Toyota targets new customers with upgraded variants of the all-new Hiace

The Toyota Hiace GL Grandia variant. | photo from motioncars.inquirer.net

As if dominating the utility van segment of the commercial vehicles market for many years was not enough, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) is targeting new customers with upgraded variants of the full model change, sixth-generation Hiace.

At the world premiere of the 2019 Hiace in Bonifacio Global City last Monday, February 18, 2019, TMP brand and product planning cluster 1st Vice President Cristina Arevalo said that not only will the new Hiace be appreciated more by current retail and fleet customers, it will appeal to new customers, particularly big families who love to go out on weekends and self-drive.

The rearend of the new Hiace. | photo from motioncars.inquirer.net

Since its introduction in 1994, the Hiace has continued to dominate the utility van (UV) segment in the Philippines, with more than half of the segment owning a Toyota Hiace in the last four years, Arevalo claimed.

In the low-grade UV segment in the last four years, the Hiace Commuter led with an average of 60.5 percent market share, while in the mid-grade UV segment in the last five years, the Hiace GL Grandia led with an average of 68 percent market share.

Way ahead

Last year, according to the year-to-date December 2018 sales report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (Campi), the Toyota Hiace topped the minivan segment with a total of 17,972 unit sales, way ahead of runner-up Nissan Urvan’s 6,824 and the Hyundai Grand Starex’s 3,708.

Starting this year, TMP aims to sell 1,600 units of the new Hiace every month. 

The GL Grandia Tourer is the newest variant of the Hiace. | photo from motioncars.inquirer.net

To help boost sales, TMP is adding a new variant, the GL Grandia Tourer, to the Hiace lineup now consisting of the GL Grandia and Commuter Deluxe. All three variants are manufactured in Japan.

The TMP customer profile indicates that the age range of Hiace buyers is from 41 to 45 years old, and that most are male and married, Arevalo revealed.

Arevalo expects the Commuter Deluxe, with its more comfortable ride, to appeal to small and medium business enterprises and to UV buyers with an average monthly household income of P125,000 to P145,000.

Target customers

At the same time, the target customers of the GL Grandia Tourer and GL Grandia would have an average monthly household income of P140,000 to P160,000.

Noticeably, buyers of the GL Grandia Tourer and GL Grandia would use their units for both personal and business purposes, while Commuter Deluxe buyers would use their units mainly for business, Arevalo averred.

The last model change of the Hiace was 15 years ago, Arevalo said, so TMP expects the all-new, reasonably priced (ranging from P1.59 to P2.2 million) Hiace to reshape possibilities by redefining what it means to travel in comfort and style.

The Commuter Deluxe variant. | photo from motioncars.inquirer.net

With 69 dealerships nationwide pitching the 2019 Hiace, Toyota has all the bases covered to reinforce its leadership in the lucrative utility van market.

All variants of the all-new Hiace are powered by a new 2.8-liter diesel engine (1GD-FTV) that features a high-boost turbocharger, intercooler system, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and dual mass flywheel (DMF) that leads to reduced cabin noise by absorbing engine vibrations.

In the Commuter Deluxe, the 2.8-liter engine generates 174 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. In the GL Grandia, the engine generates the same 174 hp but more torque at 450 Nm.

The engine of the GL Grandia Tourer generates 161 hp and 420 Nm of torque.