Toyota Vietnam announces production recovery plan

The automaker’s production will rise up to 70 per cent of its plant capacity from June 6, and will be fully recovered from July 4 onwards. The company said production at its factory in the northern province of Vinh Phuc will be rearranged and vehicle delivery will also improve.

Earlier, Toyota Vietnam alongside other Toyota affiliates in the Asian and Oceania region saw its production sharply contracted as spare parts supply from its parent firm in Japan was seriously impacted by the earthquake and tsunami there.

TMV, the leading automaker in Vietnam, mainly imports car engines from Japan.

Akito Tachibana, president of Toyota Vietnam, said in a statement, “Toyota Motor Vietnam is trying to bring its production back to normal and to deliver vehicles to our customers at the earliest possible time.”

The automaker’s plant has a designed capacity of some 30,000 units per year. In the first four months of this year, it sold 10,190 units, up 12 per cent year-on-year.

TMV has launched the new Land Cruiser Prado 2011 that is distributed officially as a CBU vehicle through its dealer network nationwide.

As a member of the Land Cruiser family, the Prado has inherited the core values of this sport utility vehicle (SUV) line.

Like its brother Land Cruiser 200, the Prado has a large and sturdy body typical of a traditional SUV. However, the Prado is slightly smaller overall, which helps improve its agility in narrow city roads.

The Prado is equipped with an inline-4, 16-valve, DOHC, VVT-I, 2.7-liter gasoline engine, which churns out a maximum output of 161 Hp and a maximum torque of 246 Nm, matching with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an electric transfer case.

The Prado has a combined fuel consumption of 12.5 litres per 100 km in standard test conditions and can reach a maximum speed of 165 km/h.

The product is now officially provided by TMV through its dealer network all over the country in black and silver at VND1.923 billion ($92,753), including VAT.

This model arrived early in Vietnam through unofficial distribution channels and has achieved an enviable position in the premium mid-size SUV segment.