rick the ripper
12-18-2005, 12:47 PM
Saturday December 17, 2:23 AM
Toyota's 2005 domestic sales down for 1st time in 3 yrs: report
(Kyodo) _ Toyota Motor Corp.'s car sales in Japan will likely fall by 20,000 units from 2004 to 1.74 million this year, marking its first year-on-year dip in three years, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Saturday.
The leading Japanese carmaker, which boasts a domestic market share of more than 40 percent, had projected domestic sales of 1.8 million cars for 2005. But it will likely miss its sales goal for the first time in two years because demand for its mainstay Corolla compact and other major models has been undermined by competition from lower-priced cars, the report said.
Its mainstay subcompact, the Vitz, underwent a face lift in February but failed to lure customers away from minicars and used cars, whose sales have been experiencing solid growth, the report said, adding as a result, monthly Vitz sales have consistently failed to reach its target of 10,000 units since August.
The absence of any new models launched between April and September, as well as the allocation of marketing resources for the domestic launch of the Lexus luxury car brand in late August, probably also contributed to the weaker sales, according to the report.
Toyota's 2005 domestic sales down for 1st time in 3 yrs: report
(Kyodo) _ Toyota Motor Corp.'s car sales in Japan will likely fall by 20,000 units from 2004 to 1.74 million this year, marking its first year-on-year dip in three years, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Saturday.
The leading Japanese carmaker, which boasts a domestic market share of more than 40 percent, had projected domestic sales of 1.8 million cars for 2005. But it will likely miss its sales goal for the first time in two years because demand for its mainstay Corolla compact and other major models has been undermined by competition from lower-priced cars, the report said.
Its mainstay subcompact, the Vitz, underwent a face lift in February but failed to lure customers away from minicars and used cars, whose sales have been experiencing solid growth, the report said, adding as a result, monthly Vitz sales have consistently failed to reach its target of 10,000 units since August.
The absence of any new models launched between April and September, as well as the allocation of marketing resources for the domestic launch of the Lexus luxury car brand in late August, probably also contributed to the weaker sales, according to the report.