Toyota is doing what it does best, selling cars, and it has once again overtaken Volkswagen in global sales. As you know, this is no coincidence, but now that we have the data in hand, we can see that by November 2025, the Japanese brand had already clearly surpassed the global sales of the Volkswagen Group. December was not yet decided, but the leadership already had a Japanese name once again.
Winning before reaching the finish line
Between January and November 2025, Toyota (together with Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino) delivered 10.32 million vehicles. That is 4.8% more than the previous year.
Volkswagen, for its part, closed the full year with 8.98 million.
The point is that, even if Toyota had decided not to sell a single vehicle in December, it had already won, and of course, when the final figures arrive the gap will be even larger.
A complicated year for Volkswagen
For the German group, 2025 has been an ugly year, global sales fell by 0.5% and obviously nobody likes to see their brand not selling while others do.
The brand dropped by 1.4%, staying at 4.73 million units, Audi did worse with a –2.9%, down to 1.62 million.
But what is happening?
Well, the market bites, China is watching closely, in Europe there are doubts about the electric transition. Everything adds up in a market that is probably one of the most competitive in the world.
Playing the same game
The key is that things have not improved for Toyota, they have gone the same as always. Toyota has a strong team behind it that knows it has to work with a low profile to achieve its goals. Corolla, RAV4, Camry, Hilux… There are models that do not need advertising because people know they are good models, they are reliable, they have a good price, and they are adding electrification little by little.
Volkswagen took another path, it bet very strongly on pure electric in Europe, it was the future. But the future has not paid off yet because Europe does not trust electric cars and is not prepared for them.
2026 with calm
Toyota enters 2026 with the winner’s smile, it has its homework done, it does not need more. On the horizon there are new models, the Hilux, a Land Cruiser FJ and the first full year of the sixth generation RAV4, one of the best selling SUVs on the planet.
Toyota remains faithful to its style, hybrids, electric and traditional engines, depending on what each market demands and without getting ahead of itself, and that, of course, works well for it.
Volkswagen prepares its war
Volkswagen is not asleep and for 2026 it is preparing a counterattack with an electric ID. Polo below 25,000 euros, designed to regain volume in Europe and thus recover ground, renewals of the ID.3, ID.4 and the ID are also coming, which they hope will be key. Will they arrive in time to stop the Asian push? Or will they end up second again?
Hyundai and Kia, getting closer and closer
While the two giants compete for first prize, the Hyundai–Kia group keeps doing its own thing, and in 2025 they sold 7.27 million cars. They have another goal for 2026, to sell more than 7.5 million vehicles between electric and combustion, without rushing but also without slowing down.
Is anyone surprised by Toyota?
That Toyota has led global sales since 2020 is no longer news, it is its trend and what it has accustomed us to. Its key is always adaptation, consistency and volume of work, never letting its guard down.
Volkswagen remains a giant, but it is in the middle of a reconfiguration and Toyota is doing what it always does, dominating the sector. The throne of the automobile is still Japanese, but… what will happen in 2026?