In line with its parent company’s recent strategic realignment to new-energy vehicles (NEV), Toyota South Africa recently laid its NRV cards for SA on the table.
Although the company maintains that internal combustion engines (ICE) still have a role to play, it said it will be shifting a large part of its focus to traditional hybrid vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) and other engine conversions over the next few years, as far as the SA market is concerned.
The biggest news is that Toyota will be launching a new, mildly hybrid Hilux and Fortuner in early 2024 consisting of the standard ICE combined with an integrated starter generator and 12V-48V battery.
The company will also be introducing the Toyota Crown to South Africa this year. This crossover Crown variant is powered by a 2.5-litre, parallel-hybrid drivetrain with an output in the neighbourhood of 170kW and a fuel consumption of under 5.0L/100km.
Another NEV addition to the local market from Toyota will be a hybrid version of the new Urban Cruiser.
It is also rumoured that the plug-in hybrid RAV4, Lexus NX and RX are on their way.
Toyota has said that owing to the current scarcity of electricity on the African continent, that BEVs won’t be a practical solution yet for local consumers.
The fight for the wallets of South African motorists continues with Renault’s Kwid, which has been repositioned and with a new naming convention celebrating 10 years on our roads with around 70 000 units sold.
Audi South Africa is pleased to announce the appointment of Markus Schuster as its new country lead, effective September 2025.
Skills development and technical excellence are critical to the sustainability of South Africa’s automotive industry, says Ford.
Advertisement
Advertisement
If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
The uptake of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) continues to gain momentum in South Africa, spurred on by the introduction of more affordable models into the local market.
South Africa is a large country but with refuelling stations nearly everywhere across towns, cities and even in remote rural areas, enough provision has been made for all types of vehicles to refuel somewhere.
The Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, Leapmotor, has entered South Africa and its vehicles will soon be available at selected Stellantis dealerships across the country.
