Thursday last week inside the luxury Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos marked another milestone in Nigeria’s competitive automotive business following the historic launch of the all-new 2.0-litre engine 2013 RAV 4 before many Toyota enthusiasts and car freaks who had gathered together to savour the hospitality offered by the brand 70 years after.
The latest model which debuted about 20 years ago is not new to both local and international markets. In his remark prior to the unveiling of the new generation Recreational Activity Vehicle (RAV 4), Michael Ade Ojo, OON, chairman, Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL), said that, the ultimate goal in this direction is to increase the options available to its customers in the SUV segment and generally stimulating healthy competition in the market place.
In the words of the TNL Chairman, “From its trendier exterior to the spacious interior design, the latest model will readily arouse in its freaks a driving pleasure that is unparalleled in its class. Indeed, it is a remarkable package of safety, comfort and performance in equal proportion.”
The all-new RAV 4 will not only fulfill customers mid-size SUV expectations, it will also give them value for their hard-earned money. It takes a bold step forward not only in the more appealing design statement, it is also more realistically priced.
For the board and management of Toyota Nigeria Limited, the drive to surpass the expectations of buying public at all times is what stimulates the 16-year-old manufacturer’s representative in the country to continually push the borderlines of technology to the benefit of all stakeholders in the industry.
The design brief for the new Toyota soft roader was to endow it with dramatic lines, a more mature interior and an engaging driving experience.
Even its proportions support the latter ideal, the new RAV4 being 205mm longer and 30mm wider than its predecessor, with the roofline lowered by 25mm. Those measurements increase cabin space too and Toyota has also been at work making the interior more pleasant to look at.
Explaining reasons for the constant introduction of state-of-the-art Toyota models at regular intervals, the company chairman fondly called Mr Toyota in industry circles said that, the move is a key part of corporate philosophy in Toyota (Nigeria) Limited.
This tradition of excellence BusinessDay gathered is informed by the company’s resolve as a responsive and proactive organisation to meet customers’ cravings for products and services that match current trends in the global and local markets.
As before, the RAV4 is offered in two trim levels, the former acting as the entry point and offering 17-inch alloys, seven airbags, rear park distance control and an audio system linked to Toyota’s touch-screen Multi Information Display and steering wheel controls.
Customers can choose the automatic gear transmission offered in leather options or cloth fabrics. The leather seats comes in heated upfront and electrically operated for the driver, dual-zone climate control, reverse camera, cruise control, keyless start and a powered tailgate.
Preceding the new generation RAV4 launch was a brief remark from Chandrasheker Thampy, managing director of Toyota Nigeria Limited who stated that, the passion for excellence is hinged on the fundamental belief of Toyota Motor Coproration (TMC) in the philosophy of KAIZEN which in Japanese parlance means continuos improvement.
“Our desire for continuos improvement results in each of our excellent products getting even netter. It is as a result of this that, we are today going to present the All New RAV4, a further upgraded version on the current model.” Chandrasheker Thampy said.
He maintained that no organisation in spite of whatever achievement it has recorded in the past can rest on its laurels or past glory, particularly when the environment in which it exists gets increasingly dynamic and sophisticated by the day. Toyota Nigeria he disclosed is always conscious of this progressive trend and are therefore always guided by its ‘Customer First Philosophy’ which ensures that it provides products and services that match contemporary tastes, be the global benchmark for the industry while simultaneously preparing for the future when standards are certain to go up even further
“Our desire for continuous improvement in all that we do is key to our progress and achievement and has for over a decade ensured our position at the head of automobile business in the country.” He stated. Present at the occasion were all the managing directors of all the accredited Toyota dealers in the country and guests from the corporate world.
MIKE OCHONMA
