In 2025, Toyota sold a record 11.3 million cars worldwide, despite trade tensions last year. The company thereby retained its title as the world’s largest car manufacturer and increased its lead over German competitor Volkswagen.
Sales, including those of Lexus and subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino Motors, increased by 4.6 percent, Toyota announced on Thursday.
Unlike many other car manufacturers, Toyota benefited from the import tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Particularly in the first months of 2025, Americans quickly bought a car from the Japanese manufacturer, which resulted in Toyota’s best sales ever. The US is a key market where Toyota generates almost a quarter of its sales.
In China, a crucial market, Toyota failed to grow. There, the Japanese are increasingly facing competition from local car manufacturers such as the electric car builder BYD.