TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp. will begin offering today a new compact minivan and a redesigned version of its Porte in its home market as Japan’s largest automaker caters to rising demand for small cars.
The new Spade will begin selling from 1.45 million yen (US$18,500) in Japan, according to a statement by Toyota. The 3.9- meter long model, featuring remote-controlled sliding doors, gets as much as 20.6 kilometers per liter in fuel economy, the Toyota City, Japan-based company said.
“Recently in Japan, demand has been increasing for compact cars with minivan-like features, such as a large sliding door and a spacious cabin,” Toyota said in a statement on its website. “With the Porte and the Spade, Toyota aims to be a leader in the compact minivan market.”
Toyota, which lost its global sales crown last year to General Motors Co., has forecast it will sell a record 9.58 million units globally this year, driven by an expanded product portfolio. At home in Japan, industrywide deliveries of passenger cars surged 56% to 1.67 million units in the first six months of this year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
The redesigned Porte compact minivan will also go on sale today, starting from 1.45 million yen, the company said.
Toyota fell 0.9% to 2,941 yen as of 1.43 p.m. in Tokyo trading. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 1.3%. (Bloomberg/T07)
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