Reports indicate that Toyota is set to regain the world No. 1 automaker ranking for 2012, after having dropped down to third place in 2011, a slide brought about by severe production disruptions that occurred when natural disasters hit Japan and Thailand last year.
This year, with robust sales being recorded in North America and Southeast Asia, the brand has certainly rebounded. For 2012, it’s due to chalk a record 9.7 million units of worldwide sales, and this will comfortably top that of General Motors and Volkswagen, which have each been projected to sell slightly more than nine million units.
Toyota said last Friday its global sales for the January-November period, including that of Daihatsu and Hino, climbed by 24.3% to 8.93 million vehicles. Toyota itself – including Lexus – achieved 7.97 million units, a rise of 24.5%.
Lexus sales grew 19.7% to 428,000 units in the period, though weaker demand in China might mean that its full-year target of 500,000 units may not be achieved. The reports add that though GM and VW managed to boost their sales in China, where Toyota and other Japanese firms took a big hit from anti-Japanese demonstrations, a European downturn weighed on them.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
The comments largely celebrate Toyota's projected number one ranking in 2012, emphasizing its reputation for reliability, high resale value, and overall quality. Many users praise Toyota's efforts in maintaining value through parts availability and buyback programs. Concerns are raised about safety features on some models, like the Camry and Vios, which are criticized for lower specs and minimal safety equipment, reflecting a demand for better safety standards. Several comments also discuss Toyota's global reforms, comparing practices across regions and criticizing local dealerships or government regulations for affecting quality and safety. Overall, there is strong fan support for Toyota, viewing it as a trustworthy brand, with some pointing out the importance of better safety features and government enforcement to improve standards in Malaysia.