Toyota zooms to record profit for year on sales growth

Tokyo: Toyota zoomed to a record 2.17 trillion yen ($18.1 billion) profit for the fiscal year through March, up 19 percent from the previous year, buoyed by sales growth in the US and a perk from the cheap yen.

Said Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda on Friday the Japanese automaker appeared to be back on track for "sustainable growth," although the coming year would be a critical test. Annual sales grew 6 percent to 27.23 trillion yen ($227 billion), although fewer vehicles were sold around the world.

Cost cuts and a cheap yen helped. Toyota has been the world's No. 1 automaker in global vehicle sales for the last three years. Its car lineup includes the Camry sedan, Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models.