Toyota models to be launched in South Africa this year
The best-selling automotive brand in South Africa for the past 44 years is releasing several new products this year.
Toyota’s annual State of the Motor Industry hosted in Johannesburg provides some crucial insight into the local motoring sphere from one of the biggest players in the space. With all the numbers aside, flashes and camera actuation went abuzz when the new models Toyota has earmarked for local launch appeared on stage. Here is what is in store.
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With 2023 signalling a return to form following Covid-19-related sales disruptions, Leon Theron, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Toyota stated that the 142 612 units sold in the year was not only the highest volume sold since 2007 but also the company’s best market share on record. The magic number? A whopping 53%. This has also affirmed Toyota as the best-selling automotive brand in South Africa for the past 44 years, but now is no time to rest on its laurels since there are several new products South Africa can look forward to this year.
Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series
Earmarked for launch in February 2024, the retro-styled facelift will be offered in single cab, double cab and station wagon configurations. Most notable is the powertrain that the new Land Cruiser 70 Series will be motivated by – the 2.8l, GD-6 turbodiesel motor will be paired to a six-speed auto, a first for the Land Cruiser. Inside, the local market will also receive the model with an updated cabin and a new infotainment system. Pricing is yet to be revealed.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Arguably the best looking to bear the Land Cruiser Prado nameplate, the robust-styled model is set to launch in April. Based on the sturdy LC 300 platform, Toyota claims the modular design is a product of ease of part replacement in the scenario of being damaged off-road. Like the aforementioned and classic-styled Land Cruiser, this iteration will feature the 2.8l, GD-6 engine but now paired with an eight-speed automatic. Come April, a first edition will land on South African shores followed by the TX and VX-R with pricing yet to be confirmed.
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Toyota Hilux 48V
Officially the first electrified bakkie from Toyota, the Hilux 48V on the outside bears no significant aesthetic changes but underneath features a 48-volt, mild-hybrid electric package. This will be launched in March 2024 and now boasts 12kW and 65N.m courtesy of the additional electric motor. Being a hybrid, fuel consumption is also improved by a claimed 5%, with features like advanced stop/start and regenerative braking. This will be available on all Hilux 2.8 Auto Raider and Legend models as well as the Fortuner with the same powertrain.
Related: Toyota’s Hilux is One Step Closer to Becoming an EV
Toyota bZ4X
From mildly electrified, to fully electrified, Toyota is launching its first pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) model into South Africa. Dubbed the bZ4X (Beyond Zero), the eTNGA-based dedicated BEV platform is offered internationally as either a four-wheel-drive or Dual-Motor all-wheel-drive. Local specs are yet to be decided but the most frugal model of the city slicker is capable of 400km.
Toyota Hilux GR S III
The star of the February issue of CAR Magazine, South Africa has now had its first-in-the-metal taste of the widebody Hilux GR S. Arriving in March, the model features aesthetic characteristics from the American Tundra bakkie with Dakar-inspired styling comprising the plethora of exterior updates. Inside are updates too, with a bespoke GR interior while the 2.8l diesel motor has been tuned to now offer 165kW and 550N.m. Toyota claims this to be an ‘ultimate off-roader and polished on-road dynamics’.
Related: Starter Classic: Toyota MR2
Also within the Toyota stables are Lexus and Hino that each had a new entrant the local market can look forward to over the next 12 months.
Lexus RZ
Not earmarked for launch this year, Toyota hopes to have the RZ ready for Mzansi in early 2025. Like the bZ4X, the RZ is based on the electrified eTNGA-platform but this is offered exclusively as a dual-motor AWD. This makes it capable of delivering 150kW to the front wheels and 80kW to the rear, but the most revolutionary aspect of the newcomer will be the Lexus-pioneered Steer by Wire tech. For all curious, the range is between 375km and 450km.
Hino 300 Series Hybrid
Arriving in November 2024, the 4l common-rail turbo with electrification delivers 110kW and 470N.m. The electrified motor is coupled directly to the six-speed automatic gearbox but improves consumption and brake wear with regenerative braking and advanced start/stop technology. While frequent in most passenger vehicles, the truck also includes safety features like a pre-collision system, lane departure warning system and cruise control.
In terms of Toyota’s motorsport-crazed GR department, the four-door, three-cylinder GR Corolla will take the spotlight in 2024 as its standalone cup, while a widebody GR Starlet sporting slick tyres and a 2l turbocharged motor will take on Volkswagen’s Polo and ignite some external competition into the SupaCup.
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