Toyota sees 2013 output at 8.7 million vehicles

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> expects its global production under the Toyota and Lexus brands to hit 8.7 million vehicles in 2013, nearly the same as the 8.74 million vehicles it expects to have produced in 2012, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday.

Global sales of Toyota and Lexus brands are expected to be at 8.9 million vehicles in 2013, up 2.5 percent from the sales expected this year.

Group-wide, Toyota expects to produce 9.94 million vehicles and sell 9.91 million vehicles in 2013. The group-wide forecasts include figures at Daihatsu Motor Co <7262.T> and Hino Motors Ltd <7205.T>.

For 2012, Toyota expects its group-wide production to be 9.92 million vehicles globally, up 26 percent from a year ago, as it recovers from a huge earthquake in Japan and Thai floods that took place in 2011.

It sees its group-wide global sales for 2012 to be 9.7 million vehicles, up 22 percent.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Matt Driskill)