Toyota aims to sell 650,000 vehicles in China this year

Jul. 23, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Toyota Motor Corp aims to sell at least 650,000 vehicles in China in the second half of this year, said Etsuo Hattori, the Japanese auto maker's chief representative for China, sources reported.

Toyota sold 284,000 units in China in the first six months of 2009, about as many as in 2008. The company did not expect the auto market in China to recover so quickly and failed to meet the increasing demand for low-emission vehicles in the country, said the chief representative.

The auto maker plans to launch more vehicle models in the second half to boost its sales and catch up with the overall industry growth.

China's first-half vehicle sales hit a record of 6.1 million units in the first half of this year, up 17.69% from a year earlier.

Hattori estimated that about 12 million vehicles will be sold in China this year based on the satisfying sales results in the first half. China Association of Automobile Manufacturers has forecast sales of 11 million vehicles in China this year.