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Toyota Brand Value Leads the World (353)

Toyota has strengthened its position as the world's most valuable automotive brand on the back of demand for hybrid vehicles, a rising Japanese economy and a rebound in the US car market.

Toyota's brand value surged by 21 per cent to US$29.6 billion (A$32.1 billion) over the past year compared with average rises of 17 per cent for the auto sector and 12 per cent for the top 100 brands.

It is the seventh time in nine years that Toyota has been crowned automotive brand value leader in the BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands report.

Second and third places were taken by luxury German marques while only three other automotive companies were listed in the top 100.

The report said hybrid vehicles continued to do well with fuel efficiency and emissions shaping buyer preferences.

"It's not that shoppers preferred the styling or performance of those cars, but they wanted to enjoy the key benefit - fuel efficiency," it said.

"Toyota hybrid sales in Europe grew 43 per cent, driving strong profit for the brand in that region." Hybrid sales were up 30 per cent in the United States.

The report said another significant trend was that consumers expected cars loaded with technology, regardless of price point.

"Conditioned by rapid smartphone apps, they also expected car technology to improve with the speed of downloads," it said.

Safety remained an overriding concern. A key reason people traded-in cars after the third year of ownership was to upgrade to new safety features.