2016 Toyota Innova ruled out for South Africa - Report

17/06/2016 - 05:58 | ,   | Sagar Parikh

First-gen model no longer sold in the country.

The second generation 2016 Toyota Innova is now on sale in Indonesia, Phillipines and India and will be launched in other prominent markets including Thailand in the future. However, South Africa isn't one of them, as per a report from Cars.co.za.

Toyota Innova Crysta front quarters at Auto Expo 2016
Poor sales of the first-gen model, reducing market of MPVs and growing popularity of crossovers and SUVs are key reasons behind the South African subsidiary skipping the second-gen model.

The report suggests that the second generation Toyota Innova may skip South Africa. The previous generation Toyota Innova was introduced in South Africa in late 2011 in 7- and 8-seat seat configurations. However, while markets like Thailand continue showing success with the first generation model even today, South Africa wasn't a market so pleased by the Innova.

Toyota South Africa sells both western market models like the Toyota RAV4 and Toyota 86 as well as emerging models like the Toyota Etios and Toyota Avanza, but it didn't have success with the Toyota Innova and had to eventually drop it from its portfolio owing to slow sales. Avanza is the only MPV currently sold by the Japanese automaker in the African market. The Toyota Avanza isn't offered in India, but the 2016 Toyota Innova (2016 Toyota Innova Crysta) is already hit, with 20,000 bookings received for the MPV in less than a month from its market launch.

Toyota Innova Crysta rear quarters at Auto Expo 2016
The 2016 Toyota Innova received 20,000 bookings in India in less than a month from its market launch.

Also Read: 2017 Toyota Corolla (facelift) new details and images surface

The South African publication blames lack of diesel power and availability of automatic transmission for the poor sales of the previous generation Innova. Keeping the Innova aside, Toyota South Africa is quite aggressive with new product launches having potential; the second-gen 2016 Toyota Fortuner was launched in March, just months after its market debut in Asia in H2 2016. In the most recent news, the fourth-gen 2016 Toyota Prius was launched, priced from R4,27,200 (INR 18,78,019.35).

[Source: Cars.co.za]

You might also like