Toyota’s Global Sales Hit Record High in April-Sept.

Nagoya, Oct. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that its parent-only global vehicle sales in April-September rose 4.7 pct from a year before to 5,267,216 units, hitting a record high for a fiscal first half. The increase was led by robust sales of hybrid vehicles in North America. The Toyota group’s global sales, including those at subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., also hit a record high in the six-month period, at 5,643,042 units, up 5.0 pct. By region, Toyota’s parent-only April-September sales jumped 10.5 pct in North America, as the hybrid versions of its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan sold well. In China, where a price war is intensifying, Toyota saw its sales grow 5.5 pct, helped by the launch of a new electric vehicle. Meanwhile, Toyota’s parent-only sales in Japan in the fiscal first half fell 0.4 pct, affected by temporary plant shutdowns due to a massive earthquake and tsunami near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]