Taiwan automakers eye market rebound

國產車製造商著眼於市場反彈

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s auto market is set for a rebound this year as tariff policy clarity boosts confidence, CNA reported Monday.

Hotai Motor said policy following the Taiwan-US tariff agreement has improved market visibility and confidence, supporting expectations of a rebound from last year’s slowdown. It said the auto market is likely to be more active than last year as deferred purchases return.

Hotai said the global economy is stabilizing while Taiwan’s growth continues to be supported by strong demand for semiconductors and AI applications. Those trends are underpinning moderate economic expansion and consumer spending.

The company set a combined sales target of 165,000 vehicles across its Toyota, Lexus, and Hino Motors brands this year, representing an estimated market share of 37.5%. That would position Hotai as the market leader amid a broader industry recovery.

For Toyota, Hotai said sales momentum is expected to improve, driven by new model launches. The fully redesigned RAV4, released on Tuesday, is expected to be a key growth driver, with the brand targeting sales of 130,000 units this year.

Lexus sales are also expected to benefit from clearer tariff policies despite supply constraints for some hybrid models. New models including the RZ, IS and ES are expected to support a sales target of 28,500 units.

In the commercial vehicle segment, Hotai said demand is expected to return to stable levels, supported by steady demand for core five-ton models. Ample supply of the Hino 500 and 700 series and automated production lines underpin a target of 7,000 units.

Taiwan registered 414,436 new vehicles in 2025, down 9.4% from a year earlier, according to statistics. Toyota, Lexus and Hino accounted for 160,146 registrations, lifting their combined market share to 38.6%, the highest level in nearly 16 years.