According to the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study released by market researcher Kantar Millward Brown, Toyota continues to be the world’s most valuable car brand for the sixth year in a row, followed for the first time by Mercedes-Benz (2nd) and BMW (3rd). Toyota has been No. 1 in 11 of the 13 years the study has been carried out. In the years it wasn’t No. 1, 2010 and 2012, it finished in second place.

The ranking says that Toyota’s brand value increased 5 percent to nearly $30 billion because of strong demand for its SUVs in Europe and the United States and because of the automaker’s consistency. Mercedes increased its brand value 9 percent to $25.7 billion to surpass BMW who grew 4 percent to $25.6 billion in the brand value ranking.

In 2018, Tesla increased its brand value 60 percent and now ranks eighth, slightly behind Audi. The biggest gain in value among automakers in the top 10 came despite Tesla’s well-publicized setbacks, including its struggled to keep pace with strong demand for its Model 3 entry-level car.

The top 10 is completed by Volkswagen with a value of roughly $6 billion, up from $5.1 billion last year.

When it comes to the ranking of all brands, Google retained the No. 1 spot. Google’s brand value rose 23 percent to $302.1 billion.

Apple held on to the No. 2 spot because of a 28 percent rise in brand value to $300.6 billion. Amazon passed Microsoft to take the third spot in the overall global ranking with a 49 percent rise in brand value to $207.6 billion. Microsoft was fourth with a brand value of approximately $201 billion and Chinese tech giant Tencent rounded out the top five with a 65 percent rise in brand value to $179 billion.

World’s most valuable car brands in billions; rank in top global 100; % value change from 2017

1. Toyota $29.99 (36) +5
2. Mercedes $25.68 (46) +9
3. BMW $25.62 (47) +4
4. Ford $12.74 (96) -2
5. Honda $12.70 (97) +4
6. Nissan $11.43 (*) +1
7. Audi $9.63 (*) +3
8. Tesla $9.42 (*) +60
9. Maruti Suzuki $6.38 (*) —
10. Volkswagen $5.99 (*) —
(*) Did not rank in the top 100 global brands
Source: Kantar Millward Brown

[Source: Automotive News]