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The 2nd World of Toyota Motor Show
Toyota shows off
Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation held "The 2nd World of Toyota Motor Show" from September 22 to 28 at the Le Pavillon in Pasay City. The event showcased Toyota's complete model lineup and its latest technological advancements highlighted by the display of the i-unit concept vehicle and the second-generation Prius Hybrid.
The motor show featured the public debut the of the newest vehicles in Toyota's product line, the all-new Camry, the Hiace Super Grandia, the Innova High-end V Grade, and a sneak preview of the upcoming seven-seater Avanza. The show also concluded Toyota's September Special Promo with the raffling-off of six brand-new Fortuners.
During the show's opening night, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received the key to a Prius in a symbolic gesture of TMP's support of the Clean Air Act and the government's efforts to promote energy and fuel-efficiency. TMP chairman George Ty turned over the Prius to the president. After the turnover of the sedan, the President took a brief test ride on the single-seater i-unit, a prototype of Toyota's car-of-the-future concept.
The world's first commercially mass-produced and marketed hybrid automobile, the Prius went on sale in Japan in 1997 but hit the global automobile market only in 2001. The Prius has an estimated combined city/highway consumption of 4.27 liters per 100 kilometers, plus an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle rating.
The Prius runs on gasoline but shifts automatically, when charged enough, to an emissions-free electric motor to achieve amazing fuel economy. More than 500,000 units of the Prius have been sold worldwide. The company is now studying the possibility of introducing the Prius hybrid car in the country by next year.
Ty said TMP has invested more than P8 billion ($159 million) in the Philippines in the last 10 years, and now employs more than 12,000 people nationwide. TMP's total exports last year reached $502 million, 31 percent higher than in 2004. This year, TMP's exports are expected to rise to more than $540 million, Ty said.
The World of Toyota also show-cased the Japanese carmaker's newest and upcoming models. The 2007 All-new Camry has been repositioned as a premium luxury sedan. It now offers new technology such as 3.5-liter V6 Dual VVT-i engine, six-speed sequential automatic transmission, cruise control, smart entry and start system, vehicle stability control, adaptive front lighting system with HID, and dual side airbags.
The Super Grandia, Toyota's bet in the luxury people-mover segment, is the high-end variant of the Hiace series, in addition to the Commuter and GL Grandia, which debuted earlier this year. Toyota positions the ten-seater Super Grandia as a more luxurious and comfortable family vehicle. Aside from two captain seats, this van also features automatic transmission, a diesel engine, leather seats, audio and DVD video system with six speakers, front fog lamps, and added safety features such as ABS, security system, and clearance and back sonar.
The industry's best-selling vehicle, the Innova, will also add three new variants in the family, Innova V–Grade in diesel and gas automatic transmission, and the E-Grade automatic transmission. The V-Grade is a more affordable alternative to Toyota's luxury minivan Previa. This high-end variant of the Innova series incorporates rear captain seats, leather seat material, ABS, and airbags for the driver and front passenger.
Aside from these new models, Toyota also displayed the rest of its vehicle lineup, including the limited edition Vios, the Altis, the Hilux and the Fortuner, as well as the Previa, the Prado, the RAV4, and the Avanza, which will officially be introduced within the year.
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Top Gear Philippines - November 2006
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