Toyota May Hike Production Targets

Toyota Motor Corp. aims to boost global output, including its Daihatsu and Hino units, by about 150,000 units from its original schedule to just over 4.5 million vehicles in the fiscal first half ending Sept. 30, The Nikkei reports. Toyota built 4.4 million vehicles worldwide in the same period last year.

The company's new plan calls for output of 1.65 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Japan from April through September, down only 5% from a year earlier. Toyota previously said it would cut domestic production 10%. The Nikkei, which doesn't cite its sources, says the additional output will be small and midsize cars for the domestic market and SUVs for export.

In North America, Toyota intends to boost production of its midsize Camry sedan and other models, the newspaper reports. It says that growth will be offset by lower output in southeast Asia.

Domestic production of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in calendar year 2013 will top the company's target of 3.1 million units, The Nikkei predicts. It notes that the company has said it needs to make at least 3 million units per year in Japan to keep its manufacturing there competitive.

The newspaper adds that Toyota also is likely to surpass this year's goal of matching its 2012 output of 9.94 million passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide. The Nikkei says the company's full-year group production could surpass 10 million vehicles, which would be the highest annual output ever for an automaker.