TOKYO: Toyota said global sales climbed 2.8 percent in the first nine months of this year as it battles Volkswagen for leadership.

Worldwide deliveries for Toyota, including its Hino Motors and Daihatsu units, climbed to 7.6 million vehicles through September, spokesman Dion Corbett said by phone.

Volkswagen has reported sales of 7.4 million vehicles, excluding results for its two heavy-truck units.

The tight race between global giants is playing out as automakers, their customers and regulators contend with mounting recalls and rising scrutiny over the safety of vehicles.

The industrywide struggle with defective cars poses risk to both Toyota and Volkswagen, which are benefiting from increasing demand in the China and US markets.

“It’s a fantastic race, with their strengths coming in different parts of the world,” James Chao, a Shanghai-based director at IHS Automotive, said by phone.