Hotai Motor Co (和泰汽車), the local sales agent of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, expects its sales to rise about 5 percent this year to reach another historical high by introducing more models, including Toyota’s first all-electric sports utility vehicle dubbed the bZ4X.
Hotai said that it is also striving to bring luxury brand Lexus’ RZ 450e crossover to Taiwan, a company statement said yesterday.
Hotai is aiming to sell 164,000 vehicles this year — 155,000 sedans and crossovers, and 9,000 commercial vehicles — it said in the statement.
Photo: Amy Yang, Taipei Times
Commercial vehicle sales are expected to fall this year from last year’s 9,422 units, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
The company sold 156,000 vehicles last year.
“Through offering a comprehensive lineup of vehicles, Hotai is setting a goal of selling 155,000 units of sedans and crossovers. That would be the highest volume of such vehicles sold in Taiwan in the company’s history,” Hotai said in the statement.
The sales target, if reached, would help lift Hotai’s market share to about 33.7 percent this year from 32.6 percent last year as it retained its forecast for 460,000 new vehicles sales in Taiwan this year.
That would represent annual growth of 2.27 percent from 449,800 new vehicles sold last year.
“Taiwan’s economic growth is quite stable. The stock market and housing market are also showing robust momentum. Those positive factors would help boost the auto market,” the company said.
Hotai said the global chip crunch and the development of the COVID-19 pandemic would be major factors for the auto market this year.
In addition to electric vehicles, Hotai also plans to introduce Toyota’s GP86, GR Supra cars and new crossover flagship model Grown, as well as the Lexus LC limited edition, it said.
Commercial vehicles, including the Town Ace pickup and Town Ace Van, would also be available this year, it added.
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