Toyota Europe has balanced supply chain difficulties with key launches in hot SUV segments to maintain sales at nearly the same level as last year in a market down 14 percent. As a result, the company's half-year market share, including Lexus, rose to 7.1 percent from 6.4 percent during the same period last year, according to figures from ACEA, nearly matching BMW Group. Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs asked Toyota Europe's Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing, Andrea Carlucci, how the company achieved its success despite the multiple headwinds it has faced from growing inflationary pressures.
Toyota Europe's sales this year are flat in a down overall market. Are your models becoming more popular with consumers or have you been better at solving supply chain issues than rivals?
It's a combination of both. Supply disruptions have hit everyone. But if you look at our product portfolio and what we have added, for example, the Aygo X [crossover-styled minicar] and the Yaris Cross [small SUV], we have launched SUVs that are becoming more and more relevant for consumers. That has made us more resilient.