVs make up 5.1 per cent of VW Group’s total global sales. The top-selling EV in its line-up was the ID.4 SUV on 119,600 units.

The company says it is the EV sales leader in Europe and it is now number two in the United States, behind Tesla.

Of the VW Group brands, Volkswagen had the highest volume (4.9m), followed by Audi (1.7m), Skoda (878,200), Seat (470,500) and Porsche (301,900).

Toyota’s tally was made up of 9.6 million sales for Toyota and Lexus vehicles (702,208 for Lexus), 725,179 for small car brand Daihatsu and 155,212 for commercial-vehicle brand Hino.

Of Toyota’s total, 2.5 million vehicles were hybrids, which is slice of just under 24 per cent.

While Toyota sales were down by 1.9 per cent in its home market Japan, sales were up in North America (+11.3%), Asia (+13.2%), Europe (+7.8%) and Latin America (+37.5%).

All of the other automotive groups – including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Hyundai Motor Group, Stellantis, Ford, General Motors, Daimler and BMW Group – release their year-end sales results at different times.

Keep an eye on CarsGuide for a full wrap when it’s all been revealed.