Daihatsu Motor Co. is intent on keeping its lead in the domestic market for small cars for a third consecutive year while riding out the global economic slump with further cost-cutting measures, the company's leader said.

President Teruyuki Minoura, however, acknowledged the worsening economy is slashing demand for its cheaper, fuel-efficient minivehicles, which have been enjoying buoyant sales growth.

"We want to keep our sales at the same level as the previous year, or increase them further and expand our share" in the domestic small-car market, Minoura, head of the Toyota Motor Corp. unit, said Monday. "But the reality is that it is very hard to predict how sales will turn out right now."