On Monday, German automaker Volkswagen announced that its global group sales for 2025 decreased by 0.5% compared to the previous year, totaling 8,983,900 vehicles.
While electric vehicle (EV) sales showed signs of recovery in Europe, the Chinese market, which accounts for one-third of global sales, dealt a significant blow with an 8% drop in new car sales.
According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei, Toyota Motor Corporation (including Lexus) reported global sales of 9.6 million vehicles from January to November 2025. The entire Toyota group, including Daihatsu and Hino, reached 10.32 million vehicles, significantly outperforming Volkswagen. This puts Toyota on track to claim the world’s top-selling automaker title for the sixth consecutive year.
Regionally, Volkswagen’s sales were highest in Western Europe, increasing by 3.8% to 3.38 million vehicles. However, sales in China fell by 8.0% to 2.69 million units. North American sales dropped by 10.4% to 940,000 vehicles, affected by tariffs implemented during the Donald Trump administration.
Volkswagen’s global EV sales rose by 32.0% to 980,000 units. In Europe, EV sales rebounded impressively, jumping 66% to 742,800 vehicles. This growth was driven by an expanded lineup of reasonably priced models, following a period of stagnation due to reduced government incentives. However, China saw a sharp 44.3% decline to 110,000 units, making it the only region where Volkswagen’s EV sales fell, largely due to intensified competition from local EV manufacturers.
In comparison, the Mercedes-Benz Group reported a 10% decrease in global sales to 2.16 million vehicles, with EV sales down 4% to 197,300 units. BMW fared slightly better, with global sales up 1% to 2,463,700 vehicles and EV sales increasing by 4% to 442,000 units.
Toyota, even excluding Daihatsu and Hino, sold 9.6 million vehicles, surpassing Volkswagen’s annual performance and solidifying its position as the dominant player in the global automotive market.