Toyota Motor head plays down impact of recall on sales.
DETROIT, Jan. 10 KyodoToyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda on Monday suggested that the automaker's massive worldwide recalls from late 2009 through 2010 had only a small impact on its sales.
''Although it was a hard year, (our sales) fared relatively well under such circumstances,'' Toyoda told reporters as he attended the annual North American International Auto Show, which opened earlier in the day in Detroit.
Asked about the automaker losing its No. 2 position in terms of market share in the United States to Ford Motor Co., Toyoda said, ''It was due to our temporary suspension of production.''
Toyoda appeared confident the automaker had retained the trust of U.S. consumers despite the recalls, saying, ''We have had a solid bond with customers, with for instance the Camry placing top in the U.S. passenger car model ranking.''
He also expressed confidence in future sales of Toyota's new Prius v model, which the carmaker unveiled at the auto show. ''With good fuel efficiency and a large cargo space, it is a user-friendly vehicle,'' he said.
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| Publication: | Japan Transportation Scan |
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| Date: | Jan 18, 2011 |
| Words: | 177 |
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