Dieselgate what? Volkswagen reclaims global sales crown

Toyota and Volkswagen are constantly battling to sell the most cars around the world. Toyota used to be king, but thanks to a particularly strong showing, and despite its diesel malfeasance, Volkswagen has once again risen to the top.

Volkswagen delivered 5.116 million vehicles in the first half of 2016, Reuters reports. This trumped Toyota's 4.992 million vehicles delivered. Toyota's numbers dropped by 0.6 percent, while Volkswagen's went up by 1.5 percent.

While VW's main brand did take a hit, likely due to Dieselgate, it had strong showings from Audi, Porsche and Skoda. Volkswagen expects its group deliveries to exceed last year's 9.93 million by the end of the year, thanks to growing demand in markets such as China and Western Europe.

VW's issued a number of incentives to keep US buyers coming through its doors, as it faces a $15 billion settlement in the US. The company admitted last September to installing software on its diesel vehicles that would curtail emissions during testing, only to have the vehicles pollute in excess of legal limits once on the road.