Posted on 12/20/2023 10:39:40 PM PST by dennisw
It turns out the $10,000 pickup truck is actually too good to be true. But only by a little bit. The production version of the Toyota IMV 0 concept, now known as the Hilux Champ in Thailand, starts at 459,000 Thai Baht, or just over $13,000 at the current exchange rate. On the one hand, that’s 30 percent higher than the price we heard from Toyota engineers during a brief test drive in Japan.
On the other hand, it’s a brand new truck with a full bed capable of hauling 2,200 pounds that’s almost as cheap as a 22-year-old Ford Ranger on Bring a Trailer. As a further reminder, the 2024 Tacoma base price is $32,995.
The Hilux Champ is still a deal, and to learn more about how Toyota pulled this off, we got some answers straight from Dr. Jurachart Jongusuk, chief engineer for Toyota’s IMV platform as well as regional chief engineer for Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing.
One reason the Hilux Champ doesn’t cost much is the utter bare-bones nature of the truck. This is first and foremost a commercial vehicle, closer to the chassis cab Ford F-350 box truck you rent at U-Haul in terms of features and amenities than anything Toyota sells to the U.S. consumer. Dr. Jongusuk told Road & Track Toyota focused on “Optimization of specification to only necessary items through extensive target customer input, through a simple but highly functional interior and exterior.“
Another reason is the relentless cost-cutting that went into the Hilux Champ’s development, going so far as to apply the Toyota Production System all the way down the supply chain.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I would love one of these as long as it comes with a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission.
So true.
The USA is every bit as fascist as Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy.
Government control of what is built/made and how it is built/made. spit
This represents the antithesis of the all electronic vehicles being foisted on the public by US automakers and the government. This trend has spawned pseudo pickups like the Tesla Truck and Ford F-150 Lightening that are worthless for any practical use and have price tags in the range of $80k+. Toyota has developed the truck that meets basic needs, is completely customizable for the consumers needs and above all is affordable, a concept much like Henry Ford’s Model T.
I am dumbfounded at what comes on new vehicles these days. Far, far, far too many bits of jingle, jangle and junk. Somehow, in the last 60 years I have managed to drive anywhere I want to go, and that includes places world wide, without benefit of a navigation system let alone an entertainment system or 360 degree camera, radar, lane keeping and so forth. No wonder vehicles are unreliable. People have been sold a big bill of goods and lapped it up. It has come at a horribly high price.
If they’re going to sell it in Central America, buy it down there and drive it to the USA.
It does not say if it is right or left side drive. Thailand like Japan is a right side drive country.
Some of the neighboring countries do not allow importation of right side drive vehicles. The manual transmission would not be a problem as the country boys in Thailand learn that kind of stuff.
Its a joke but has some reality to it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.