14 million vehicles or an increase of 14

Despite the disastrous recall campaigns a vehicles last year place of first world constructor. For extreme accuracy. Yesterday, Toyota Motor announced that its global sales, including the cars of brands Toyota, Lexus and Scion but also those of its subsidiaries (minivéhicules) Daihatsu and Hino (trucks), had increased by 8 year last, reaching 8.42 million units. Over the same period, the American General Motors recorded, all brands included, an increase of 12 of its sales, flowing 8.39 million vehicles in the world.

The gap between the two giants represents more that 28,000 to le-tos, is the equivalent or almost of what they sell one or the other in a single day all around the world.

Toyota had struck the spirits in 2008 when he had dispossessed GM from its rank of first world constructor by volumes, a title he trustait since nearly eight decades. Just after these two champions, the bronze medal is the powerful Volkswagen Group, which delivered 7.14 million vehicles, or an increase of 14.

Behind, it is now less clear: it is possible that the ambitious group Korean Hyundai-Kia, until this fifth world and has recorded an increase of 24 of its sales last year, 5.75 million units, has nicked the fourth place at Ford. As it was replaced by Volvo, depriving himself of 300,000 units. The American will deliver commercial footprint next Friday.

Healthy sales in Asia

Dissecting Toyota performance by geographical areas, analysts noted yesterday that the challenge to the legendary reliability of the Japanese manufacturer had prevented him from fully take advantage of the recovery in the US market. In the United States, the group saw as its Toyota brand sales stagnate at 1.7 million units. If Europe has been less affected by the recall, consumers seem to have even sanctioned the nippon constructor, which saw its sales plunge 11.

To be in 2011, Toyota relies heavily on the good health of its sales in Asia. Out of Japan, he saw last year performance leap from 24 in the region. The thrust of the Indonesian market, where it holds a market share of nearly 40, should be particularly favourable, but not enough to compensate for the delay as he continued to accumulate, foul adapted range, on the Chinese market. Last year, Toyota sold 846.000 vehicles on the first market in the world when GM in flowed, him, 2.35 million, making it the number one local, to Volks-wagen.

The ill ex-grand of Detroit, who made his return to Wall Street Band, November has been a historic turning point as China, where it displays 28.8 growth - is now its first market in the US, where its sales have increased by 6.3.

And yet, the volumes are not the concern senior GM (nor as Toyota), which did not hesitate to sacrifice or sell time several brands: Saab, Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer. Profitability is clearly on any other criteria, but the two factors are not disconnected, because it is complicated to inflate profits without growth volumes, stress analysts.

During the coming year, it is quite possible that GM resumed his Crown to Toyota. The Japanese giant is global sales of 8,61 million vehicles, or a modest increase of 2. For its part, the PWC Institute table on an increase of 6.2 of the global automobile market in 2011.