Toyota China Jan sales up 53% to 72,000 vehicles

Shanghai, February 4 (Gasgoo.com) Japanese automaker Toyota Motor's January sales in China rose 53% from a year earlier to 72,000 vehicles, Dow Jones reported today, citing Beijing-based Toyota spokesman.

Toyota's January sales growth in China comes as its sales in the U.S. were hurt by a massive recall of vehicles and a sales halt because of problems with accelerator pads. Its U.S. sales last month fell 16% to below 100,000 units for the first time since 1999.

The company also announced on Jan. 28 a recall of locally-made 75,552 RAV4 SVUs in China because of the problem with accelerator pads. Toyota has auto-making joint ventures in China with China FAW Group and Guangzhou Auto Group. FAW Toyota launched the RAV4 SUV to market in April 2009.

Toyota is a significant player in China's passenger car market, with sales rising 21% in 2009 to 709,000 units. The RAV4 SUVs, along with the Corolla and Camry sedans, helped to drive sales.

The Japanese carmaker's January China sales marked a faster speed-up from 13% annual growth in the first nine months of 2009 and 17% growth in 2008. The company expects to sell about 800,000 cars in China this year.