Hybrid versions of the Toyota Corolla and Levin (pictured) sedans are being planned for China next year, according to Reuters. Toyota is considering making and selling them there, fitting them with locally-made parts, in its first bid to entirely produce hybrids outside Japan.
The Prius and Camry Hybrid are already being manufactured in China, but key parts such as hybrid systems still have to be imported. The high import tariffs make it difficult to generate volume.
Executive VP Yasumori Ihara told Reuters that next year, the Corolla and Levin hybrids will use batteries, hybrid transaxles and inverters that are made in China. He added that Toyota will introduce 15 new models in the country by end-2017, in a quest to double China sales to around two million vehicles a year.
According to Reuters, Toyota sold 917,000 vehicles in China last year. That’s nine percent more than the year before, recovering from a dip due to the diplomatic row between Japan and China. Of that number, 20,400 were hybrids, up from just 7,900 the year before.
Toyota will sell two versions of the current-gen Corolla in China – the FAW-Toyota Corolla, which is similar in appearance to our Altis, and the new Guangqi-Toyota Levin, which our hardworking ground team in Beijing uncovered yesterday in a set of pics. Follow our Auto China 2014 coverage as it happens.
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habislah Proton kena bash
Come here let UMW assemble Levin Hybrid RM80K price lar….MITI gerenti approve punya…EEV car policy must promote open competition!
so if not made in china those anti-jap chinese wont buy kah?
After a few glance round it….
Eerrr..its’ style a bit like Korean made vehicle..
Are there any prob with that? Many people said Toyota cannot design eye catching car..but when they do u guy say Korean design..
it DOES like like some other car design.Let me explain,The front grille looks like ford cruze 2015,the wheels looks like nissan’s rim.The side window profile it’s like optima and so as the side line profile
Kia Optima?
its like HYUNDAI design
It is KIA FORTE CERATO! LOL…Dumbass toyoita copycat!