Toyota Global Production Up in 2006

Toyota Motor Corp. says it built 8.09 million units in 2006, an increase of 10% from 2005.

When factoring in Toyota’s Daihatsu and Hino units, the auto maker’s total global production grew 9.5% to 9.02 million units, approaching the 9.18 million General Motors Corp. built in 2006.

Toyota saw its total overseas production, which includes Toyota and Daihatsu brands, rise for the fifteenth consecutive year, to 8.6% or 3.93 million units, a record tally.

Toyota’s exports jumped a hefty 23.6% to 2.71 million units in 2006, with a 29.8% rise in passenger-car exports offsetting a 19.4% drop in truck and bus shipments.

Total Japanese domestic production was up for the fifth straight year at 10.3% to 5.09 million units, but Japanese sales were flat at 2.37 million units. Excluding Daihatsu and Hino, sales of Toyota vehicles slipped 1.3% to 1.70 million units last year, reflecting Japan’s depressed new-vehicle market.

However, Toyota’s market share in Japan, excluding minivehicles, is at a record 45.5%. Including Daihatsu, Hino and minivehicle sales, Toyota’s total market share in Japan for 2006 was 41.3%, also a record high.

Meanwhile, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. reportedly has overtaken Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in Japan for the No.2 spot in total global output, with 3.63 million units assembled in 2006, a 6.6% increase.

Nissan’s total global production fell 7.7% to 3.24 million units in the year.

Smaller Japanese auto makers Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. had mixed results in 2006 output.

Mazda’s worldwide vehicle production rose 12.1% to 1.29 million units, while Mitsubishi’s output fell 3.6% to 1.31 million units in 2006.