On December 11, 2003, Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd and Toyota Motor Corporation announced plans to launch a small car and open up a new segment in the Indonesian automobile market. The small car in question is the sister MPV Daihatsu Xenia and also the Toyota Avanza. How much did it cost then?
Developed concurrently, Avanza and Xenia will be sold under their respective brands. The collaboration between the two is established to produce cars with good performance, quality and sold at affordable prices. At that time, Xenia and Avanza were presented with elegant external appearances and comfortable interiors for their time.
Toyota and Daihatsu have invested $90 million to work on the project. The low-slung twin minivan, now dubbed the car of a million people, packs a compact body with a length of 4 meters and three rows in the rear. With this in mind, Avanza can accommodate up to seven guests.
The Avanza and Xenia were also developed with new high-performance engines, and they didn’t miss the efficient use of fuel. At the time there were two engine options presented namely the 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre. The 1.0-liter engine type is presented in Xenia. Then there’s also a suspension system that adds ride comfort and more stable handling.
As mentioned above, Avanza and Xenia will be positioned at affordable prices. Do you still remember how much this first sister car made by Daihatsu and Toyota cost? The Toyota Global page states that Xenia and Avanza will be positioned at prices below IDR 100 million (OTR Jakarta) including taxes.
In detikOto’s record, when the Toyota Avanza first came out, the price was released with a tag of Rp. 89.5 million for type E and Rp. 99.5 million for the G-type. The car was produced at the PT Astra Daihatsu Motor plant and sold under the banner of PT Astra International and PT Toyota Astra Motor.
Both Toyota and Daihatsu are quite confident with the car. Even at that time, cars were believed to be competitive in the global market. Along with AI and TAM’s expertise in vehicle sales. That self-confidence has paid off. Up to now, both are still quite leaders in the Low MPV segment. Sales of Avanza often fill the list of best-selling cars in Indonesia as well.
Watch a video “Why does the Toyota Avanza get the nickname of a million people’s car?“
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
(dry/din)
