Toyota Canada leads car sales as records topple in May

TORONTO, June 3 /CNW/ - May was the best sales month in history for Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI), as total retails of Toyota and Lexus cars, trucks and SUVs reached 18,874 units - beating the previous record of 16,920 units, set in May of last year, by 11.5 per cent. Both Toyota and Lexus enjoyed best-ever results. Total Toyota sales reached 18,152, surpassing last May's record sales by 1,832 units (11.2 per cent). Lexus sold a total of 722 luxury vehicles during May, 20.3 per cent better than May of last year, and 48 units more than the previous record set in April 2001.

"While strong support for these record-setting sales came from across the whole line-up, Toyota is especially proud of the performance of Camry and Echo," said Tony Wearing, Group Vice President of Vehicle Sales and Marketing at TCI. "Echo blew away all previous sales numbers, including those set for the Tercel, and the new Camry just keeps winning more and more fans. They can't beat the combination of quality and value."

Highlights of Toyota's record sales month include:

- For the 4th month in a row, Toyota was number one in Canadian car

sales.

- Best month ever for Echo. Sales of 3,922 are 23.5 per cent better

than last May's record of 3,175, and 858 units better than the best

month for Tercel, which Echo replaced in 2000.

- Best month ever for Camry. Total sales of 3,484 were up 60.3 per cent

compared to last May and beat the September 2001, record by 88 units.

- Best May for Highlander with sales of 865 beating last May's sales by

17.1 per cent.

- Best May ever for Lexus cars. Total Lexus car sales of 497 exceeded

last May's record of 401 by 23.9 per cent, thanks in part to the ES

300 and SC 430, which both enjoyed record May sales.

A fifth consecutive record-setting month brings TCI's year-to-date sales 23.6 per cent ahead of 2001, with 64,147 vehicles sold in the first five months of this year.