When it came to picking the Best Manufacturer in our 2024 Autocar Awards, there were plenty of reasons why Toyota stood out as the clear winner.
Despite facing a global car market that is more challenging and fiercely competitive than ever, Toyota isn’t just surviving – it’s thriving. In 2023, Toyota sold more than 10 million cars worldwide for the first time and posted full-year operating profits in May of 5.35 trillion yen (£26bn). So, what’s the secret to its success?
Well, first of all there’s Toyota’s reputation for producing cars that boast exceptional quality, dependability and reliability: a long-held, hard-earned reputation – built over many decades – that continues to stand the brand in good stead today.
Second, there’s the sheer breadth and depth of Toyota’s model range, which is nothing short of staggering. From affordable city-friendly superminis and family-friendly hatchbacks to ultra-efficient hybrid and all-electric SUVs, through rugged off-roaders to low-slung pulse-raising performance cars, Toyota has an expansive line-up that offers the perfect choice of car for every type of customer in every corner of the market.
Then there’s Toyota’s breadth of powertrain options. As the world continues the move towards electric, Toyota’s well-proven emissions-cutting hybrid technology – which is available on a wide range of cars within the brand’s line-up – is making it even easier for drivers to drive more efficiently and cut their impact.
Toyota now also offers an increasing number of plug-in hybrids and its first all-electric model: the Toyota bZ4X. Equally, Toyota is one of the few brands keeping an eye on the future with significant investment into alternative fuels, such as hydrogen.
Finally, Toyota has never lost its belief in a passion for making cars for people who love driving. Toyota’s commitment to using learnings from World Rally, the Le Mans 24 Hours and touring cars to make cars that are first and foremost fun to drive has spawned a stunning trio of pulse-raising performance halo road cars – namely the rally-bred Toyota GR Yaris, the Toyota GR86, and the Toyota GR Supra.
It gives Toyota a real point of difference when many mainstream manufacturers are throttling back on their performance offering, while also letting Toyota inject a dose of everyday excitement into almost every car in its line-up through the GR Sport trim.
So, with Toyota covering so many bases – and doing so many of them so well – it’s no wonder that the brand is going from strength to strength, and why we’ve named Toyota as Autocar’s Best Manufacturer of 2024.
