Toyota officially abandons quest to be number one
08-11-09 | 07:56 AM
#1
Toyota officially abandons quest to be number one
The article is from Automotive News and I don't have a subscription, and thus the whole article, but here is a portion of it:
Thoughts?
New Toyota President Akio Toyoda has abandoned the goal of grabbing a 15 percent share of the global market as part of a back-to-basics focus on quality over quantity.
The target was set in 2002 by then-President Fujio Cho as a benchmark for charting Toyota Motor Corp.'s rapid growth. Cho wanted the 15 percent sometime after 2010.
Toyota had a global market share of 10.7 percent in 2002, according to the Automotive News data center.
But Toyoda has different priorities, a high-level Toyota executive says. For starters, Toyoda took office in June amid an unprecedented global slump that has his company battling its first loss in decades, not priming for expansion.
The target was set in 2002 by then-President Fujio Cho as a benchmark for charting Toyota Motor Corp.'s rapid growth. Cho wanted the 15 percent sometime after 2010.
Toyota had a global market share of 10.7 percent in 2002, according to the Automotive News data center.
But Toyoda has different priorities, a high-level Toyota executive says. For starters, Toyoda took office in June amid an unprecedented global slump that has his company battling its first loss in decades, not priming for expansion.
08-11-09 | 08:01 AM
#3
I don't think Toyota should expand if the quality of their product goes down while quantity goes up. If it is difficult to control utmost quality standards, then I would prefer lower volumes.
Also, if Toyota decides to add enthusiast-vehicles such as sport-oriented coupes or niche products, it will surely take engineering and production time, effort, and resources away from "functional" vehicles such as family cars and utility trucks. Therefore, low-production enthusiast vehicles will ultimately drop the volume of high-production functional vehicles produced.
Also, if Toyota decides to add enthusiast-vehicles such as sport-oriented coupes or niche products, it will surely take engineering and production time, effort, and resources away from "functional" vehicles such as family cars and utility trucks. Therefore, low-production enthusiast vehicles will ultimately drop the volume of high-production functional vehicles produced.
08-11-09 | 08:07 AM
#4
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Akio Toyoda is doing exactly what I thought he would do; improve the company for the better. This is the right move. Toyota will focus more on product and quality than numbers and statistics. With good product and good quality, the numbers will come afterwords anyways.
08-11-09 | 08:31 AM
#5
I don't think Toyota should expand if the quality of their product goes down while quantity goes up. If it is difficult to control utmost quality standards, then I would prefer lower volumes.
Also, if Toyota decides to add enthusiast-vehicles such as sport-oriented coupes or niche products, it will surely take engineering and production time, effort, and resources away from "functional" vehicles such as family cars and utility trucks. Therefore, low-production enthusiast vehicles will ultimately drop the volume of high-production functional vehicles produced.
Also, if Toyota decides to add enthusiast-vehicles such as sport-oriented coupes or niche products, it will surely take engineering and production time, effort, and resources away from "functional" vehicles such as family cars and utility trucks. Therefore, low-production enthusiast vehicles will ultimately drop the volume of high-production functional vehicles produced.
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08-11-09 | 05:15 PM
#8
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um, exactly.. they will still build as many cars as they can sell. Toyoda just does not like some ridicilous goals.
08-11-09 | 06:02 PM
#12
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Akio Toyoda is doing exactly what I thought he would do; improve the company for the better. This is the right move. Toyota will focus more on product and quality than numbers and statistics. With good product and good quality, the numbers will come afterwords anyways.
08-11-09 | 06:31 PM
#13
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Toyota is probably not doing this just out of a clear blue sky, though. They have not doubt noticed the big change at Ford, with Ford's emphasis on quality rather than quantity, and it is paying off. Ford vehicles, especially the Fusion/Milan/MKZ, have had dramatic quality improvements recently, and, in some ways, are now better then Toyota's. Ford also got through the last year without any Government bailouts or foreign companies buying into them, something that can't be said for either GM or Chrysler.
08-11-09 | 06:40 PM
#14
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They have not doubt noticed the big change at Ford, with Ford's emphasis on quality rather than quantity, and it is paying off. Ford vehicles,
Plus...Ford cars make me look twice. The Tauras fits nicely in between the Camry and Avalon.
Toyota needs to work on their interiors more than than anything else. Their powertrains are outstanding...its the interiors that lack.
08-11-09 | 06:44 PM
#15
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