GAC Toyota confident to maintain growth in 2009

Shanghai, December 25 (Gasgoo.com) As the global financial crisis is spreading, the Chinese auto industry suffers market downturn and is experiencing significantly slow growth. However, GAC Toyota, the joint-venture company between Chinese Guangzhou Auto and Japanese carmaker Toyota, is confident that it can achieve sales growth in 2009, Feng Xingya, vice general manager of GAC Toyota was quoted by Yangcheng Evening News as saying so.

Feng said that amid the financial crisis, the joint venture would focus its work on improving customers’ satisfaction, enhancing quality supervision and developing healthy sales networks to build a solid base for further development.

The automaker plans to expand its capacity, production lines and sales channels in 2009. With the first plant saturated with a capacity of 200,000 units, the automaker’s second plant has been under construction and is expected to start operation in mid-2009. Apart from Camry and Yaris, GAC Toyota will introduce other new models that appeal to Chinese consumers. The automaker will also extend its sales networks to secondary and third tier cities of China.

Generally, GAC Toyota maintains a stable development in the shrinking market. Registered Camry reached over 120,000 units in the first ten months, leading the mid- to high-end car market.

Believing that the company can outperform other carmakers, Feng said GAC Toyota would make sure to achieve sales growth in 2009 no matter how the market would be.