Toyota and Lexus sold a total of 9.6 million units last year, outselling Volkswagen by around 4.8 million.
Toyota sales grew by 10.6 per cent in 2021 as the Japanese car maker retained its position as the world’s best-selling brand for a second consecutive year.
Combined with its premium brand Lexus, Toyota sold a total of 9.6 million units last year. It outsold Volkswagen, its closest competitor, by around 4.8 million.
Toyota’s growth in sales has been attributed to its supply-chain preparation and stockpiling before the entire automotive industry was gripped by shortages of semiconductors and other electrical components. It has said sorry to local Australian customers and detailed some of the wait times.
The company achieved significant growth in the sales of electrified vehicles. It sold a total of 2.6 million last year, representing growth of 33.8 per cent.
Toyota said that the RAV4 is now its best-selling model, ahead of the Corolla, which previously held the crown.
Around 2.4 million of the Toyota vehicles sold were hybrids, an increase of 27.4 per cent year on year, while just 14,407 were fully electric.
The Toyota Motor Group’s overall sales reached 10.5 million when combining Toyota, Lexus and its other subsidiaries, Daihatsu and Hino. It outsold Volkswagen Group by 1.6 million units.
The company achieved significant growth in several international markets. Asia was its largest market, with 3.1 million units sold for growth of 13.2 per cent. In Australia, Toyota sold 223,642 units according to VFACTS data, with the Toyota Hilux the country’s best-selling model (just ahead of the Ford Ranger). The Toyota Rav4, Corolla and LandCruiser filled the remaining top five positions, cementing the brand’s dominance in the Australian market.
North America was the second-best market for Toyota, with 2.6 million vehicles sold for growth of 11.3 per cent.
The company made history in the US in 2021, becoming the country’s best-selling manufacturer, ending General Motors’ 90-year domination of the market.
In Europe, the Toyota Motor Group sold just over a million vehicles, representing 7.1 per cent growth. Despite the boost in sales, Toyota has still been hit hard by the chip crisis, exacerbated by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jack Warrick