Toyota said Tuesday it plans to sell 8.27 million vehicles worldwide this year, up 6% from 2009, showing the world's No. 1 automaker is optimistic about recovery after being battered by the global slowdown.
Toyota—which makes the Prius hybrid, Lexus luxury model and Camry sedan—sold 7.81 million vehicles worldwide in 2009, down 13% from the previous year. The number includes group companies Daihatsu Motor Co, which makes small models, and truckmaker Hino Motors.
Toyota had appeared almost unstoppable until the financial crisis of late 2008 struck, sending auto demand in the U.S. and other parts of the world crashing.
It sold 8.972 million vehicles globally in 2008, and expectations were high it would top 10 million in coming years.
In 2010, sales in Japan are expected to grow 7% to 2.13 million vehicles, while overseas sales were expected to grow 6% to 6.14 million, according to Toyota.
Toyota's president normally holds an annual news conferences to announce the sales targets. But the announcement this year came in a release.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, who took office last year, has been playing down growth ambitions, making comments that stress the crisis the company faces and its need to return to basics to make appealing cars.
The automaker has also suffered a huge blow to its image in announcing two massive recalls within the space of two months in the U.S. to fix accelerator pedals that get stuck.
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