Toyota's Focus On Better Quality Allows VW To Close In On Global Sales Lead

Volkswagen Group is closing in on Toyota Motor Corp. as the global leader in vehicle sales, with a rapid expansion drive in China -- the world's biggest auto market -- while Toyota curbs growth to focus on shoring up quality.

Toyota, reigning at the top spot in the auto industry for two years in a row, announced relatively robust global sales growth of 3.8 percent for the first six months of the year to 5.097 million vehicles on Wednesday, a record first-half result.

But Volkswagen is growing faster and its half-year total could pull even with or even surpass Toyota.

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HughJass - 7/31/2014 1:04:21 PM

+2 Boost

VAG just needs to buy another automobile brand if it wants to pass Toyota in volume. They could buy Hyundai/KIA and get their designer back and they're churning out basically the same cars anyway.

Agent009 - 7/31/2014 4:23:41 PM

+1 Boost

That is probably what they will do

MattDarringer - 7/31/2014 2:29:48 PM

0 Boost

Shouldn't VW focus on quality?

Agent009 - 7/31/2014 4:42:21 PM

+3 Boost

In what areas are the lacking?

As a brand build quality far exceeds the Japanese (ask consumer reports). The are recalled less often and for less severe issues (nthsa), they score very high in safety (ask iihs). They score way higher in execution (JD Power Apeal), Initial quality is a tad below industry averages how beat acura, mazda,and scion.

The JD Power Dependability Study no longer is indicative of dependability in any respect.

MattDarringer - 7/31/2014 4:49:39 PM

0 Boost

@preview EXACTLY! VW has SERIOUS durability and reliability issues as is so more will not be better. Even with its quality glitches, Toyotas are still much more reliable/durable than VWs.