Even Toyota, the world’s most profitable automaker and producer of the hot-selling Prius Hybrid isn’t immune to sales fluctuations. Today, the automaker revised its 2009 sales forecast from 10.4 million vehicles globally to 9.7 million.

According to Reuters, no automaker has ever surpassed 10 million vehicles produced worldwide and unless things dramatically change in the automaker’s key North American and European markets, it doesn’t look like 2009 will be the year. Toyota continues to foresee decreasing demand for large SUVs (like the pictured Sequoia).

Toyota also lowered sales expectations in its largest overall market, North America, to 2.7 million vehicles (down from 3 million). Part of this change comes as a result of Toyota dropping Mexico from its North American territory – the country is now considered in Toyota’s Latin American market. This leaves the United States and Canada as the North American market. Toyota is looking to capitalize on the emerging Latin American and Asian markets – especially Brazil and India – when it unveils a sub-$9,000 car within the next year.

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