Toyota Motor Corp, the world's second-largest auto maker, will offer its in-car information system in China as it expands sales in the world's second-biggest vehicle market, a senior Toyota official said on Tuesday.

"We want to offer the most advanced technology in China," Executive Vice President Akio Toyoda said at a Tokyo press conference. "I am not aware of other companies offering such service in China."

Toyota's plan comes as the auto maker expects sales in China to surge by a third this year, to 400,000 vehicles, from 300,000 in 2006. Japanese auto makers are trying to take away customers in China from General Motors Corp and Volkswagen AG, reducing their reliance on the United States, their most profitable market, Bloomberg News said.

Toyoda declined to give details of the navigation system's debut in China, including timing and sales targets.

In Japan, Toyota from May will offer an updated in-car navigation and Internet access system called G-Book mX to boost sales at home. Japan's overall vehicle sales fell 12.6 percent in March, the 21st straight monthly decline, as Toyota's domestic sales dropped 12 percent to 211,650 vehicles.

Drivers will be able for the first time to download and update the most recent electronic maps to be used with the in-car navigation system, Toyoda said. He said the technology will be available to Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, Mazda Motor Corp and Mitsubishi Motors Corp, which already buy Toyota's in-car navigation system for their vehicles.

Auto makers are increasingly installing electronic information terminals in vehicles to generate monthly subscription fees.

Toyota, based in central Japan's Toyota City, also plans to use its system to win more customers from domestic rivals Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co.

Toyota aims to install one million units of the new system in 2008 in Japan, Toyoda said.

Shares of Toyota, which have dropped six percent this year, fell 0.8 percent to 7,480 yen (62.82 U.S. dollars) in Tokyo.