Toyota registers trademarks for 'Agya' and 'Wigo' in China

[ssun30]

http://www.sohu.com/a/295586923_347781

According to Sohu Auto, Toyota recently registered trademarks for the Agya and Wigo models in China. Most of us have never heard of these models. It is a badge-engineered Daihatsu Ayla city car for the Southeast Asian market. They are slightly larger than the Mira Kei car they are derived from and cost less than $10,000.

It's really weird why Toyota would introduce a Kei-sized car in China at this point. China has a very similar taste for cars as North America. Sales for city cars have been shrinking in the past five years. And in general city cars have grown in size to over 4m long (this thing is 3.6m). Now they do need to compete in the <¥100k ($15k) segment to reach 2 million units a year, but at these price points there are many dirt cheap indigenous models and it's pretty hard to get profit.

One interesting thing about this car is that Toyota Indonesia is developing a hot hatch version with a 200hp turbocharged engine. And this thing only weighs 800kg (1,800 lbs). It's crazy to think that if this thing ever goes into production it would have the second highest power-to-weight ratio in the entire TMC lineup after the RC-F Track Edition. Even if it only receives a standard 8NR-FTS it would still be a blast to drive.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

Worth noting is that, at present, the Toyota versions of the Daihatsu Ayla use both Agya (Indonesia and the Americas south of Mexico) and Wigo (Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brunei, and Vietnam) badging. The fact that Toyota trademarked both badges in China tells me that both GAC and FAW will be offering versions of this vehicle, akin to the dual C-HR/Izoa and Corolla/Levin arrangements.

According to Just-Auto, a second generation Ayla/Agya/Wigo will be unveiled towards the end of this year, although it might be next year given that the current model received a mid-life refresh on April 2017.

That second generation may also have some relevance for Europe. With Toyota and Peugeot Citroën agreeing to end their joint venture in the Czech Republic to build their Aygo/108/C1 city cars and Toyota taking over the facility in full on January 2021, we could see a version of this as a 3rd-gen Aygo.

 

[ssun30]

^^Is this car going to be based on the new DNGA platform? Also has Daihatsu developed its own equivalent of Dynamic Force? Or is it still using the refined ESTEC KR motors?

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

^^Is this car going to be based on the new DNGA platform? Also has Daihatsu developed its own equivalent of Dynamic Force? Or is it still using the refined ESTEC KR motors?

Excellent questions. I'm not even sure whether or not DNGA and a possible TNGA-A architecture are one and the same. I do remember reading somewhere that DNGA is a kei-class architecture "scalable up to a 1-liter class vehicle".

 

[spwolf]

^^Is this car going to be based on the new DNGA platform? Also has Daihatsu developed its own equivalent of Dynamic Force? Or is it still using the refined ESTEC KR motors?

dont expect those engines to get some high tech like D4S.

Perdua vehicles are very successful, they manage to sell Toyota at low prices, which Toyota never did well before.

Look up Perodua Myvi... if they can transfer what they did in Indonesia to China, it will be very successful.

 

[carguy420]

dont expect those engines to get some high tech like D4S.

Perdua vehicles are very successful, they manage to sell Toyota at low prices, which Toyota never did well before.

Look up Perodua Myvi... if they can transfer what they did in Indonesia to China, it will be very successful.

Here in Malaysia our roads are flooded with Peroduas, mostly driven by pensioners and impatient young people :laughing:, hence a lot of stereotypes.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Here in Malaysia our roads are flooded with Peroduas, mostly driven by pensioners and impatient young people :laughing:, hence a lot of stereotypes.