British consulting firm Brand Finance recently released the "Top 500 Most Influential Brands in the World in 2025" report, which shows that technology companies are far ahead, occupying 8 of the top 10 seats.
When it comes to brand value by industry, the banking industry tops the list, followed by retail, media, consumer electronics, software and communications, and the automotive industry ranks seventh.
In terms of the automotive industry, Toyota will become the world's most valuable car brand in 2025, Mercedes-Benz will be second, Hyundai will follow, Tesla and BMW will be fourth and fifth. In 2024, Toyota will be third, behind Mercedes-Benz and Tesla.
Although Toyota ranks highest among automakers, it ranks only 18th on the overall list in 2025. The list is topped by Apple, with a brand value of $574.5 billion, followed by Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Walmart.
The report evaluates all brands by taking into account revenue and stock market performance, as well as revenue forecasts, brand awareness, sustainability and the emotional connection between consumers and brands. In short, it measures both the economic value of a brand and its perceived value.
The report shows that Toyota's brand value is $64.7 billion, up 23% from 2024. Mercedes-Benz ranks 23rd among all brands with a brand value of $53 billion, down 11% from 2024. South Korea's Hyundai's brand value is $46.2 billion, up from $36.9 billion in 2024, while Tesla's brand value is $42.9 billion, down from $58.2 billion the previous year.
23 automobile companies made the list, in order of value: Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Tesla, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Honda, Ford, Audi, Ferrari, BYD, Chevrolet, Kia, Volvo, Nissan, Lexus, Renault, Suzuki, Jeep, Subaru, and GMC.
In 2024, Toyota Motor ranked first in global automobile sales for the fifth consecutive year. Analysts stressed that the key to Toyota's success is that it has always kept up with market changes and deeply cultivated consumer needs. Against the backdrop of increasing global economic uncertainty, Toyota has achieved a leap in brand value with its diversified product line and perfect sales network.
German giants such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Porsche still have quite high brand values, but they have declined to varying degrees compared to 2024. This is closely related to the economic downturn in Europe and the rise of Chinese rivals.
Tesla's brand value fell 26% in 2024, its second consecutive year of decline, due to an aging vehicle lineup and a backlash against CEO Elon Musk among some consumers. David Haig, CEO of Brand Finance, said Musk's political rhetoric and public image also have a downside. "Some people think he's great, but there are a lot of people who don't, and if you're buying an electric car, his image is likely to influence whether you want to buy his company's car, but it's just one of many factors," he said.
As the leader of domestic auto brands, BYD ranked 167th in the 2025 list, up 5 places from the previous year, thanks to its outstanding performance in the field of new energy vehicles. So far, BYD is also the only Chinese auto brand to enter the top 500 list.
