Automakers in a Dogfight Over Global Supremacy
The battle for global supremacy among automakers is going to be a dogfight. it is an anxious thing to know that who will win the title this year for the best automaker. It has been a two-company race this century. In 2007, Toyota Motor Corp. ended General Motors' decades-long reign as global sales leader. Toyota held its lead last year with sales of 8.4 million, to GM's 7.6 million.
Many analysts expect GM to reclaim the title this year, with Toyota still reeling from mass product recalls and production constraints. But resurgent rivals now want a shot at the crown. And they aren't shy about touting lofty sales goals.
While then Ford Motor Co., the world's No. 5 automaker last year, expects to increase global sales 50 percent by 2015, to 8 million, largely by reversing its laggard status in Asia. Ford, which spent decades in the No. 2 spot before slipping in 2004, is pivoting to growth mode after years of retrenchment.
Then there's the naked ambition of Volkswagen AG. In 2007, VW threw down the gauntlet. It had planned to replace Toyota as the world's largest automaker during this decade. It set a sales target of 10 million units by 2018.
Not to be overlooked: Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the fastest-rising of the top five. The Korean carmaker leapfrogged Ford last year to capture the No. 4 spot. It hasn't proclaimed heady forecasts a la Ford and VW, but it's no secret that Hyundai-Kia fashions itself after market leader Toyota.
The battle to be biggest carries risks. GM's fixation with market share at the expense of profits sent it on a slide that eventually left it bankrupt. And Toyota's very public quality problems have been blamed in part on its push for growth as it sought to displace GM.
Many analysts expect GM to reclaim the title this year, with Toyota still reeling from mass product recalls and production constraints. But resurgent rivals now want a shot at the crown. And they aren't shy about touting lofty sales goals.
While then Ford Motor Co., the world's No. 5 automaker last year, expects to increase global sales 50 percent by 2015, to 8 million, largely by reversing its laggard status in Asia. Ford, which spent decades in the No. 2 spot before slipping in 2004, is pivoting to growth mode after years of retrenchment.
Then there's the naked ambition of Volkswagen AG. In 2007, VW threw down the gauntlet. It had planned to replace Toyota as the world's largest automaker during this decade. It set a sales target of 10 million units by 2018.
Not to be overlooked: Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the fastest-rising of the top five. The Korean carmaker leapfrogged Ford last year to capture the No. 4 spot. It hasn't proclaimed heady forecasts a la Ford and VW, but it's no secret that Hyundai-Kia fashions itself after market leader Toyota.
The battle to be biggest carries risks. GM's fixation with market share at the expense of profits sent it on a slide that eventually left it bankrupt. And Toyota's very public quality problems have been blamed in part on its push for growth as it sought to displace GM.