President of scandal-hit Daihatsu vows to restore consumer confidence

The president of Daihatsu Motor has vowed to do everything possible to restore consumer confidence.

Sales at the automaker have dropped sharply since reports surfaced last year that it rigged safety tests.

Daihatsu President Inoue Masahiro said: "Daihatsu is engaged in a two-pronged effort to revive demand and rebuild its production system so that each and every customer wants to buy a Daihatsu car again. Employees are working as a single team."

Inoue has served as president since March 1.

Daihatsu halted all production in December after the scandal broke. Inoue said production and shipments have since resumed and the company is taking orders for nearly all its models.

He revealed that the orders volume is currently 60 to 70 percent of that before the scandal.

Inoue also said his firm plans to resume the development of new models once measures to prevent a recurrence of the wrongdoing are fully in place.