Toyota says president, chair of scandal-hit Daihatsu unit to step down

13 February 2024 - 09:33 By Reuters
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Toyota's CEO for the Latin America and Caribbean region Masahiro Inoue (pictured) will replace Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu's president effective March 1.
Toyota's CEO for the Latin America and Caribbean region Masahiro Inoue (pictured) will replace Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu's president effective March 1.
Image: Supplied

Toyota said on Tuesday both the president and chair of small-car unit Daihatsu will step down after revelations of misconduct related to rigged collision safety tests.

Toyota's CEO for the Latin America and Caribbean region Masahiro Inoue will replace Soichiro Okudaira as Daihatsu's president effective March 1, the world's top-selling carmaker said.

Okudaira had a long-running career at Toyota spanning nearly four decades from 1979 before he became president of Daihatsu in 2017, a year after the compact carmaker became a wholly-owned Toyota subsidiary in 2016.

Daihatsu's chair, Sunao Matsubayashi, will also step down and not be replaced, Toyota said.

Given the misconduct over the safety test certification applications, Daihatsu also will be removed from a commercial vehicle partnership known as the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies, the automaker said.

Daihatsu's 10% equity stake in the partnership will be transferred to Toyota, it said.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.