The bulk of this volume was passenger cars — their production reached 53.2 million units. Compared with the figure a year earlier, global passenger car output grew by 2.5 percent.
China remains the leader among car-producing countries: in three quarters, 17.3 million passenger cars rolled off its assembly lines. Compared with 2016, output in China increased by 3 percent.
Japan holds the second spot — with 6.2 million cars to its name. The local auto industry increased passenger car production by 7 percent.
Germany, which produced 4.3 million passenger cars, remains the undisputed leader in Europe and firmly holds third place in the global ranking. However, compared with the first nine months of 2016, Germany recorded a 2 percent decline in passenger car output.
India takes the fourth position, where almost 3 million passenger cars were produced from January to September, which is 7 percent more than in the same period last year.
South Korea rounds out the top five with 2.9 million cars — up 4 percent.
The mark of one million passenger cars produced in 9 months this year was also surpassed by: the USA — 2.3 million units (down 21 percent from the same period last year); Spain — 1.7 million (down 5 percent); Brazil — 1.6 million (up 32 percent); Mexico — 1.5 million (up 1 percent); France — 1.2 million (up 3 percent); the UK — 1.2 million (down 2 percent); the Czech Republic — 1.05 million (up 4 percent); Iran — 1.03 million (up 27 percent).
