Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) today held its annual State of the Motoring Address (SOMI) discussing the present landscape of the local vehicle market, the group’s performance over 2022, its expectations for the new year, and of course, the upcoming model launches.
For 2023, the best-selling manufacturer in the country has plenty in store for its devotees and we can look forward to five new cars making an appearance across the Toyota and Lexus brands.
TSAM’s 2023
Over the next 12 months, TSAM is gearing up to release a special-edition Toyota Fortuner, the next-generation Lexus RX and Toyota Urban Cruiser, the all-new Toyota Vitz, and perhaps the biggest of all, the Toyota Crown which has been on the market since 1955 and for the first time ever is being sold in crossover guise as well as in South Africa.
First up will be the new Fortuner, sporting a bespoke body kit with a model-unique grille, LED headlights, and front and rear bumpers, as well as a black roof and exterior accents.
The MC is based on the flagship Fortuner VX and gets a 2.8-litre, turbo-diesel motor under the hood matched with a six-speed automatic gearbox and 4×4 system. Toyota didn’t confirm whether there will be a bump in power or any mechanical enhancements, so we will have to wait and see.
At least the wait won’t be long, as the special-edition SUV will reach dealerships as soon as February, confirmed Leon Theron, senior vice president of sales and marketing at TSAM.
On 1 March, the third-generation Lexus RX will land on our shores in petrol and mild-hybrid guise.
The headlining trim will feature a 2.4-litre, bi-turbocharged petrol engine married to an electric motor to produce 273kW, a not-insignificant 43kW more than the current range-topper.
A plug-in-hybrid variant of the luxury SUV will come to market later in 2023.
Also in Q1 2023, the new Toyota Crown is making its debut supported by partially-electrified underpinnings.
TSAM revealed the crossover will be powered by a 2.5-litre parallel-hybrid drivetrain churning out 176kW at an average fuel consumption of 4.4l/100km.
It carries a Crown-exclusive badge, too, and will boast new-age driver aids such as Advanced Drive for assistance during traffic congestion as well as Advanced Park for autonomous parallel and reverse parking.
The new Toyota Urban Cruiser is then scheduled to go on sale in the second quarter of the year.
The crossover is now larger and more premium than before and keen buyers should note that a “bump in price is coming,” said Theron. The existing model retails from R283,200.
The new Urban Cruiser in India is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol motor producing 75kW and 135Nm and this drivetrain is expected to be carried over to the units being sold in South Africa.
A mild-hybrid configuration is also being investigated for the local market but won’t become a possibility in the next 18 months, said TSAM’s Theron.
Before the end of June, Toyota further plans to roll out the new Vitz which is replacing its current entry-level hatch, the Agya.
The small city car is another product of the Toyota-Suzuki alliance alongside the Urban Cruiser, the Starlet, and the Rumion.
It receives a 1.0-litre petrol engine and will likely produce in the ballpark of 49kW and 89Nm as that is what its Suzuki Celerio half-sibling is capable of.
After 2023
After 2023, there is potential for TSAM to launch its first fully-electric vehicle in South Africa in the form of the Lexus UX300e with 150kW on tap and 450km of range, however, the feasibility of the electric SUV is still being considered and it will take “a year to a year-and-a-half to make a decision” on if it will go on sale locally, said Theron.
It’s an identical story with the plug-in-hybrid Lexus NX450h+ as it is also under the microscope and it will take the same amount of time to come to a conclusion about whether it should see our roads.
The automaker also alluded to having a firm plan for the light-commercial-vehicle category where its Hilux reigns supreme.
When pushed about the possibility of a “smaller” and more affordable Hilux in the Q&A session, Theron said that he gets frequent inquiries about the same topic from the TSAM dealership network but that he is only allowed to say “watch this space within the next three years.”
Find below a summary of all the new Toyota and Lexus introductions that will take place in South Africa in 2023.
Quarter 1 2023
Lexus RX
Toyota Crown
Toyota Fortuner MC
Quarter 2 2023
Toyota Urban Cruiser
Toyota Vitz
After 2023
Lexus NX450h+
Lexus UX300e
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