Toyota ups market share to 44.34%

Gracing the launch are Toyota Motor Philippines senior executive vice president Dr. David Go (left), TMP vice chairman Alfred Ty, TMP president Satoru Suzuki, TMP executive vice president for marketing Yohei Murase and TMP senior vice president for marketing Ariel Arias .

Satoru Suzuki, who assumed the presidency of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) this year, had good news for both the automotive industry and consumers at TMP’s annual media appreciation lunch.

On an annualized basis, the industry’s sales are expected to hit 400,000 vehicles before the year ends. TMP contributed substantially to this surge with year-to-date sales of 144,488 units as of end-November, up 27.3 percent from 113,519 units in the year-ago period, and increasing its market share to 44.34 percent across all brands.

Upgraded Altis

The good news for consumers is that effective today, the upgraded 2017 Corolla Altis will be available in all Toyota dealerships.

“In the new model,” Suzuki said, “one will instantly notice its more advanced look and dynamic, sporty design compared to the previous version.”

With a new front bumper and grille, a new rear end with decklid spoiler, daytime running lights and new alloy wheels, the 2017 Corolla Altis is powered by the same 4-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC with Dual VVT-I engine, which is now Euro 4 compliant.

The engine, whether 2.0-liter or 1.6-liter, is mated to a 7-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

The new Altis has seven airbags, and vehicle stability and cruise controls.

Retail prices range from P894,000 for the 1.6-liter manual transmission to P1.318 million for the 2.0-liter CVT.

Asked whether a turbocharged Corolla Altis is in the pipeline to compete with the hot-selling Honda Civic RS, Suzuki and other TMP executives answered: “Soon.”

That’s another bit of good news for consumers.

IMV line completed

Looking back at his first year as TMP president, Suzuki said that in 2016, Toyota completed the IMV lineup by launching the new generation Fortuner and Innova.

TMP also improved the Yaris and the country’s best-selling car, the Vios, by installing new dual VVT-I engines.

TMP likewise launched the refreshed 86 sports car.

A new front bumper and grille for the 2017 Corolla Altis.

Suzuki concluded his summary of 2016 by citing the successful completion of “four heart-pounding legs of the biggest motor sport festival in the country, none other than the Vios Cup. All these, including our other top-selling models, aided us in further widening our leadership position in the automotive industry.”

Looking forward to 2017

Suzuki also said that Toyota will have new models coming in 2017, specifically the C-HR (Coupe High Rider), Toyota’s new 5-door subcompact crossover, to grab market share from the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3, Ford EcoSport and Honda HR-V in the keenly competitive subcompact crossover segment.

The 2017 C-HR made its world debut at the 2016 Geneva Auto Show, followed by a North American intro at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The C-HR resembles the Nissan Juke, its main target, with its funky look, low roof, high beltline and big wheels.

Built on Toyota’s new Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, a lightweight sturdy design that first appeared in the 2016 Prius, the C-HR was originally a 2-door hatchback intended for the Scion, Toyota’s youth brand.

When Toyota dropped the Scion brand early this year, the C-HR was moved into the mainstream lineup, and became a 5-door crossover.

But Suzuki said the C-HR won’t be coming to the Philippines in 2017. “It would be too expensive,” he said. “It will be manufactured in Turkey and the shipping costs will be high.” The CH-Rs made in Turkey are destined for the European market.

The engine options for the European market are a turbocharged 1.2-liter 4-cylinder or a hybrid powertrain similar to the one in the 2016 Toyota Prius, a BMW-developed 1.5-liter engine producing 170 hp.

Suzuki said that in the future, if and when the C-HR is brought to Manila, its powertrain may be the same as the front-wheel-drive North American version, a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-4 delivering 144 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque, mated to a CVT.

2017 Vios for CARS program

The Toyota Vios subcompact sedan, the country’s best-selling motor vehicle across all brands and all categories for the last 14 years, was entered by TMP in the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program.

This means that in the next six years, 200,000 units of the Vios will be produced by TMP. As of end-November, TMP had already sold 33,234 units of the Vios for the year.

The all-new 2017 Vios will be in the CARS program although the dual VVT-I, 4-cylinder petrol engine of the 2016 Vios will be retained. The present third generation Vios was launched in 2013 and will have completed its cycle by the end of this year.