Toyota PH to launch a new car on June 15 and here are our guesses

For years now, it’s evident that Toyota has been the most dominant in the Philippines. Toyota currently has several models that are the top-sellers in their respective segments, contributing to its lion’s share of the market at around 40 percent for 2019, or a whopping 161,385 units sold for that year.

Now, we’ve got some great news for you. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) will be holding an exclusive, ground-breaking digital launch on June 15, the company’s first ever.

That being the case, this marks a huge milestone for TMP. As to what car model Toyota Philippines is launching, we don’t know what it is exactly, but we have our guesses. 

Are you ready?

What will Toyota Philippines launch on June 15?

1. The facelifted 2021 Toyota Hilux

We’ve known for a while now that Toyota is indeed working on a facelifted version of the Hilux. We’ve seen the 2021 Toyota Hilux renderings which preview the upcoming model, and all in all, we can say that it’s going to be as handsome as its larger American cousin, the Tacoma.

Is it going to be the handsome, but angry looking Hilux? Your guess is as good as ours

A month ago, the Toyota facilities in Thailand had to temporarily halt the production of this exciting new Hilux due to the COVID-19 outbreak outbreak. Since it’s already the month of June, we’re guessing that Toyota is going full-steam ahead for the new Hilux. As one of TMP’s top-sellers in the Philippines (second only to the Vios in 2019), the popularity of the Hilux among Filipinos is beyond question, so it would be very interesting how the local market reacts to its latest iteration.

With regards to the facelifted Hilux specifically, this ground-breaking launch event, might be another global debut, just like when TMP launched the sixth-generation Toyota Hiace.

2. The RAV4 Hybrid and the all-new Toyota Sienna Hybrid?

Another model that Toyota will likely unveil at the online launch is the Toyota RAV4 hybrid or the Toyota Sienna minivan hybrid, the latter having been launched recently in the US.

With the success of the Corolla Altis Hybrid, the Rav4 Hybrid, a crossover, might also be a logical choice

Now, we say that these two models could fit the bill, due to the fact that TMP itself expressed its desire to introduce more hybrid vehicles in the country. The RAV4 is a likely option because the standard RAV4 is already quite popular here. As for the Sienna, well, think of it as a sportier and more rakish alternative to the Toyota Alphard. And yes, the Alphard also has a hybrid version available in Japan, so that might be a contender as well.

Note however that Pinoys really love high-capacity vehicles, so the Sienna is another possibility

3. The new TNGA based Yaris

And lastly, we’re also guessing that the new Toyota Yaris, the one using the Toyota New Global Architecture (GA-B), is also a likely candidate. Sure, we still have the current Vios-based Yaris, but a sportier, better handling one is a very attractive prospect, right? Are we talking about the Gazoo Racing Yaris? Well, that might be too far off of a guess, so the base 1.5 liter G 2WD MXPA10 might be more likely.

The TNGA based Yaris however is a far off guess, but who knows. 

What do you think? Is it going to be the new Toyota Hilux, the RAV4 Hybrid, or the Toyota Sienna Hybrid? Do remember though that these are just guesses for the meantime, so take these with a healthy dose of salt because, for all we know, any of our guesses might actually be off the mark.

For the actual reveal, and for more details regarding the actual digital launch, keep reading here on Philkotse.com.