The world’s top automaker said it will announce a revised 2009 sales forecast at its end-of-the-year news conference Dec. 22. The company is expected to slash at least 1 million cars from its original forecast of 9.7 million units, Reuters reported.

It’s also expected to outline cost cutting measures that could include laying off employees, suspending plant operations, delaying the opening of new plants, and cutting the budget for research and development.

According to several Japanese media outlets, Toyota plans to eliminate bonuses for its executives and is expected to post a second-half loss.

One analyst believes the company’s dividend also could be on the chopping block.

“We anticipate that even Toyota could see its post-dividend cash flow turn negative should it keep its dividends at 140 yen,” Morgan Stanley analyst Noriaki Hirakata wrote in a report. “Thus, in this perfect storm, we expect the firm to cut its dividend to 100 yen per share for this business year.”

That’s a gigantic step backwards from last year, when Toyota took the crown from General Motors Corp. as world’s largest automaker by selling 9.37 million cars worldwide.

But like all automakers - and nearly every major industry - Toyota has been crippled by a worldwide dearth in demand, brought on by a whirlwind of job losses, devalued property, lack of credit and falling stock markets.

From January to October this year, Toyota sold 7.74 million vehicles. And during its fiscal first half - six months ended September 30 - net revenues fell 6.3% compared to the same period last year.

Year-to-date, Toyota’s New York-listed ADR shares have fallen about 38%, still much better than GM and Ford Motor Co.’s respective stock declines of 83% and 53%. But recently, Toyota’s ADR shares have been moving forward in hopes that the U.S. government will bailout Detroit’s Big Three - GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC - because that would shore up the auto industry’s underpinnings: Dealerships and parts and supply manufacturers.

The United States is also the largest market for most foreign automakers. Allowing one or all of the Big Three to go under would add millions to the running unemployment numbers and deepen the recession, making the U.S. market less likely to buy their cars.

Inside the Toyota Venza, drivers will find an equally attractive interior with high quality materials and plenty of space. There are also several options packages that will help make the Venza surprisingly luxurious. The interior also provides excellent ergonomics, such as the location of the gear shifter on the upper portion of the center stack. Sit-in height is also optimal, with hassle free ingress and egress. Potential Venza buyers will also find a slew of Toyota accessories available to further personalize their new crossover both inside and out.

The Toyota Venza even provides plenty of attractive features and options, such as a powerful 13-speaker JBL sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, and even a place to store you’re your portable music devices within the center console.

Rear seat room should easily accommodate adult passengers with ease, thanks to large seats and loads of legroom. There is even an optional rear sunroof to help brighten up rear seat quarters. Overall, the rear seats should provide enough room to keep everyone happy.

Powering the new Toyota Venza is base 2.7-liter four cylinder engine, which will soon be available in the Highlander. With 182 and 182 lb ft of torque, the engine is powerful for a four cylinder, but many Venza buyers will likely opt for the larger, more powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine which produces 268 horsepower and 246 lb ft of torque. The engine is capable of propelling an all-wheel drive Venza to 60 in only 6.5 seconds. Although there’s plenty of power with the V6, you will only be able to tow about 3500 pounds with this vehicle. Thanks to sporty 20-inch wheels, the Venza also handles well for a larger crossover and is certainly on par with the competition.

Although there won’t be too many drivers that will say the Toyota Venza is a blast to drive, the performance characteristics will certainly meet the needs of most drivers considering the crossover.

Consumers will have to expect prices higher than those of the Camry when checking out the vehicle in showrooms. The base Venza is priced just below $27,000, with base front-wheel drive V6 Venza starting at around $28,000. The Venza offers good looks and excellent driving dynamics, but we expect many consumers checking out the Venza to end up with either a Camry or Highlander.

One of the biggest car manufacturers in the world is Toyota, superseded only by General Motors. Toyota has high hopes of becoming the largest car maker in the world by 2010, which, considering it is one of the most profitable companies in the world, is a reasonable aim.

Toyota made 9.5 million cars in 2007 alone, with success being pinned to the fact that cars are produced in the country where they are sold. This has led to a global enterprise, with Toyota’s production spanning six continents, with a work force of quarter of a million people, and selling within 160 different markets across the globe.

