Toyota Motor Corp could extend an unprecedented offer of interest-free loans on most of its lineup but expects to be able to hold 2009 sales flat in a slumping U.S. auto market. "We could," Toyota's North American sales chief Jim Lentz told Reuters on Thursday, when asked if the automaker plans to extend its zero-percent loan incentive beyond the November 3 expiry. "We will see how things are going."
Lentz, who sees the U.S. economy currently going through a recessionary period, said the $700 billion government bailout program would benefit the auto industry by helping improve U.S. consumer confidence.
"That will help improve the mood of the consumer and help consumer confidence, which is what drives our industry," he said.