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Toyota Motor Corp. says it's on track to become the world's largest automaker. CNN's Eunice Yoon reports
In the race for the title of world's largest automaker, Toyota of Japan proved Tuesday it's on track to unseat US car giant General Motors.
'We've posted record highs from sales to net profit in our third quarter.'
In its latest quarterly earnings report, profits jumped 7% to more than $3.5 billion. The company sold enough Camry sedans, Prius hybrid electric cars, and other vehicles in North America to warrant the construction of new factories there.
'The impressive thing about Toyota is they're expanding in multiple regions at the same time and that's giving them a lot of momentum, er, to take that number one spot.'
Drivers worldwide have praised Toyota for making what they consider low maintenance, high mileage vehicles. That formula is working in North America where the automaker is now thinking of building an eighth assembly plant, a move that could help ward off political pressure. But there has been growing criticism in the US over Toyota's rising imports. One American politician from the heart of the American auto industry in Detroit says the Japanese carmaker benefits unfairly from state-run pension systems and a government that dabbles in the currency markets. The weak yen played a big part in Toyota's profits. Yet many car analysts say those remarks are unfair.
'If a politician wants to come out against Toyota, he's gonna have to come out against employment and environmental technology, and that's pretty tenuous ground to be standing on.'
Toyota says it's sticking by its full year forecasts and analysts say the company is on course for an eighth straight year of record earnings. Still, Toyota in Japanese tradition is staying modest.
'There is a lot of talk of us becoming number one in the world. We are trying not to be too conscious of it. We want to produce cars that the market wants.'
And with it looking as though the market wants more Toyota-made cars, analysts say the company will drive by GM as soon as this year.
Eunice Yoon, CNN, Seoul.
Vocabulary
ward off phr-v. To ward off a danger or illness means to prevent it from affecting you or harming you.
She may have put up a fight to try to ward off her assailant.
dabble v. If you dabble in something, you take part in it but not very seriously.
He dabbled in business.