Toyota history

Toyota was actually the result of the Toyota Spinning and Weaving Company, set up by Sakichi Toyoda in 1918. He invented the first automatic loom, for which he sold the patent and gave the money to his son. His son, Kiichiro, invested it into automotive technology and in 1936 the Toyota AA hit the market, with the 100,000th vehicle being built 11 years later. Toyota cars came to Europe in 1962, with production surpassing the one million mark. Fast forward a couple of decades to 1986, and 50 million Toyotas had been produced. A few years later, Toyota set up manufacturing in Britain with an engine manufacturing plant in Wales and a factory in Derbyshire where cars are produced.

Toyota Facts

• Type: Public (Xetra: NSU)
• Founded: 1937
• Founder: Kiichiro Toyoda
• Headquarters: Toyota, Aichi, Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan
• Key People: Kiichiro Toyoda (Founder), Fujio Cho (Chairman and Representative Director)
• Industry: Automotive
• Products: Vehicles
• Subsidiaries: 522 companies

Toyota Featured Models

TOYOTA CELICA - launched in 1970 and discontinued in 2005, this means “heavenly” and is the name given to a series of popular coupés.

TOYOTA COROLLA - put on the market in 1966, the tenth generation of this car was launched in 2006. At least 30 million Corollas have been sold, but it hasn’t been sold in the UK since February 2007 when the Auris took its place.

TOYOTA HILUX - first reaching the market in 1969 to replace the Stout, this Toyota model is a compact pick-up truck.

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER - this first appeared in 1954, and has since reached its ninth generation. A four-wheel drive, it is renowned for getting close to the off-road capabilities of the Range Rover.

TOYOTA MR2 - a two-seater sports car with mid-engine and rear-wheel drive, made from 1984 to 2007.

TOYOTA RAV4 -first manufactured in 1994, now in its third generation, this is a compact SUV.

TOYOTA SUPRA - made between 1979 and 2002, this is a full-sized sports car, modelled on the Toyota Celica, but with more powerful engines.

TOYOTA YARIS - now in its second generation, this is a small hatchback city car that first came on the market in 1999.

Toyota - did you know?

• Approximately 70 per cent of Toyota cars produced in the UK are exported to Europe, and 15 per cent to another 70 countries worldwide.
• The surname of the founder was actually Toyoda but it got changed to Toyota as, according to Japanese superstition, this is luckier.
• Shoichiro Toyoda - a member of the founding family - was inducted into the USA’s Automotive Hall of Fame in 2007.
• In 2001, the first Toyota to be awarded European Car of the Year was the Yaris, followed by the Prius in 2005.
• Toyota has a subsidiary called Lexus, which owns Daihatsu as well, and a US one called Scion which aims its cars at young drivers.

Toyota - where to buy?

Auto Trader is a UK base website where you will find a wide range of new and used Toyota models, and more information about this car.

The 2010 models represent the second generation for the popular mid-sized cars which, along with the Lincoln MKZ, have helped ease Ford’s losses somewhat this year. With the new models expected to hit showrooms in Spring 2009, Ford will have the most fuel efficient mid-sized cars on the market. Indeed, the hybrid models even manage to top the compact Honda Civic Hybrid by one mpg, an amazing feat at that.

Along with the Fusion, Milan and the MKZ, Ford is in the process of releasing a dizzying array of new models.

This past fall, Ford rolled out the next generation is in it highly popular F-Series pickup trucks, delaying their introduction by a few months in hopes that gas prices would stabilize. Better than expected, gas prices have plunged and demand for the pickup truck has surged to the point where the automaker added a second shift to their Kansas City truck assembly plant.

Also coming this Spring is the next generation Mustang, a car that has fallen on hard times lately, but should rebound as buyers seek the latest iteration of the popular pony car. This summer, an all new full sized Ford Taurus and Mercury Montego will debut and those cars will be joined by the Lincoln MKT, a luxury crossover model.

New technologies, including EcoBoost is on its way, an engine configuration that will allow powerplants to put out more power without sacrificing fuel economy. By early 2010, the first of several smaller cars including the all new Fiesta will be on sale, giving Ford more new models in an eighteen month period than any other manufacturer.

Clearly, Ford is on a role. Thanks to the EPA, the Fusion and Milan now have world class fuel numbers to sport too.