Toyota has been in the headlines since last week with the introduction of the next-generation update for its bestselling model, the RAV4. Under the bright lights of new, better things about the SUV, the Japanese automaker is actually doing great. In fact, Toyota has posted a fourth-straight month of increasing sales, production, and export numbers to the US, with the automaker citing the current tariff woes as one of the main drivers.
Toyota
- Founded
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August 28, 1937
- Founder
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Kiichiro Toyoda
- Headquarters
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Aichi, Japan
- Owned By
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Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
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Koji Sato
According to Toyota’s latest 2025 report, the automaker moved 233,045 units in the month of April alone, up by 10 percent during the same month last year. Apart from strong demand, Toyota attributed the increased sales to the rush in demand brought about by the feared effects of the tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump. Globally, the Japanese marque also did well, moving 876,864 units, representing a 10 percent year-on-year increase.
Export And Production Numbers Posted Notable Increase
Toyota’s luxury arm, Lexus, also posted impressive numbers in April, reflecting its performance in its biggest market. Led by the RX hybrid in the US, Lexus sales were up by 24 percent in the whole of North America. The automaker sold 80,494 units worldwide in April alone, up by 15.2 percent. Things are looking great for Lexus for the first four months of the year, except in Japan where it posted a 6.1 percent decline.
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The strong demand for Toyota and Lexus vehicles reflects a significant movement in their production and export numbers. The automaker produced 129,414 units in April 2025, a 7.7% increase over its production in the same month last year. Unsurprisingly, export numbers were also high, at 54,755 units or an 8% increase over last year.
The Calm Before The Storm
The push for electrified models instead of pure battery-electric vehicles by Toyota and Lexus was proven to be effective in 2024, and it’s the same story for April 2025. In fact, nearly half a million electrified Toyota and Lexus vehicles were sold in North America during the first four months of 2025, with 128,593 units sold in April alone. That’s an impressive 41.8% jump versus last year.
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As mentioned, the surge in Toyota and Lexus vehicles in April was due to the panic over the tariff woes. Toyota was previously calm about this, holding out on its prices until a final decision had been laid out. However, the automaker changed its tune recently by admitting that prices could go up quickly, and that would be at the expense of customers. Let’s see if Toyota can keep its momentum after the inevitable price hikes.
Source: Toyota
