Following its merger with Porsche, the Volkswagen Group has now produced 4.4 million cars so far this year, ahead of Toyota which has manufactured 4 million cars since January 2009. The figures were estimated by IHS Global Insight.

According to the report, Volkswagen benefited from programs in Germany, the UK and China that helped it boost car sales, while Toyota’s decision to halve its output in the first quarter of the year, from 2.1 million to 1.1 million, also helped Volkswagen achieve top spot.

However, Toyota is expected to reclaim its title soon, as it is expected to produce a total of 7 million cars in 2009. It has the capacity to produce 10 million cars, far greater than Volkswagen and Porsche’s capacity, and will ramp up production again once the financial crisis has passed.