For the year 2017, Toyota anticipates a one percent rise in global vehicle sales as growth in North America, Europe and Asia prompts a recovery from a 1 percent slide in sales this year.
The automaker estimates sales across its Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu minicar and Hino Motors truck brands to increase to around 10.2 million vehicles in 2017. It expects to end 2016 with sales of 10.09 million vehicles, slightly lower than an initial forecast of 10.11 million.
Toyota expects sales to increase in its main markets next year due in part to new additions to its model lineup, including the C-HR compact SUV launched in Japan this week.
This would offset sluggish demand in the Middle East, where low oil prices have battered the region’s economies, the automaker said.
It aims to boost production at the group by 1 percent to 10.36 million vehicles in 2017.
The improvement in global sales would follow a 1 percent year-on-year slide this year, largely due to sluggishness in some southeast Asian markets.
Toyota was the world’s top-selling automaker in 2015, keeping the title for the fourth straight year.
Through October this year, Toyota sold 8.35 million vehicles, slightly lower than 8.48 million at Volkswagen Group during the same period, latest data showed.
