Toyota has a busy year ahead, here is the verdict of SOMI 2023

The State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) has given Toyota the opportunity to provide a taste of what is to come throughout the year. Along with pertinent news to the South African market, Toyota South Africa Motors unveiled several new vehicles, some already familiar to us, others pushing the envelope of what green technology is available at the moment.

Serving as the 6th event of its kind, the 2023 edition of the SOMI served as a platform for CEO Andrew Kirby to address the media, and provide projections for the 2023 calendar year. Along with all of the bar graphs and slideshows were the reveal of some new models to wear the Toyota and Lexus badges.

Related: SOMI 2022 – the state of the motor industry, and Toyota

Here are all of the models Toyota South Africa Motors displayed at the event:

Lexus UX BEV

Limited as just a sample unit, Toyota has unveiled the Lexus UX BEV (battery-electric-vehicle) which will serve as a sample unit for market research in the local context. This means that the model is not confirmed for South African introduction. Toyota has pledged to build 8 million electrified vehicles per year by 2030 and in its luxury fleet, the UX will more than likely be the stalwart of sales globally for the luxury branch of the Japanese marque.

Lexus NX PHEV

As previously mentioned with the UX BEV, the NX PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will serve as a sample unit for the South African market which means there is nothing confirmed with this model either. Considering the success of the Toyota Corolla Cross in hybrid guise enabled the Japanese automaker to content the top ranks in the NEV (new-energy vehicle) space, there is a strong possibility that the NX PHEV will make its way to our shores although this is speculation.

Lexus RX Hybrid

A model that will arrive on South African soil is the Lexus RX hybrid which is scheduled to be available from the 1st of March. Further information on spec and pricing can be expected closer to this date. Lexus state that NEV accounts for 33% of all overall sales volumes.

Toyota Crown HEV

Serving as the 16th generation of the longstanding nameplate, the Toyota Crown HEV (hybrid-electric vehicle) will signal the first foray of the Crown sub-brand into South Africa at a later stage in the year. Bridging the gap between Toyota and Lexus, these plush and luxurious models will be limited in initial introduction.

Updated Toyota Fortuner

A common sight on the roads, Toyota will begin to offer their updated Fortuner by February. Selling a substantial 7 805 units in 2022 with a 41% market share of the medium SUV segment, the updates are intended to keep the top-selling SUV relevant for the remainder of its life cycle.Toyota

Toyota Vitz

Look familiar? Fruits from the joint venture with Suzuki, the latest Vitz will continue where the Agya left off. Slotting beneath the Starlet, it will be available in Q2 and will more than likely boast a similar sub-R200 000 pricetag to its Japanese twin.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Once again, bearing fruits of the joint partnership with Suzuki is the latest Toyota Urban Cruiser, which at first glance is significantly larger than the outgoing model that has ceased production in India. Its replacement however will be based on the similar-looking Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Toyota Mirai

Serving as a demonstration of technological prowess, the Toyota Mirai in its hydrogen guise has been homologated for South African roads. The model seen here will more than likely be one of very few to offer test drives and media drives since hydrogen technology is truly in its infancy in Africa. The local branch of the Japanese automaker states that SASOL has been specially commissioned to produce green hydrogen that will propel these test models forward for the time being.Toyota

The post Toyota has a busy year ahead, here is the verdict of SOMI 2023 appeared first on CAR Magazine.


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