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AUTOMOBILES
SANTAN SANTIVIMOLNAT
Toyota released a newly revised forecast predicting nationwide pick-up truck sales this year will contract by 5% to only 385,000 units, the first decrease in the past 10 years.
Rising diesel prices have pushed consumers away from pick-up trucks in favour of vehicles using petrol engines.
In the first six months this year, pick-up truck sales totalled 181,888 units, down 1% from the same period last year.
After the 1997 economic crisis, pick-up truck sales began improving in 1999, and have continued to rise since then. Sales last year reached 405,865 units.
The original forecast for pick-up truck sales this year was 428,000 units, a 5% increase of sales from 2007.
Toyota receently revised pick-up truck sales down by 5% recently due to rising diesel prices.
Toyota president Mitsuhiro Sonoda insisted using a pick-up truck is better than other vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency, performance and maintenance.
Based on a normal service year, pick-up truck owners could save more in fuel costs than those using gasoline engines due to a lower fuel consumption rate. Diesel engines also generate higher torque and horsepower in the driving range of 1500 to 3500 rpm, which is required for pick-up trucks to carry cargo, he said.
Maintenance expenses for diesel engines are cheaper than gasoline engines, Mr Sonoda said.
He said the overall automobile market this year was also revised down to 650,000 units from an earlier forecast of 700,000 units due to the uncertain economic and political outlook.
However, the newly revised industry figure is still 3% over actual sales last year.
Revised Toyota annual vehicle sales will be 290,000 units, a 3% increase over 2007.
Of total overall vehicle sales, 111,000 units will be cars, up 20% and 179,000 units will be commercial vehicles including 165,000 pick-up trucks, down 5%.
Toyota projects that it will hold a total market share of 45% this year, with a 51% share in the car market, 42% in commercial vehicles and 43% in pick-up trucks.
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