February 24, 2023

Toyota Starts Exporting LHD Innova Hybrids From Indonesia


After its global debut in November, Toyota has started exporting its first-ever Innova Hybrid from its manufacturing base in Indonesia.

At a ceremony commemorating the first batch of left-hand drive exports, the Kijiang Innova Zenix Hybrid (Indonesian market name) will see Toyota export more than 8,000 of these MPVs—30 percent of them being hybrids and 30 percent being traditional internal combustion engine models in 2023. It will be exported to 19 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. By 2025, the export target will be increased to 25,000.

The Kijiang Innova Zenix Hybrid is produced by PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia in Sukamakmur and is the first electrified model exported from there.

According to Toyota Motor Asia Pacific President Hao Quoc Tien, the export of the Innova Hybrid is significant because it signifies that the Indonesian automotive industry has entered the next level of capability, including its supply chain, to manufacture high technology green products.

For its part, Toyota Motor Philippines hasn’t confirmed nor denied whether the all-new Innova will continue to be manufactured at its Santa Rosa, Laguna plant. However, sources say that the Philippines will shift to a CBU model import for the MPV once the Innova Hybrid (it will take on the name, Zenix locally), arrives.

The production gap, if ever, will be filled up by the confirmed next-generation Tamaraw model which will be built on Toyota’s IMV-0 platform. Toyota Motor Philippines has announced a P 4.4-billion investment to re-tool its manufacturing base to accommodate the new commercial vehicle.

Going back to the Innova Hybrid (or Innova Zenix), it drops its rear-wheel drive body-on-frame architecture for a front-wheel drive unibody design.

Riding on Toyota’s TNGA-C platform, the 6 to 8-seater MPV drops its diesel engine in favor of an all-gasoline line-up. The ICE version has the 2.0-liter Dynamic Force 4-cylinder engine making 174 horsepower and 205 Nm of torque, while the hybrid version pushes out 186 horsepower.

Sources suggest a price of around P 1.8-million for the Innova Zenix when it arrives locally sometime between the second- and third quarter of 2023.

7 comments:

  1. Hybrids still do not enjoy tax breaks like a full EV? Too bad. Until they do they will still be very expensive.

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  2. Innova on Front wheel drive? I doubt if philippine market would still appreciate it. Specially the commercial market. Probably for private use toyota can have a share.

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    1. i don't think Innova buyers will be keen on FWD or RWD. i don't think they know the differences apart from "sabi sabi" and stories from their neighbors and lolos. as long as it's reliable and it's a good people mover that can go up to baguio, they will buy it.

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  3. Avanza/veloz went from rwd to fwd and it is selling well. I don't think it matters too much for buyers as long na it is from toyota. Chinese brands focus on gadgets gizmos and will tie up w other car makers for cache and now how. Toyota spends on engineering and whatever others may say total sales in the world validates this.

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  4. We will buy the new innova zenix because it's hybrid and upgrade na.

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  5. 1.8m? medyo ouch...

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