Many expected Toyota to surpass General Motors in terms of sale last year.  After all, the focus was on the United States auto market.  And last year has been dismal for the Detroit automaker.  Month after month, General Motors posted declining sales while Toyota continues to attract American car buyers into their dealerships.

But when it was all over, General Motors managed to sell more vehicles than Toyota although by a very slim margin.  Last year, the Japanese automaker reported that they have sold 9.366 million units of vehicles while the Detroit automaker sold 9,369,524 vehicles.  But, one should remember that the distinction of being the world’s largest automaker is given to the company which produces the most vehicles.

Anyway, experts are expecting this race to the top to become more heated. And the focal point of the race is no longer in the United States.  What made it possible for General Motors to retain its leadership in sales is the increased demand for their vehicles on developing markets.  Thus, Toyota and General Motors will both be aiming to create vehicles which will become bestsellers on emerging markets such as China, India, and Russia.

Toyota is favored to unseat the Detroit automaker by experts.  The Japanese automaker is leading all automakers in developing advanced vehicle technologies which consumers are looking for.  General Motors though is not far behind and it will be more motivated to produce more quality vehicles.

The two automakers though should not put their focus on emerging markets alone as the United States auto market is still the most important market.  Even with the economy slumping, millions of vehicles are still being purchased in the country.