VW to pass Toyota?

VW outlines plans to overtake Toyota by 2018

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Shahzad Sheikh
07 February 2010

As if it's not bad enough that everyone seems to be laying into poor old Toyota at the moment because of its recall woes (FAQs here), but now Volkswagen plans to take the Japanese manufacturer's crown as world's biggest (as predicted by CAR UK's Tim Pollard - read this).

According to Bloomberg News, Europe's largest carmaker wants to increase car sales to more than 10 million by 2018.

'Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has a target of beating Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, in global deliveries and profit margins. VW sold 6.29 million cars and SUVs worldwide last year, an increase of 1.1% from 2008. Toyota said last month that 2009 vehicle sales, including those of affiliates, fell 13% to 7.81 million vehicles.'

Toyota has always claimed it was never after the number one spot, but has earned it by dint of its success. Nonetheless, it isn't likely to give VW an easy ride, and it will bounce back from the current recall crisis. And with the founder's grandson, Akio Toyoda, a keen 'car guy' and amateur racer now at the helm, promising to make interesting cars again, we reckon it's well worth a ringside seat to this battle of the giants.

Think VW will overtake Toyota? Let us know below.

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