TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - German auto giant Volkswagen has surpassed Toyota to become the world's largest automaker in 2016, despite being tarnished by the emission scandal.
Volkswagen sold 10.31 million vehicles globally in 2016, while Toyota sold 10.18 million vehicles last year. This is for the first time that the German company has reached the top position, while Toyota had held on to the spot for four years in a row since 2012, when it surpassed General Motors.
GM, which came third in 2015, is scheduled to release its annual sales figures on February 7, however, it is expected to come behind both Volkswagen and Toyota.
Volkswagen, which owns Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Skoda brands, recorded a 3.8 percent growth driven by strong demand for its vehicles in China despite its scandal over emissions tests cheating.
Recently, Volkswagen agreed to pay $22 billion as settlement and plead guilty to criminal charges in the U.S. over its admission that it cheated emission test of its diesel vehicles using a software.
Toyota's sales increased by 0.2 percent as the US car industry slows down.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX