Toyota overtakes GM in first quarter global vehicle sales

Mumbai: Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation moved a step closer to unseating rival General Motors Corporation of the US as the world's biggest automaker when it outsold the latter by around 90,000 vehicles in the first quarter of the current year.

While both Toyota and General Motors reported record sales for January-March, Japan's top carmaker inched past GM as it ate into the home market share of the Detroit behemoth.

Toyota, maker of the Camry sedan, the most popular car in the US, said its global vehicle sales rose 9 per cent in the quarter to 2.35 million units. That compares with a three per cent rise in GM's first quarter sales at 2.26 million units.

GM, which sells cars and trucks under a dozen brands, including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel and Saab, said last week put its global market share at around 13.0 per cent, down a tenth of a percentage point from a year ago.

The Lexus luxury brand and the youth-oriented Scion badge, as well as vehicles led Toyota's challenge from units Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd.

Toyota has hooked customers around the world with affordable cars that are reliable, durable and fuel-efficient, while GM continued to rely heavily on high-margin but gas-guzzling vehicles to pull it out of financial difficulties. GM's significant growth has been confined to the Chinese market.