Toyota predicts 9% gain in global sales

[tgagneguam]

Two more years of 9% growth, and Toyota will catch GM. Yikes!

Toyota predicts 9% gain in global sales

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Co.p., spurred by robust business growth outside Japan, raised global sales and production targets for the current year. Japan’s largest car company said world-wide sales for calendar year 2004 will reach 7.39 million vehicles, up 9 percent over 2003. The company’s original sales target was 7.08 million. Toyota plans to produce 7.54 million vehicles globally in 2004, up from its previous forecast of 7.28 million. In 2003, the Toyota group sold 6.78 million vehicles and manufactured 6.83 million vehicles world-wide. The new forecasts highlight the continuing strength of Toyota, whose aggressive cost-cutting has allowed it to keep prices reasonable, even as it equips its cars with the latest gadgetry — from navigation and safety systems to new fuel technologies.

It's a brief article...

[amark329]

That is a thought I don't want to think about!! Toyota's lineup right now is bland but people must be driving them for some other reason. Lexus however has nice rebadges!! :P

[AJR]

Originally posted by amark329@Jul 23 2004, 04:14 AM
That is a thought I don't want to think about!! Toyota's lineup right now is bland but people must be driving them for some other reason. Lexus however has nice rebadges!! :P

Yeah, Lexus does have some nice stuff - even if some of it is rebadged.

[Hudson]

Rebadges? Aside from the LX470/Land Cruiser, nothing Lexus sells in the US has a direct Toyota equivalent. And the next generation Lexus models won't even have a direct Toyota equivalent in Japan.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Hudson@Jul 23 2004, 09:13 AM
Rebadges? Aside from the LX470/Land Cruiser, nothing Lexus sells in the US has a direct Toyota equivalent. And the next generation Lexus models won't even have a direct Toyota equivalent in Japan.

I wonder if that includes the Toyota Harrier:

[amark329]

Rebadges? Aside from the LX470/Land Cruiser, nothing Lexus sells in the US has a direct Toyota equivalent. And the next generation Lexus models won't even have a direct Toyota equivalent in Japan.

The ES and the Camry. Infact it was in the JD Power and Associates Magazine I believe which showed some companies rebadges. Unless it was another mag. I don't know I read it somewhere but I didn't say Lexus is bad they are by far on of the best luxury brands out there. My favorite is LS.

[Hudson]

The Toyota Harrier isn't sold in the US. The Lexus ES330 isn't a rebadge of the Camry, either. The ES330 is sold in Japan as the Toyota Windom. Saying the ES330 is a rebadge of the Camry is more akin to saying that the Buick LeSabre is a rebadge of the Pontiac Bonneville.

[jro4566]

You can't call a car a "rebadge" if it's a "rebadged" version of a car that isn't sold in the same country...

[ibechip]

GM has absolutely no chance. They have to do something now.

[vanshmack]

I think entirely too much emphasis is put on total sales and market share. GM itself is obsessed with this, and it's almost irrational. Profitablility is key, and if I'm a manufacturer, I'd rather sell 1 million cars at $1000 profit than 10 million cars at a $50 profit. Toyota is still millions of units per year behind GM, but is 10 times more profitable per car. Toyota's windfall of cash just advances their ability to be even more profitable because it's used to further streamline it's processes. GM should have learned something from it's NUMMI program of the 80's and 90's with Toyota, but apparently they didn't.

Here's to hoping that GM figures it out...If it's not too late.

[Dark knight]

wow thats not good at all.I thought 9% would not make a differince but as alway I was wrong,what does Gm intend on doing about this?

[Hudson]

Originally posted by RCtennis3811@Jul 23 2004, 10:35 AM
You can't call a car a "rebadge" if it's a "rebadged" version of a car that isn't sold in the same country...

Rebadging in the same market happens all the time. The European Subaru Justy is built and sold by Suzuki under the original badges. The Mitsubishi Precis is identical to the Hyundai Excel. Wasn't the Plymouth Neon just a "rebadge" of the Dodge Neon?

None of Lexus' models (aside from the Land Cruiser/LX470) are offered in the US along with their Toyota equivalents.

[yoblues]

Toyota sells three brands. Lexus = Luxury. Toyota = Everymans car/truck/suv/mini van. Scion = Youth and I suspect down the road affordable performence. This is why the Celica and MR 2 were phased out. GM = five U.S. vehicle lines and two truck lines. Three European car lines and the Fiat connection debacle. A host of Asian car inter connections. In other words Toyota is lean mean and focused. GM is spread out all over the map with car and truck lines overlapping. It's far from a lean and mean machine. GM has to totally reorganize that company or Toyota will eventually steamroll them.

[Hudson]

ilaoc:

No. The ES330 is the Toyota Windom in Japan...the Camry is a different model. The SC430 and the Camry Solara don't share much of anything...they're completely unrelated vehicles.

Try again.

[Ming]

my favorite rebadge - Toyota Voltz - it keeps the pontiac emblem??: