The Renault-Nissan alliance emerged as the world’s biggest seller of light vehicles in 2017, bumping Volkswagen off the top spot, after the inclusion of Mitsubishi's numbers boosted its final tally. The group sold vehicles in nearly 200 countries under 10 brands, led by China, the U.S., France and Japan.
Nissan sales hit a record high of 5.82 million, while French carmaker Renault has reported sales of 3.76 million. Mitsubishi’s sales came in at 1.03 million, bringing total 2017 sales for the group to around 10.61 million light vehicles. Together, the three carmakers beat record sales of around 10.53 million light vehicles at Volkswagen, 2016’s top seller which also includes the Audi, Skoda, Seat and Porsche brands.
Toyota, which held the No.2 spot in 2016, posted group sales of 10.2 million units last year, excluding its Hino Motors heavy trucks. Many carmakers are trying to boost sales volumes to achieve economies of scale and cut costs amid soaring investments needed to develop next-generation automotive technologies – including self-driving cars, electric vehicles and new mobility services.
