MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Toyota expects strong showing from production and sales overseas

Sales in Japan are expected to drop 17%

Toyota, the largest car-maker in the world is forecasting a 2% rise in global production across Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino models to 8.69 million units, compared to this year’s expected global output of 8.55 million units. Overseas production next year is expected to rise 6% to 4.81 million units, offsetting a 4% drop in domestic output to 3.89 million units.

By division production at Toyota next year is forecast to increase1% to 7.7 million units. A 6% rise in overseas output to 4.6 million units will outweigh a 5% decline in Japanese production to 3.1 million units.

At Daihatsu, local production is forecast to rise 2% to 670,000 units, while overseas output will grow 21% to 190,000 units for a total of 860,000 units, up 6%. Hino’s global production is expected to rise 20%, thanks to a 20% rise in Japanese output to 110,000 units and a 15% jump in build overseas to 10,000 units.

On the sales front, Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino are expected to sell a total of 8.61 million vehicles next year, up 3% from 2010’s forecast sales of 8.37 million units. Although sales outside of Japan are expected to rise 8% to 6.68 million units, domestic sales across the three will drop 12% to 1.93 million units.

The domestic decline is due to an expected 17% drop in Toyota’s Japanese sales to 1.3 million units because of the end of tax breaks. Toyota’s sales outside of Japan next year are forecast to rise 8% to 6.4 million units, leaving total Toyota sales up 3.3% at 7.7 million units. Global sales at Daihatsu next year are expected to rise 2% to 800,000 units, with flat local sales of 600,000 units and a 10% rise in overseas sales to 190,000 units. Hino is also expected to report flat domestic sales in 2011 at 30,000 units, though overseas sales are forecast to rise 16% to 90,000 units for an overall 12% growth to 120,000 units.