Toyota confirms rank of number 1 in the world

SÃO PAULO-With 9.98 million vehicles sold, Toyota held the rank of the world's largest automaker in 2013. This year, the Japanese group expects to sell 340 thousand units, becoming the first automotive manufacturer to overcome the barrier of 10 million units sold in a single year.
Toyota's global sales rose 2 percent last year in comparison with 2012. The runner-up, u.s.-based General Motors, has grown 4% and reached 9.71 million vehicles sales.
Volkswagen, which must stay in third place in the world rankings, hopes to have sold between 9.5 million and 9.7 million units last year. The German company should only disclose its official figures in March.
If anyone had doubts of who would have the power to reach first the mark of 10 million cars sold, this is proof of our capacity, said the Vice Chairman of Toyota Mercosur, Luiz Carlos Andrade, to recall the crisis that the Group faced in 2010 after a series of recalls in the United States and in other markets including Brazil. In all, about 14 million vehicles had to return to dealerships for repairs between 2009 and 2010. The main target of the convocations for manufacturing defect was the Corolla sedan, the brand's best-selling model.
Toyota reached the world vehicle market leadership in 2008, edging out a 77-year reign of GM. remained in the post for the next two years, but lost it in 2011 due to lack of components problems faced after the earthquake followed by tsunami that occurred in the country earlier that year. In 2012 has regained the Crown, with sales of 9.75 million vehicles, and repeated the feat in 2013.
The difference between the two brands sales, however, decreased to 451 thousand units in 2012 to 270 thousand last year, thanks to good performance in the last year of the American manufacturer in China and the United States.
A plan presented by Toyota in 2007 predicted to exceed the mark of 10 million vehicles sold in 2009. As it turns out, will be hit with five years late. That same year the Volkswagen also put the goal of 10 million with the objective to be attained until 2018.
Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder and President of the Group since 2009, said recently the specialized publication Automotive News that, currently, the company is not? in search of volume of production and sales. According to him, more aggressive attitude a results in the production of cars even better, changing the way we produce cars.?
Growth in Brazil
Of the total of 9.98 million vehicles sold last year, 7.6 million, or 76 percent, were sold by Toyota outside of Japan. The brand sold approximately 2.24 million automobiles in the United States and 917 thousand in China.
In Brazil, the brand, seventh in the national ranking, sold volume record of 176 thousand cars in 2013, which represented growth of 54.8% over the previous year. It was the second fastest mark grew up in the country, behind the Korean Hyundai, whose performance surpassed 96% the numbers of 2012, adding 212.9 thousand units.
The big seller in the country, with 62 thousand units, was the compact Etios, which began to be produced at Toyota's new plant inaugurated in Sorocaba (SP) in the second half of 2012. The model marked the entrance of the Japanese manufacturer in the segment of small cars, which accounts for more than 70% of sales locations.
For this year, Andrade designs a 3% growth in sales in Brazil, to approximately 182 thousand units.
In March, Toyota will start in Indaiatuba (SP) the production of the new Corolla, which will be similar to the European version, more sophisticated than the American, recently launched in the United States.
Total Brazilian market, the forecast from the National Association of Automotive vehicle manufacturers (Anfavea) is high only 1.1% in sales this year. In 2013, 3.767 million vehicles were sold, 0.9% less than in the previous year. It was the first fall recorded by the sector in a decade. The information is from the newspaper O Estado de s. Paulo.