Toyota pips GM again as world’s top-selling car maker

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp remained the world's No1 automaker sales for the fifth straight quarter, although closest rivals General Motors and Volkswagen are not too far behind.

With the depreciation of the yen giving it an edge over its American and German rivals, Toyota Motor Corp today reported global sales, including those of subsidiaries Hino Motors Ltd and Daihatsu Motor Co, of 2.43 million vehicles during the January-March period.

The corresponding figures for General Motors Co were 2.36 million vehicles and for Volkswagen 2.27 million vehicles.

The Japanese maker of the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan reclaimed its crown as world's top automaker last year, after losing it to GM in 2011, when it was battered by the tsunami and quake disasters in northeastern Japan.

GM had been No1 for 77 years before losing that title to Toyota in 2008.

The Japanese company has been projecting since late December that sales will climb to almost 10 million units - a milestone no automaker has ever reached - in 2013.

Since then, business conditions have improved further as the yen extended its depreciation against all major currencies, bolstering Toyota's earnings prospects and raising its market value by more than $50 billion this year alone.