Toyota was recognised as the world’s best-selling vehicle brand after recording nearly 9.75 million sales in 2012. This means that the company last year sold one new vehicle every 3 seconds to a customer somewhere in the world.
Total group sales, including Hino trucks, Lexus luxury vehicles and Daihatsu, reached a new record of 9 748 000 units, which is 22.6% better than the production-interrupted 2011 and also surpasses the previous Toyota sales record of 9 367 000 units recorded in 2007.
In addition, Toyota also saw increases in production and market share in its major markets. Production increased for the first time in two years as a result of increases in virtually all regions. Exports from Japan to North America, Latin America, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa, which was severely interrupted by the March 2011 tsunami in this country, also increased dramatically which added to the overall increase.
In South Africa Toyota improved its market share to 19.4% after selling 121 276 cars and trucks in 2012. In doing so it was crowned market leader for the 33rd consecutive year.
“In 2011 we launched our new global vision, which built on Toyota’s strengths of quality, durability and reliability and put our ultimate focus on customer satisfaction. I believe that our sales success in 2012 proves that we are on target, but in the spirit of kaizen (continuous improvement) we will work hard to improve it in 2013,” says Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors.
Toyota aims to sell 9.91 million vehicles group-wide globally in 2013, which is an improvement up 1.6% over 2012. The company believes that its exciting next generation of products, including the Toyota 86, new Auris, forthcoming RAV4 and new Lexus IS will support this goal.
STORY BY TOYOTA
