Robust growth in car sales in emerging markets such as China, Russia, Brazil and India has helped
car makers such as Toyota and Volkswagen ride a downturn in North America and Western Europe.
Detroit's General Motors and
Ford, meanwhile, succumbed to the slump in their backyard, ceding the No.1 and No.3 spots.
Following is a list of the world's top 10 automotive groups ranked by vehicle sales in the first half of 2008, with the previous year's ranking in brackets.
1) Toyota 4.818m
2) General Motors 4.540m
3) Volkswagen 3.266m
4)
Ford 3.217m
5) Hyundai 2.187m
6) Honda 2.022m
7) Nissan 2.014m
8) PSA Peugeot Citroen 1.697m
9) Renault 1.326m
10) Suzuki 1.283m
Figures are according to companies' own tally. General Motors includes vehicles made and sold by a
minority-held Chinese joint venture.