Daihatsu: 2003 Sales up 5.5 %

 TOKYO, Dec 20, 2002; Reuters reports that apan's
second-largest minivehicle maker, said on Friday it expects its
global sales volume to reverse this year's trend and rise 5.5
percent in 2003.
  Daihatsu, a unit of Toyota Motor Corp, forecasts its
sales to fall 3.3 percent this year to 586,800 vehicles as
minivehicles lost market share to the compact car segment, in
which Japanese automakers have launched many new models.
 The automaker said it expects the overall market in Japan for
minivehicles, which have an engine of up to 660cc, to stay flat
next year at around 1.85 million units, including those for
commercial use.
 After its share of the domestic minivehicle market dropped
0.7 percentage points to 27 percent this year, Daihatsu said it
would aim to raise that to 28.4 percent in 2003 by selling
525,000 units in Japan.
 "Competition with other automakers is heating up, but we hope
to boost our sales volume with attractive products," president
Takaya Yamada told a news conference at the launch of its new
minicars, "Mira" and "Mira AVY".
 In October, Daihatsu reported a sharp drop in group net
profit for the half year to September as sales slid in its
competitive corner of the market.
Daihatsu, which unlike Japan's top automakers makes more than
two thirds of its revenues at home, also cut its profit forecast
for the full business year due to stagnant consumer spending in
Japan.
  Following is a breakdown of Daihatsu's forecasts:
                          2003          YEAR/YEAR
 Domestic sales        537,000            +5.2 pct
  - Minivehicles       525,000            +5.8 pct
  - Small cars          12,000           -16.7 pct
 Exports                82,000            +7.3 pct
 Total                 619,000            +5.5 pct
 Japan production      723,000            +5.9 pct
 Overseas production   156,000            +4.4 pct
 Note: Small cars have an engine displacement of over 660cc
and up to 2,000cc.