The newest and oldest Toyota cars in South Africa – And which ones are due for an update

Toyota is South Africa’s best-selling carmaker in no small part to the fact that it has an extensive and varied line-up of models that caters to just about every price bracket and segment imaginable.

The Japanese manufacturer has no less than 22 different vehicles on the market right now, from bakkies to affordable hatchbacks and high-performance models bearing the brand’s Gazoo Racing credentials.

Of course, the tricky part about having such a large catalogue is that it can be hard to keep track of when something was launched and how up-to-date it is relative to other models, as there are a few Toyota cars that are reaching the point where a new coat of paint is in order.

It is common practice in the industry to update models every four to five years, either with a facelift or with an all-new generation, and the automaker has done a good job of maintaining a consistent pipeline of additions to its local roster.

Options like the Fortuner have received substantial updates in recent years, and new models have been introduced like the Vitz and Urban Cruiser.

This means there are relatively few vehicles in need of a major overhaul, and even then the carmaker has already announced its plans to reinvigorate some of its star players.

Next-generation Toyota Prado

At present, the next Toyotas in line for an overhaul are the Prado, Hilux, Corolla Cross, C-HR, and RAV4, as the others were all introduced or revised rather recently.

First up is the Prado, which has reached the end of its lifespan and is scheduled to receive the next generation go on sale in July.

The legendary Hilux bakkie is a similar case, as the current units are starting to show their age in a fiercely-competitive segment where new opponents are entering on a regular basis.

However, preparations are underway to reveal the next-generation Hilux to the world in 2025, which will no doubt be one of the biggest car events of the year.

Another example is the Corolla Cross, South Africa’s favourite passenger car, which is expected to undergo a facelift next year.

This leaves a handful of models like the RAV4 and CH-R, which haven’t received any radical changes for several years now, making them prime candidates for an update in the near future.

In fact, the next-gen C-HR has already gone on sale in Europe, but this has not yet been confirmed for South Africa.

Keeping up-to-date

Below is a list of every Toyota vehicle in South Africa, including the last time the vehicle was updated.

This does not include the introduction of additional models on the same platform, such as any of the hybrid units added past the initial launch of their respective series.

Click on the underlined links for more information.