Here’s a bit of news that flew under the radar. Daihatsu, Toyota’s budget-friendly affiliate, has added an assembly line in Indonesia. What’s the big deal, you ask? The new facility has the capacity to build hybrid vehicles.
Still don’t see why it’s huge news? It’s the same plant that builds Daihatsu-based vehicles such as the Toyota Avanza, Raize, Veloz, Wigo, and Yaris Cross. Put two and two together, and there’s a good chance that we could see electrified versions of a couple of the models mentioned there.
Per Indonesian automotive publication Otodriver, the new line aims to produce hybrid vehicles soon. “In our commitment to manufacturing, we have prepared the plant to produce hybrid vehicles and also battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the future,” said Sri Agung Handayani to Otodriver. The publication also reported that the first electrified model to roll out of the plant is set to come out sometime this year.
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The Raize and Yaris Cross already have hybrid models, although the Raize isn’t offered with electric assist in the region yet. There’s a good chance that it might be the first hybrid to be built in the new plant, but there is another possible model. The two candidates touted to get hybrid power are the Avanza and Veloz MPVs.
While not confirmed yet, now is a good time for Toyota and Daihatsu to make it happen. Not only are there the means to build these electrified MPVs, the platforms in which these models are built on have been ready for electrification from the start. The Daihatsu New Global Architecture or DNGA was designed to accommodate hybrid powertrains. If you need further proof, we’ll circle back to the Raize and Yaris Cross.
Aside from that, there’s another good reason why Toyota and Daihatsu need to roll out hybrid MPVs as soon as possible: Mitsubishi has beaten them to the punch with the Xpander and Xpander Cross e:Motion.
At the moment, those two models are the only hybrid-powered offerings in the subcompact MPV class. We doubt the world’s largest automaker will just sit there and let one of its biggest rivals in Southeast Asia get all the sales in a segment with huge potential.
Should the Toyota Avanza and Veloz get hybrid powertrains, we wouldn’t be too surprised if it uses a system similar to the one already in use in the Yaris Cross. If so, it might be the same 1.5-liter engine and single electric motor combination that’s good for a total output of about 110hp and 121Nm.
