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 Effective April, the number of business divisions will be increased
to nine from the present four, with the aim of creating a company
"built around product-based rather than function-based
organizations," it said in a statement.
Three new divisions will separately focus on compact, mid-size and
commercial vehicles, alongside divisions dedicated to connected cars
and to research and engineering.
The company will maintain its premium Lexus division, along with its
two region-based divisions overseeing geographical markets, while it
will also have a dedicated power trains division.
Managing officer Shinya Kotera will become senior managing officer
and will lead the company's division which oversees China, Asia, and
other regions. The remaining divisions will be led by existing
senior managing officers.
Kotera, 54, previously headed the company's operations in East Asia
and the Oceania region.
Toyota's sharper focus on end products comes after it posted global
sales of 10.1 million vehicles in 2015 and begins vehicle production
using its new, standardized engineering platform, under which
vehicles will share more common parts according to their size,
cutting production costs by as much as a fifth.
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Toyota's revamped Prius, which began production in December in
Japan, is the first model produced under Toyota's New Global
Architecture platform. The compact saloon will be followed by a new
C-HR crossover model which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show
this week and which will be produced in Turkey.
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
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