UPDATE 1-Toyota to build low cost car for Asia markets -Nikkei

TOKYO | Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:52pm EST

TOKYO Feb 16 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and group firm Daihatsu (7262.T) will build a low cost car in Indonesia aimed at consumers there and in neighbouring countries, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

The car, which will be smaller than the Etios it launched in India in 2010, will be priced around 800,000 yen to 900,000 yen ($9,550-$10,740), the report said.

Toyota officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

With vehicle sales in the United States and other developed economies still to recover to pre-financial crisis levels, Toyota and other carmakers need to tap burgeoning demand in rapidly developing economies, particularly in Asia.

That means building cars that are within the budget of the region's expanding middle class. Though more numerous, they are less affluent than their counterparts in the United States, Europe or Japan.

Minivehicle specialist Daihatsu, 51 percent owned by Toyota, will invest around 20 billion yen in a new factory able to build 100,000 cars annually in Indonesia, 70 percent of which it will supply to its parent company, the Nikkei said.

Production, which will be 50,000 cars in the first year, is slated to begin as early as 2013, the paper said.

By bolstering output in Indonesia, Toyota aims to make the country its second big production base in southeast Asia after Thailand, the report said. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) (edwina.gibbs@thomsonreuters.com; +81-3-6441-1840; Reuters Messaging: edwina.gibbs.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Related Quotes and News

Company
Price
Related News
Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.