Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Toyota Motor,the worlds top automaker whose reputation has been dented by massive recalls,reported a fall in global car production for October even as it and Japanese rivals Nissan and Honda produced a record number of vehicles in China.
Toyota,which makes the Prius hybrid,Corolla compact and Lexus luxury cars,said Friday that global output fell 12.5 percent in October to 687,660 vehicles. Its production in China of 62,124 vehicles last month was up 4.4 percent from the previous year and a record high for October.
Tokyo-based Honda Motor produced 305,406 vehicles worldwide in October,up 1.4 percent from a year earlier and the 11th straight month of growth,driven by the popularity of the Fit subcompact and other models.
In China alone it made 55,507 vehicles,up 4.4 percent from the year before and a record for October.
The Japanese,known for their quality autos,are relative latecomers in China compared to US and European rivals. But China and other fast-growing emerging markets still hold great potential for growth particularly at a time when demand for new cars in developed markets such as Japan and North America remains sluggish.
