The head of Toyota in South Africa explains why the Japanese brand currently has no plans to offer a fresh prolonged-lifecycle model like the Tazz or Corolla Quest…
- No plans for another prolonged-lifecycle model “at the moment”
- Production of Corolla Quest ended at Prospecton late in 2024
- “Competitive position” of imported models means there’s no scope
Over the years, Toyota South Africa Motors has rolled out several highly successful locally built “prolonged lifecycle” models, from the popular Conquest-based Tazz to the recently discontinued Corolla Quest. But the brand’s local boss says there are currently no plans for another.
Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors, made the comments during an interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s South African Auto Week 2025 in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape at the start of October.
“Historically, we had quite a few programmes where we’ve tried to take a previous generation, refresh it and use that price point to create a new segment. Before Tazz was the Conquest – you might remember that – and those were all very successful,” he told us.
Volkswagen employs a similar strategy with its Kariega-built Polo Vivo (based on the 5th-gen Polo hatch), while Isuzu does the same with its Struandale-made D-Max Gen 6. In each case, by the time the initial model’s lifecycle ended, the significant sum already invested had likely been amortised. That means design, engineering and tooling costs for the so-called “legacy” vehicle were all already largely covered.
So, why is Toyota SA Motors no longer pursuing a prolonged-lifecycle strategy? Well, while any such opportunity would depend greatly on which vehicles are in production locally, Kirby suggested shifts in technology and the budget-friendly positioning of imported models – we suspect he’s referring to Suzuki-based, Indian-sourced vehicles like the Vitz and Starlet here – also played a role.
“At the moment, we don’t have any plans to [use] a previous-generation vehicle like that. The technology shifts and the competitive position of the vehicles that we’re getting – both imported and locally – don’t really provide us with that scope at the moment. We’re always keeping our minds open to it, but we don’t have anything in that space at the moment,” he emphasised.
Toyota SA Motors currently builds the Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Hiace Ses’fikile (technically a prolonged-lifecycle version of the H200-series Hiace) at its Prospecton plant in KwaZulu-Natal. Production of the 2nd-generation Corolla Quest – derived from the 11th-gen Corolla sedan and serving as the brand’s most recent prolonged-lifecycle model – ended late in 2024.
Of course, the last Corolla Quest was sold alongside the 12th-gen Corolla sedan. Since the latter is imported from Japan rather than built locally, Toyota’s SA division unfortunately won’t have the opportunity to repurpose it as a locally built 3rd-gen Quest.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Does Toyota South Africa plan to introduce another prolonged-lifecycle model like the Tazz or Corolla Quest?
A: No, Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors, stated that the brand currently has “no plans” for another prolonged-lifecycle model “at the moment”.
Q: What reasons did Toyota South Africa give for not pursuing a prolonged-lifecycle strategy currently?
A: The main reasons cited by CEO Andrew Kirby are shifts in technology and the “competitive position” of imported budget-friendly models (likely referring to vehicles like the Vitz and Starlet), which don’t provide the scope for such a strategy at the moment.
Q: When did the production of the most recent prolonged-lifecycle model, the Corolla Quest, end?
A: Production of the 2nd-generation Corolla Quest, which was derived from the 11th-gen Corolla sedan, ended late in 2024 at Toyota’s Prospecton plant.
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