Toyota Cedes Global Sales Lead to VW as Shutdowns Trump Scandal
- Toyota sales fell 2.3% in first three months of the year
- Growth in China, Europe buoy deliveries for scandal-hit VW
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Toyota Motor Corp.’s global sales declined in the first quarter and fell behind Volkswagen AG’s, as a series of production disruptions threaten the Japanese automaker’s four-year reign atop auto industry sales charts.
Worldwide deliveries dropped 2.3 percent to 2.46 million vehicles in the January-to-March period, Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi said by phone Tuesday. While contending with its worst crisis in company history, Volkswagen deliveries rose 0.8 percent to 2.5 million.