Toyota aims for almost 10 million in vehicle sales

AFP FILE PHOTO

TOKYO– Toyota Motor said Friday it aimed to sell 9.58 million units worldwide in 2012 after losing its number one spot in the global carmakers’ league last year.

Last week, Japan’s largest carmaker said it sold 7.95 million units worldwide in 2011, down 6.0 percent, as it wrestled with a strong yen while its supply chains were disrupted by the country’s March quake-tsunami disaster and record flooding in Thailand.

But in 2012, global sales of the Toyota brand alone are expected to reach 8.58 million units, with its mini-car unit Daihatsu expected to sell 850,000 vehicles and truckmaker Hino planning to sell 150,000.

Toyota had been the world’s biggest carmaker since 2008, but its 2011 figure left US giant General Motors, on 9.03 million sales, in top spot, with Germany’s Volkswagen in second place on 8.16 million vehicles.

Toyota spokeswoman Amiko Tomita said the firm had been hit by one-off natural disasters in 2011, adding that it could benefit from a new car subsidy in Japan.

“We aim to sell more in emerging countries, mainly China, India, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia,” she said.

“In China, we hope to boost our sales by 10.0 percent. We are hoping to do better in the USA where the market is improving. Toyota plans to boost its sales by 16.0 percent.”