'Mr Toyota' says 1.1m the target

Toyota's best known face and brand stalwart, John Conomos, has declared Australia is well on its way to 1.1m new vehicles sales this year. In a typically outspoken and confident prediction, the Toyota Australia chairman emeritus said neither the upcoming federal poll nor this week's interest rate increase would stop the steamrolling Australian new car market.

Speaking at the launch of the new Kluger earlier this week, Mr Conomos called the current new vehicle climate "an incredible situation."

"The million-vehicle market has already become a reality in terms of the [2006-07] financial year and there's little doubt that it will be ratified within the full calendar year," Conomos told the assembled media.

"Not even the uncertainty that normally surrounds Federal elections is likely to diminish the opportunity for us to go through the million-vehicle mark. In fact it's possible the figure could be closer -- we believe -- to 1.1m [new vehicles]."

Conomos says Toyota's own estimates indicate is there is sufficient stock within the industry to reach 1.1m sales and "probably exceed it".

"The motor industry is gathering critical mass like never before and that is one of the factors that will carry us across the line," Conomos said. "It is really quite an incredible situation -- even in the face of rising petrol prices, rising registration and insurance premiums, the retail motor industry continues to flourish. Even the past four interest rate rises and the threat [now realized] of another one does not seem to diminish the thirst for vehicles."

According to Conomos: "There's every reason, we think, to be confident vehicle sales will remain very strong throughout 2008 as well… Vehicle affordability has never been as attractive as it has been [this year]."

As Australia's number one brand Toyota continues to ride the crest of the sales wave. Year to date 2007 it has already sold in excess of 135,500 units and posted a record result of 215,000 sales (approx) for the 2006-07 financial year.

According to Toyota Australia's senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner, the maker expects to sell a total of around 235,000 vehicles in 2007 -- in other words less than 20,000 per month for the last five months of the year.

Given Toyota moved just shy of 110,000 cars in the last half of 2006 (and almost 105K in 2005) and is currently tracking 11.5 per cent up year to date, we'd say he's being conservative.

Indeed, combine Conomos sentiments and Toyota's traditionally aggressive end of year sales push with the fact Corolla's still gathering steam, Kluger has yet to hit dealers properly and an all-new 200 Series LandCruiser will flex its turbodiesel-powered muscles later this year and there's little wonder there's more than a glint of terror in the eyes of Toyota's rivals.

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