Toyota achieves 7th record year of sales in Europe
2003 European sales rise 10% to 834,661 vehicles from 755,633 in 2002
Toyota achieved a seventh consecutive record year of sales in Europe in 2003, overcoming tough market conditions and strong competition. With 834,661 vehicles delivered - 21,651 Lexus and 813,010 Toyota - the world's third-largest car manufacturer saw sales rise by 10 per cent over the previous year, in a total market decreasing by almost two per cent. This resulted in a market share of 4.7 per cent - the highest market share ever for Toyota in Europe.
In 2003 Toyota also produced 465,946 cars, 430,919 engines and 117,140 transmissions at its plants in the UK, France, Turkey and Poland. This year Toyota has set the challenging target of selling 850,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Europe.
The Toyota Yaris sold an all-time record of 216,453 units in 2003 - its fifth consecutive year of record sales - with a rise of two per cent over 2002. Toyota's widely-acclaimed RAV4 also achieved record sales, with 105,076 units sold - a 10 per cent increase over 2002. The RAV4 is the continent's best-selling sport utility vehicle.
Toyota's legendary Land Cruiser also achieved record sales in 2003, selling 38,495 units or an impressive 122 per cent over 2002. And in 2003 sales of the Toyota Corolla (including the Corolla Verso) reached 221,503 units.
Meanwhile, the Lexus RX300 luxury SUV achieved a new annual sales record, with 9,440 units, or 58 per cent higher than last year.
With an all-time sales record of 133,776 units (+two per cent), the UK was Toyota's largest market in Europe in 2003. Italy was second-largest, with an all-time sales record of 125,369 units (+three per cent), while Germany was third-largest (106,056 units, +two per cent). France (73,319 units, +eight per cent) and Spain (43,898 units, +37 per cent) also enjoyed all-time sales records and were, respectively, Toyota's fourth- and fifth-largest markets.
All-time annual sales records were also achieved in Poland (36,088 units, +52 per cent), Russia (25,110 units, +211 per cent), Hungary (12,145 units, +21 per cent), and the Czech Republic (6,406 units, 26 per cent).
Toyota's reputation for superior quality was confirmed in 2003, when Toyota and Lexus cars won the top spots customer satisfaction surveys of car owners in the UK and Germany by market research firm J.D. Power.
"In 2004, we look forward to building on what was our seventh consecutive year of record sales. We will continue to expand and develop our environmental technologies with the European launch of the second-generation Toyota Prius hybrid car early this year and the revolutionary Toyota D-CAT system which helps 'clean up' diesel emissions," said Dr Takis Athanasopoulos, chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe (TMME).
"Toyota believes that thanks to an even stronger retailer network and an ever-improving model line-up, it can continue to successfully satisfy the tastes of Europe's diverse and demanding customers," Dr Athanasopoulos concluded.