The Volkswagen Group is No Longer the World's Top-Selling Automaker
The Volkswagen Group has been dethroned as the world’s top-selling automaker of light vehicles thanks to the addition of Mitsubishi to the Renault Nissan Alliance.
Total 2017 sales for the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance was 10,608,366 vehicles, besting Volkswagen Group’s 10.53-million units. Nissan itself hit a record high of nearly 5.82 million in sales, while Renault contributed 3.76 million to the total. Mitsubishi’s sales was about 1.03 million. Toyota finished third last year with a total of 10.2-million units. The Volkswagen Group, which also includes Audi, Skoda, Seat, and Porsche, was 2016’s top seller.
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Last year was Mitsubishi’s first full year of membership in the Alliance and the automaker contributed its 6.5-percent growth to increased demand for SUVs, light commercial vehicles, and a rising number of zero-emission pure electric vehicles. In 2017, the Alliance member companies sold vehicles in nearly 200 countries under 10 brands including Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine, Lada, Infiniti, Venucia, and Datsun.
The top market for the Alliance was China with 1,719,815 units sold. The U.S. came in second with 1,697,149 and France was third with 759,598 units. Nissan’s largest market is the U.S., while Mitsubishi’s largest market is China. Not surprisingly, Renault’s largest market is France, where it calls home.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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