China Auto News: Guangzhou Toyota plans to sell 6,000 Yaris vehicles a month

Shanghai. January 8, 2008; (Gasgoo.com); Guangzhou Toyota plans to sell 35,000 Yaris vehicles this year in Chinese market or approximately 6,000 vehicles a month.

"Considering the capacity limits that we are facing, the 25,000 sales target for six month is not a conservative one," said Yuan Zhongrong, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Toyota.

Currently Guangzhou Toyota has a capacity of 200,000 vehicles, but it plans to sell 210,000 vehicles in 2008. Specifically, Guangzhou Toyota expects to sell 175,000 Camry vehicles and 35,000 Yaris vehicles, a compact sedan which is to be produced in Guangzhou Toyota's second plant by mid-2008.

In November, Chinese authorities have approved Guanghou Toyota's plan to build a second plant in Guangzhou. The total capacity of Guangzhou Toyota, after the completion of the second plant, will reach half a million units annually.

Toyota Yaris, a popular compact car throughout the world, will start production in Guangzhou Toyota in the middle of this year. Yaris' sister model, Toyota Vios produced at FAW-Toyota will be launched in Chinese market in the first quarter this year.

The new Toyota Yaris has achieved best safety performance in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests. It has been awarded a 5 star safety rating and 35 points for adult protection, the company announced on its Ireland website.

The Yaris body structure has been developed using Toyota's Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS) technology which effectively disperses the energy of frontal or side impacts through the body in order to divert it away from the passenger cell and minimize cabin deformation.

Apart from safety features, Toyota Yaris has met the most stringent EU-IV emission standards.

The compact hatchback to be launched in Chinese market later this year will come in two versions based on different displacement: a 1.3L engine and a 1.5L engine. And the model will be priced at a range of 60,000 yuan to 80,000 yuan ($8,000-$10,000).

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