Daihatsu Aims for Closer Toyota Link in Emerging Markets

Daihatsu Motor Co.'s CEO says the company is close to a "promising" agreement to share its minicar know-how with Toyota Motor Corp., its 51% owner, in foreign markets.

Masanoro Mitsui tells The Nikkei that Daihatsu is eager to apply small-car expertise it developed in Indonesia and Malaysia in other Asian markets and in Africa and Latin America. He says that could take the form of collaboration with Toyota on product development and perhaps overseas production.

Daihatsu's production from January through June slipped 3% to 726,700 units 63% of them minivehicles. The company assembles about two-thirds of its vehicles in Japan. Output in Malaysia grew 6% in the first half of the year.