Toyota Motor has told major parts suppliers it is projecting global sales of 8-8.4 million vehicles in 2012, a large portion of which will come from emerging countries, the Nikkei reported.

Toyota's 2011 sales forecast, which indicates a third consecutive year of global sales increases, excludes sales by group firms Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors, the daily said.

The Japanese auto giant last sold more than 8 million vehicles in 2007, when sales soared to a record 8.42 million units, the business daily said.

The carmaker expects to sell 7.48 million vehicles this year and 7.7 million in the next, the Nikkei said.

Until the 2008 financial crisis, Toyota's global sales had been growing by around 500,000 units a year. However, worldwide sales skidded to 6.97 million units in 2009, the daily said.

In 2007, sales in Japan, North America and Europe accounted for 67 percent of Toyota's worldwide sales at 5.64 million units, Nikkei said.

That is forecast to decline to 56 percent, or 4.31 million units, next year, and will fall below 50 percent by 2012, the daily said.