VW retains lead as top global automaker; Renault-Nissan close second

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is only around 40,000 units short of Volkswagen's total deliveries for 2018.

Volkswagen has retained its lead as the top global automaker for the fifth year in a row, delivering 10.83 million units last year.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is not far behind with 10.76 million vehicles, reducing the margin between the top two positions to around 70,000 units, as noted by CNBC.

General Motors experienced a big drop for the year as deliveries slid by more than one million units, putting the company into fourth place.

The Renault-Nissan alliance's future has been shrouded in uncertainty following the arrest of former chairman Carlos Ghosn. The executive has blamed his legal troubles on a 'plot' by Nissan executives to block his planned merger of Renault and Nissan.