Toyota’s annual State of the Motor Industry, held in Johannesburg, provides crucial insight into the local automotive scene from one of the biggest players in the field. All numbers aside, flashes and camera controls buzzed as the new models Toyota had earmarked for local launch appeared on stage. This is what’s in store.
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With 2023 signaling a return to form following the sales disruptions linked to Covid-19, Leon Theron, Toyota’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, stated that the 142,612 units sold in the year were not only the highest volume sold since 2007, but also the highest number of units sold since 2007. the company’s best market share ever. The magic number? No less than 53%. This has also made Toyota the best-selling car brand in South Africa over the past 44 years, but now is no time to rest on its laurels as there are several new products that South Africa can look forward to this year.
Toyota Landcruiser 70 series
Scheduled for launch in February 2024, the retro-style facelift will be offered in single-cab, double-cab and station wagon configurations. The most notable news is the powertrain that will motivate the new Land Cruiser 70 Series: the 2.8-liter GD-6 turbodiesel engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, a first for the LC. Inside, the local market will also receive the model with an updated cabin and a new infotainment system. The price has yet to be revealed.
Toyota Landcruiser Prado
This robustly designed model is undoubtedly the most beautiful model with the Land Cruiser Prado nameplate and will be launched in April. Based on the sturdy LC 300 platform, Toyota claims the modular design is a product of ease of parts replacement in the event of off-road damage. Like the aforementioned and classically styled Land Cruiser, this iteration will feature the 2.8-liter GD-6 engine, but now paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. A first edition will land on South African shores in April, followed by the TX and VX-R, with prices yet to be confirmed.
Toyota Hilux 48V
Officially Toyota’s first electrified bakkie, the Hilux 48V undergoes no significant aesthetic changes on the outside, but features a 48-volt mild-hybrid electric package underneath. This will be launched in March 2024 and now has 12 kW and 65 Nm thanks to the additional electric motor. Being a hybrid, fuel economy is also improved by 5% thanks to 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 lightly electrified to fully electrified: Toyota is launching its first pure BEV model in South Africa. The eTNGA-based dedicated BEV platform, called the bZ4X (Beyond Zero), is offered internationally as FWD or Dual-Motor AWD. Local specifications have yet to be determined, but the most economical model of the city car can travel 400 km.
Toyota Hilux GR S III
South Africa, the star of CAR Magazine’s February issue, has now had its first in-the-metal taste of the widebody Hilux GR S. The model, due in March, takes aesthetic cues from the American Tundra bakkie with a Dakar-inspired styling comprising the plethora of exterior updates. Inside there are also updates with a bespoke GR interior, while the 2.8-litre diesel engine has been tuned to now deliver 165kW and 550Nm. Toyota claims this is an ‘ultimate off-roader and polished on-road dynamics’ – stay tuned for when we get behind the wheel!
Related: Starter classic: Toyota MR2
Also within the Toyota stable are Lexus and Hino, each of which has a newcomer that the local market can look forward to in the next twelve months.
Lexus RZ
Not scheduled 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 it is offered exclusively as a twin-motor AWD. This allows it to deliver 150 kW to the front wheels and 80 kW to the rear, but the most revolutionary aspect of the newcomer is the Lexus-developed Steer by Wire technology. For all the curious: the range is between 375 km and 450 km.
Hino 300 series hybrid
The 4.0-liter common-rail turbo with electrification, which will be released in November 2024, delivers 110 kW and 470 Nm. The electrified engine is directly linked to the six-speed automatic transmission, but improves consumption and brake wear with regenerative braking and advanced start/stop technology. While this is common in most passenger cars, the truck also has safety features such as a pre-collision system (PCS), lane departure warning system (LDWS) and cruise control.
In terms of Toyota’s motorsport-savvy GR division, the four-door, three-cylinder GR Corolla will take the spotlight as its standalone Cup in 2024, while a widebody GR Starlet with sporty slick tires and a 2.0-liter turbo engine will compete against Volkswagen’s Polo. and stir up some external competition in the SupaCup.
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