Toyota is aiming for a comeback, targeting global sales of 8.48m vehicles in 2012 and an even bigger number in 2013, after being battered this year by the March disaster in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
Japan's top carmaker relinquished its title as the world's biggest in global vehicle sales for the first half of this year, sinking to No 3 behind US rival General Motors and Volkswagen of Germany.
Toyota's global vehicle sales for this year total 7.9m vehicles, including group companies, down 6% from the previous year, it said.
General Motors has not yet released its global sales numbers for this year. The Detroit-based carmaker had been at the top for more than seven decades until Toyota took the crown in 2008.
Toyota's targets for 2012 and 2013 do not include group companies such as Daihatsu and Hino Motors, and so are not directly comparable with any forecasts from GM and Volkswagen.
Toyota said the sales target for calendar 2012 would represent 20% growth from its global sales this year.
Toyota has been making up for sales declines in North America and Japan with momentum in relatively new but booming markets such as China and India.
The manufacturer behind the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models said it plans to sell 8.95m vehicles around the world in 2013, not including group companies.
Toyota said it had not yet figured out forecasts for group companies. It is possible the target may exceed 9m vehicles, had they been included.
Toyota acknowledged many uncertainties, which could push the numbers in either direction. One possible plus is the extension of Japanese government incentives for green vehicles, according to Toyota.
Toyota, with its strong hybrid lineup, has been a major beneficiary of such incentives.
Hard times
Still, Toyota has gone through some hard times lately.
The global financial crisis in 2008 was behind a serious sales plunge in the key North American market.
Then came the massive recalls, mostly in the US, that tarnished Toyota's once pristine reputation for quality amid speculation it had not been as forthright as it should have been about defects.
Toyota was on a gradual recovery track when the 11 March earthquake and tsunami struck in northeastern Japan, damaging suppliers and disrupting production because of a severe parts shortage.
Production got slammed again later in the year, although on a smaller scale, from flooding in Thailand.
Toyota also said it expects to produce 8.65m vehicles next year, up 24% from 6.97m this year. It expects to produce 8.98m vehicles in 2013, it said. Those numbers do not include group companies.