Models Toyota is Launching into SA 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.Toyota

Looking for your next new or used Toyota? Find it here with CARmag. 

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 news is the powertrain that the new Land Cruiser 70 Series will be motivated by – the 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel motor will be paired to a 6-speed auto, a first for the LC. 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

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 2.8-litre GD-6 engine but now paired with an 8-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 12 kW and 65 N.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 BEV model into South Africa. Dubbed the bZ4X (Beyond Zero), the eTNGA-based dedicated BEV platform is offered internationally as either a FWD or Dual-Motor AWD. Local specs are yet to be decided but the most frugal model of the city slicker is capable of 400 km.

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 2.8-litre diesel motor has been tuned to now offer 165 kW and 550 N.m. Toyota claims this to be an “ultimate off-roader & polished on-road dynamics” – stay tuned for when we get behind the wheel!

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 150 kW to the front wheels and 80 kW 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 375 km and 450 km.

Hino 300 Series Hybrid

Arriving in November 2024, the 4.0-litre common-rail turbo with electrification delivers 110 kW and 470 N.m. The electrified motor is coupled directly to the 6-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 (PCS), lane departure warning system (LDWS) 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 2.0-litre turbocharged motor will take on Volkswagen’s Polo and ignite some external competition into the SupaCup.

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