Toyota sales dip again on Middle East slump and RAV4 transition
Global sales at Toyota Motor declined for a second straight month in March, as weakening demand in the Middle East and a transition to a new version of its top-selling RAV4 SUV weighed on performance.
The world’s largest automaker reported a 7.3% year-on-year drop in global vehicle sales, delivering 897,871 units during the month. Overseas sales slipped 7.2%, while domestic sales in Japan fell 7.8%. The figures include vehicles sold under its luxury Lexus brand, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The sharpest decline came from the Middle East, where sales plunged by nearly one-third to around 34,000 vehicles. Although the region represents a smaller portion of Toyota’s global market, the drop had a noticeable impact. The company did not provide a specific explanation, but other automakers have pointed to disrupted trade routes and weaker economic activity linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
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Key markets also showed signs of strain. Sales fell 8.5% in the United States and dropped 8.0% in China, highlighting broader challenges across major regions.
Despite the slowdown, Toyota emphasized that underlying demand remains relatively stable. However, deliveries were affected by the production shift from the outgoing RAV4 model to its newly introduced version — one of the company’s most popular vehicles worldwide.
On the production side, Toyota saw a modest 2.1% increase globally in March. Output rose 4.9% in the United States and 7.7% in China, though it declined 3.3% in Japan.
Toyota retained its position as the world’s top-selling automaker for a sixth consecutive year in 2025, underscoring its resilience even as short-term pressures weigh on sales.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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