Report: Global Auto Output to Rise 6% This Year

Carmakers will produce 81.2 million light vehicles worldwide this year compared with 76.8 million units in 2011, IHS Automotive predicts.

The research firm says growth will be led by China (+7% to 18.5 million), the U.S. (+15% to 9.7 million units) and Japan (+18% to 9.3 million). IHS also expects sold growth in Mexico (+8% to 2.8 million) and Canada (+6% to 2.3 million).

IHS expects production to drop in western Europe (-7% to 12.7 million vehicles), Russia (-3% to 1.8 million units) and the rest of central and eastern Europe (-4% to 4.4 million).

The firm this month boosted its 2012 forecast for south Asia to 8.1 million units. IHS expects full-year growth in India (+15% to 4.1 million) to meet rising demand. The firm also predicts increases across the rest of the region as automakers seek to replace volume lost during Thailand's floods last autumn.

Production in Brazil was lower than expected in early 2012 as tight credit dampened demand, according to the firm. But it expects output to increase, resulting a full-year advance of 5% to 4.6 million units built in South America, including a 4% gain to 3.3 million units in Brazil.