Volkswagen Group was the World’s Largest Automaker in 2017

Last month, we reported that Volkswagen brand was on track to build 6 million vehicles in 2017. That was a seriously impressive statistic, but when you combine the total sales from every other brand that’s part of Volkswagen Group, it gets even more impressive. If initial estimates are to be believed, VW Group was the largest automaker in the world last year.

Reuters reports that VW Group sold an estimated 10.7 million cars last year, beating out Toyota and securing its place as the world’s largest automaker. The 6 million Volkswagens definitely helped make that happen, but strong performances from Audi and Porsche were what propelled the group to the top. Those two brands also helped total revenue pass the €220 billion ($264.62 billion) mark for the first time ever. That’s also about a €3 billion ($3.59 billion) improvement over the German auto giant’s record €217 billion ($259.75 billion) year back in 2016.

For comparison, Toyota has said it expects 2017 sales to be around 10.35 million, a 2-percent improvement over 2016. Based on Toyota’s estimates, 2018 will be an even better year for the Japanese automaker, with sales expected to increase to 10.5 million. Barring a major sales slide for Volkswagen Group, however, that increase is unlikely to be enough for Toyota to retake its place ahead of VW.

Source: Reuters

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