Toyota group automaker Daihatsu rejigs leadership

TOKYO: Japanese automaker Daihatsu on Tuesday named a veteran at its parent company Toyota to replace its president as it tries to repair the damage from a scandal over cheating on vehicle safety tests.

The troubles at Daihatsu Motor Co surfaced after a whistle-blower reported the cheating. A third-party review found violations, such as carrying out tests on just one side of a car when both sides had to be tested, that had persisted for decades.

The appointments of a new president, executive vice president and director highlight Toyota’s determination to play a leading role in the reforms at its 100 per cent owned subsidiary.

Masahiro Inoue, now overseeing Toyota’s business in South America, will be Daihatsu President effective in March, Toyota chief executive Koji Sato told reporters in Tokyo.

He replaces Soichiro Okudaira, who is resigning. Okudaira also had been sent in by Toyota. Daihatsu’s chairman, Sunao Matsubayashi, also resigned, while two other directors left the board but kept their positions at the company. Masanori Kuwata, now at Lexus International Co, Toyota Motor Corp’s luxury brand, becomes Daihatsu’s EVP, under the changes announced Tuesday. Keiko Yanagi, a deputy chief officer at Toyota, was named a director at Daihatsu. Inoue apologised to Daihatsu’s customers, suppliers and dealers, saying he knows how to be a good listener to win people’s trust because of his decades of working overseas.“We will make our hearts one and aim for a new start,” Inoue said.