Toyota Retains World's No. 1 Automaker Status in Q1 2013 as well

Toyota Motor Corporation has released its first quarter results for 2013, according to which Toyota retained the world's top-selling automaker status. However, the difference hasn't been as big with GM and Volkswagen, as Toyota + Daihatsu + Hino recorded a decline. As against Toyota's 2.43 million vehicle sales during the January-March period, GM and Volkwagen AG sold 2.36 million and 2.27 million respectively.

Toyota Motors' first quarter sales recorded a 2.2 per cent dip, while the GM and Volkswagen recorded 3.6 per cent and 5.1 per cent hike. Toyota that lost its top position to GM in 2011, which it retained in the year 2012 and has been able to maintain it after that. The sales were down due to Tsunami and quake disaster in Japan.

Japan and China are the two markets that brought the company's sales down. Toyota's first quarter sales came down 13 per cent in China, while in Japan it was 15 per cent decline. What hit Toyota badly in Japan is the end of subsidies on green vehicles there, which had helped the company increase the sales of its hybrid cars previously. However, Toyota has been doing good in North America and many Asian markets.

Speaking on the first quarter results, Company Spokesperson Shino Yamada said,"Rather than pursuing numbers, we try to sell one car at a time, producing good cars. We aren't focused on being No. 1."