Japanese automakers are shifting sales activity up a gear in the crucial US market where motorists still have a healthy appetite for new cars.
Market leaders such as Toyota Motor Corp, Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co are also showcasing their latest vehicles and designs at the New York International Auto Show, which opened on Friday.
Toyota wants to attract young motorists through its Scion range of vehicles to be launched at 105 dealerships in California, said Shinya Matsumoto, spokesman for Japan's largest auto company.
The new range should help Toyota increase sales in the all-important North American market to two million units in 2004 from 1.94 million in 2002.
"Customers for existing products are becoming older. After reviewing the needs of the market, we have concluded that we must attract younger motorists by introducing new products," Matsumoto said.
"We will initially export stylish and sporty models for the Scion range, including the bbX model that is popular among young people [in Japan]," he said.
Toyota is also using the New York show to present the next-generation Prius, which uses a new hybrid fuel system with improved efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions. The model will go on sale in Japan, Europe and the US in the third quarter.
Rival automaker Honda unveiled its design concept for the Acura TL luxury sedan, which is due to go on sale later this year in North America.
"We are mainly targeting motorists in their 30s and 40s, who can afford luxury vehicles and are attracted to the sporty exterior of the Acura TL," said Honda spokesman Masaya Nagai.
Roughly 60 percent of Honda's ¥5.93 trillion (US$49.4 billion) in global sales comes from North America, where it sells 1.4 million vehicles annually.
No. 3 carmaker Nissan plans to "drastically renovate" its 1,100 dealerships in North America by 2005 to appeal to a wider range of motorists, a company spokesman said.
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