Toyota top; VW falls

Toyota has once again topped the list of the world’s most valuable car brands, in a list revealed for the Paris Motor Show. The 2016 list is produced by brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. Toyota has reinforced its position as the world’s most valuable car brand, increasing its value 23 per cent in a year to NZ$59 billion. The Japanese carmaker has extended its lead over second-placed BMW from NZ$2.8 billion to NZ$11 billion. Toyota is also the world’s biggest car manufacturer by volume, shipping 6.69 million units in the first eight months of 2016. The popularity of services such as Uber is aiding Toyota for now, with Prius the model of choice for many drivers with the ride-sharing service. Volkswagen, which had held the ambition of unseating Toyota in the battle for volume dominance, has gone into reverse thanks to its emissions scandal. The VW brand is down 39 per cent to NZ$26 billion, which sees it drop out of the top five for the first time since 2010. Fortunately, other group brands have been unaffected. Audi increased three per cent, Bentley 16 per cent and Lamborghini 22 per cent. Hyundai is the worst-performing of any major car brand this year, with its brand value falling 56 per cent in a year. Hyundai is plagued by labour unrest, with 50,000 union members downing tools in September. This disruption and sluggish sales are hitting the bottom line: Hyundai posted its 10th consecutive profit drop for the April to June 2016 period, Brand Finance says. Top 10 The top 10 most valuable auto brands in the world are: 1. Toyota – NZ$59b (up 23%) 2. BMW – NZ$48b (up 6%) 3. Mercedes-Benz – NZ$44b (up 17%) 4. Ford – NZ$27b (down 3%) 5. Honda – NZ$26.5b (down 14%) 6. Volkswagen – NZ$26b (down 39%) 7. Nissan – NZ$24 (down 2%) 8. Audi – NZ$13.5b (up 3%) 9. Chevrolet – NZ$12b (up 25%) 10. Hyundai – NZ$11.7b (down 56%).