Toyota to export nearly half of its Hilux bakkies

The company, whose assembly plant is in Prospecton, Durban, launched the eighth generation of its bestselling vehicle yesterday. The Hilux has been SA's best-selling bakkie in 40 of the past 43 years and was the most popular vehicle of any description last year. Toyota SA is thought to have invested more than R4bn to produce the new Hilux.

The company has declined to give an official figure, but Kirby said it exceeded the company's previous record investment, of about R2.6bn, for the previous Hilux. Sources say the sum this time is probably "considerably" more than R4bn.

So far Prospecton has built only the double-cab version of Hilux and 15,000 have already been distributed to dealers. Production of single-cab models will begin next month. The Fortuner sport utility vehicle, assembled from the same base, will follow in April. Kirby said Prospecton had annual capacity to build 140,000 Hiluxes. With production having begun only recently, it hoped to build just more than 100,000 this year.

With 56 export markets confirmed in Africa and Europe, nearly 50% would be sold in other countries. That would help to make up for the production performance of the Corolla car, once Toyota SA's mainstay vehicle. Prospecton builds about 10,000 each year, of which less than 20% are exported.

Kirby said, however, that Toyota had no intention to stop building Corollas. Kirby was appointed chief operating officer last month to reduce the pressure on Toyota SA president Johan van Zyl, who also heads Toyota operations across Africa and in Europe.

Source: Business Day