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Images: Shaun Mallett and Mighty Fine Agency
Every year Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) hosts the State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) event, where some of the hardware to be launched is revealed. This year, at the eighth rendition in Johannesburg, TSAM CEO Andrew Kirby provided an overview of the motor industry’s prospects for 2025. Leon Theron, TSAM’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, introduced some of the new models that we will soon be able to test drive (and buy!) at our local dealers.
Some of the key trends noted by Kirby include affordability (consumers are looking for affordable options), the ‘SUV phenomenon’ (SUVs now account for more than 50% of passenger car sales), in-car tech (customers are demanding a more immersive experience from their car), and the transition to new energy vehicles (NEVs) (the Corolla Cross was the turning point for NEVs in 2022, taking hybrid sales to 4,000 units).
The new releases speak to these trends. Read more below for a closer look.
