TAM vehicle sales rise 32%

JAKARTA (JP): Automaker PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) sold 98,139 Toyota vehicles domestically last year, a 32 percent increase compared to 74,570 vehicles in 1996.

The company, a joint venture between Indonesia's PT Astra International and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp, said yesterday it controlled 25.4 percent of the domestic automobile market.

The company said most of its sales came from the Kijang van, followed by the Dyna light truck and the Land Cruiser recreational vehicle.

"The Kijang van remains our best seller with 81,134 vehicles sold last year," TAM said in a statement. It said the Kijang had surpassed its initial sales target of 75,000. In 1996, the company sold 56,831 Kijang vans.

The company's sale of Dyna trucks and Land Cruisers was 8,075 (up 0.1 percent) and 1,492 (up 41 percent), respectively, compared to 1996 figures.

The sale of the Crown, Corona, Corolla and Starlet sedans reached 7,438 vehicles, down 14 percent from 8,612 cars in the same period last year.

The company also exported 1,492 Kijang vans and 10 Dyna trucks to Brunei, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, an increase of 32 percent compared to 1996. (gis)