GM posts record 2012 sales, but likely to lose No. 1 status to Toyota

General Motors sold 9,285 million vehicles globally in 2012, an increase of 2.9 percent versus 2011.

However, America’s largest automaker lost the spot of top carmaker in the world to Toyota. The Japanese automaker is expected to announce sales of about 9.7 million vehicles in 2012, a figure that would make it the world’s largest carmaker in 2012. Toyota lost the No. 1 status in 2011 because of production shortages cause by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

In North America, GM sold 3.02 million vehicles, up 3.2 percent. The automaker sold 3.61 million in its International Operations unit, which includes China, for a 10.1 percent increase. In Europe, GM’s sales fell 8.2 percent to 1.61 million, while in South America sales fell 1.9 percent to 1.05 million.

Of GM’s total 2012 sales, nearly 5 million were Chevrolet vehicles, with 63 percent of them being sold outside the U.S. The Chevrolet Cruze sedan was the brand’s best-selling nameplate worldwide, with more than 755,000 units. GM sold 1.85 million Chevrolets in the U.S., followed by 643,000 in Brazil and 627,000 in China.

For 2013, GM plans to introduce 13 new Chevrolet models in the U.S., including the Silverado and Impala, and 12 other Chevrolet products in foreign markets.