Toyota aims for global top spot in 2008
Toyota also said it plans to produce 9.95 million vehicles worldwide during the same year, up 5 percent from this year – the same percentage jump for the automaker's global sales.
Toyota Motor Corp.'s targets, announced at a hotel in Nagoya near company headquarters, far surpasses the 9.3 million vehicles General Motors has given as its estimate for production this year.
GM has not given a forecast for the number of vehicles it expects to produce or sell in 2008.
GM has been fiercely fighting back and boosting its overseas business to try to retain the top industry spot, which it has held for 76 years.
Toyota has grown steadily in recent years along with the popularity of its models such as the Camry sedan, Corolla subcompact and the Prius gas-electric hybrid.
Soaring gas prices have dramatically boosted the appeal of smaller fuel-efficient models that are Toyota's trademark.
Demand for Toyota models has been growing in almost every region, including the U.S. and new markets such as China, South America, Russia and India.
But Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo, said next year will likely prove a challenge even for Toyota, as U.S. economic woes weigh on sales and profit. But he said the overall optimism for sales growth was "reasonable," given Toyota's recent performance.
"These are targets Toyota is giving, not forecasts, and so they are reasonable," he said. Taiwan News
