Toyota tops global car sales as Volkswagen drops to second
Toyota has reclaimed its top spot in global sales after three continuous months of outselling Volkswagen, which has slipped down the sales charts due to the recent diesel emissions scandal.
Toyota has been reported to have sold 7.49 million cars, overshooting Volkswagen's 7.43 million from the beginning of this year till September 2015. After Volkswagen's dieselgate recall, General Motors too is catching up with the German giant and may soon become the second largest seller across the globe. This is in spite of GM's sales figures sliding down by 1.5 per cent, compared to last year. This decrease is attributed to the growing foothold of Chinese cars in the global markets. With the Chinese Government reducing taxes from 10 per cent to 5 per cent on vehicles with an engine capacity of 1.6-litre or less, these cars constitute 60 per cent of the overall sales in China alone.
Recently, Volkswagen recalled 8.5 million cars equipped with the 2-litre TDI EA189 diesel engine. These vehicles had been fitted with "defeat devices" to make them comply with the strict emission norms for the duration of the emissions tests. But on the roads, they produced 40 times the permitted level of nitrogen oxide (NOx), violating laws like the US Clear Air Act and more. Over 11 million cars have been affected by this scandal and Volkswagen has faced several lawsuits.
Read more on the Volkwagen emissions scandal here.
