Toyota Motor Corp. is going small to get big in China. 丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Corp.)将通过小型车扩大在华业务。

The world's biggest auto maker hopes a newly redesigned entry-level compact it is rolling out at the Shanghai international auto show will help the company get its zip back in the world's biggest auto market but one it has struggled to understand. 这家全球最大汽车制造商在上海国际车展上推出了一款重新设计的入门级紧凑型车。该公司希望这款车能重新提振其在中国市场的业务。中国是全球最大的汽车市场，但丰田汽车却一直难以了解这个市场。

Toyota introduced two versions of the compact the Yaris hatchback and the Vios sedan at China's premier auto show Sunday. Toyota hopes the new models will right some strategic missteps that have hurt sales in China, a situation that was exacerbated by a territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both China and Japan, and which led to a boycott of Japanese-brand products last autumn. 周日，在中国这一主要车展上，丰田推出了两款紧凑型车：雅力士(Yaris)掀背车和威驰(Vios)轿车。丰田希望这两款新车能纠正此前犯下的某些战略失误。这些失误损害了中国市场上的销售情况，中日两国因东中国海(East China Sea，中国称东海)上一系列岛屿产生的领土争端更是加剧了这一情况。中日领土争端导致中国民众在去年秋天抵制日系品牌产品。

Along with Japanese rivals Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co., Toyota has unveiled a slew of vehicles at the show specifically for the Chinese market. But getting both design and price right is key to appealing to younger Chinese, a promising demographic expected to drive growth in auto sales as they start earning enough to become first-time buyers. 丰田汽车及其日本竞争对手日产汽车(Nissan Motor Co.)和本田汽车(Honda Motor Co.)在本届上海车展上推出了一系列专门为中国市场打造的汽车。但想要吸引年轻的中国消费者，设计是否对路、定价是否合理才是关键所在。中国年轻人是厂家看好的一个群体，随着他们的收入足以购买首辆车，他们也有望拉动汽车销量增长。

Toyota aims to sell 900,000 vehicles in China this year, a conservative target compared with the previous estimate that sales would reach 1 million in 2012. Toyota missed that mark by 160,000, as fallout from the territorial dispute took a toll. 丰田今年计划在华销售90万辆车，和此前估计2012年实现100万辆的销量相比，这算是一个保守的目标。去年丰田未能完成既定目标，缺口为16万辆，中日领土争端造成的影响是丰田销量下滑的主要原因。

Toyota hopes the two new compacts and other models such as the RAV4 light sport utility vehicle will reverse that when they appear in showrooms later this year. 丰田希望上述两款新紧凑型车以及RAV4轻型SUV等车型今年晚些时候出现在展厅的时候能够扭转这一颓势。

But the auto maker may not be able to get past a crucial hurdle that could derail its comeback price. 但丰田汽车可能无法绕过一个关键障碍，而这一障碍可能扰乱其为东山再起而制定的价格。

The head of Toyota's China operations, Hiroji Onishi, told reporters on the sidelines of the Shanghai auto show Sunday that the company has been taking steps to lower the prices of its vehicles, including increased use of locally sourced parts. He said the company is on track to meet its target of lower parts costs. But it may not be enough. 丰田在华业务主管大西弘致(Hiroji Onishi)周日在参加上海车展间隙告诉记者，该公司已经采取多种措施降低其产品的价格，其中包括增加使用从中国国内采购的零部件。他说，该公司有望实现降低零部件成本的目标。但这或许并不够。

'These models are almost entirely new, so even if we're able to cut costs on a part-by-part basis, quite frankly, when the whole product comes together, 60,000 yuan ($9,700) is going to be difficult for us to achieve.' 他说，这些车型几乎完全是新的，所以坦白说，即使我们能够在单个零部件的基础上削减成本，但拼装起来后，整车价格也很难低到人民币6万元(合9,700美元)。

The current starting price of the Yaris is 87,000 yuan ($14,000), and that of the Vios is 89,500 yuan ($14,500). 雅力士目前起售价为8.7万元(合1.4万美元)，威驰的起售价是8.95万元(合1.45万美元)。

Whether Toyota can get prices low enough to compete with entry-level compacts from other companies like General Motors Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Nissan will be critical. It failed to do so in the past, and has paid a price in terms of market share. 无论丰田车的价格能否低到和通用汽车公司(General Motors Co.)等其它企业入门级紧凑型车竞争的程度，现代汽车公司(Hyundai Motor Co.)和日产汽车都将至关重要。过去丰田没能做到这一点，并为此失去了一定的市场份额。

For example, GM's Chevrolet Sail compact sells for about 50,000-60,000 yuan ($8,000-$9,700). GM sold 218,090 Sails in China in 2012, up 31% from the previous year. 例如，通用汽车生产的雪佛兰赛欧(Chevrolet Sail)的售价约为5万至6万元(合8,000至9,700美元)。2012年，通用汽车在中国卖出了218,090辆赛欧，较上年增加31%。

By contrast, Yaris sales have never taken off since its debut in 2008. In 2012, sales totaled just 14,867, dropping for the second consecutive year. 相比之下，雅力士自2008年首次推出以来，销量从未大幅攀升。2012年，这款车仅售出了14,867辆，连续第二年下滑。

'Until now, our vehicles have been designed more for Japan and Europe, especially small cars,' said Mr. Onishi. 'So they haven't quite achieved what we've been looking for.' 大西弘致说，直到现在，丰田汽车在设计方面考虑更多的仍是日本和欧洲市场，特别是在小车的设计上，所以这些车的销量还没有实现我们的期望。

As part of the latest redesign, Toyota has made the Yaris interior more spacious following complaints the older version was too cramped. It has also improved fuel efficiency. 丰田这次重新设计雅力士时，使其内部空间更为宽敞。因为以前有客户抱怨称，老款雅力士的内部空间过于狭窄。另外，丰田还提高了该车的燃油效率。

Toyota worked closely with local staff right from the research and development stage to help inform its design decisions and keep costs down. 丰田从研发阶段便与中国员工密切合作，这样可在一定程度上通知其设计决策，压低成本。

Mr. Onishi said that with the new designs and overhaul of its vehicle lineup, the auto maker is making good on the slogan it introduced last year: 'China for China.' 大西弘致说，在推出新设计并大力调整产品阵容后，丰田正在兑现去年引入的宣传口号：在中国，为中国(China for China)。

He said sales could recover by mid-August to levels before anti-Japanese sentiment flared up last autumn. 大西弘致说，到今年4月中旬，丰田车的销量可能会回升至去年秋天中国爆发反日情绪前的水平。

'We have many promotions planned,' he said. 'It's not that we won't be able to recover.' 他说，我们有很多宣传计划，这可不是因为我们销量不会回升才制定的。