Toyota Aims to Sell 10.4 Million Vehicles in 2009

Toyota Motor aims to sell around 10.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2009, helped by increasing demand in North America as well as China and other emerging economies, business daily Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

Toyota , neck and neck with General Motors as the world's biggest automaker, is cranking up market share in mature regions such as North America and Europe with fuel-efficient cares such as the Prius hybrid and RAV4 crossover as well as entry into the full-sized pickup truck segment with the Tundra.

The newspaper said the new target includes sales by subsidiaries Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor and the plan will be announced on Aug. 31 when the company is expected to hold a briefing on business plan.

Toyota was not immediately available for comment.

The news report comes amid growing concern about the impact of a credit squeeze on U.S. consumption. A Lehman Brothers analyst earlier this month lowered his sales outlook for the U.S. auto industry, citing weakness in the housing and credit markets.

If it realizes the target, Toyota will become the first automaker to sell more than 10 million vehicles in a single year, the paper said.

In 2006, Toyota sold 8.8 million vehicles, slightly falling short of General Motors' 9.1 million, it said.