Whereas a motorcar is many issues to many individuals, Toyota president and CEO Koji Sato is firmly of the opinion that vehicles must be satisfying. “A automobile will not be a automobile if it’s not enjoyable. That’s why we are going to by no means enable our vehicles to turn out to be commodities,” Sato stated, in accordance with Toyota in-house publication Toyota Instances.
In response to Sato, the time of “vehicles merely being bought by having higher (catalogue specs)” are gone, and concurred in response to an statement that the trade is seeing fewer vehicles that are thrilling and enjoyable to drive.
“We will not promote vehicles simply with mannequin updates, barely higher gas effectivity, or new designs. It comes right down to your ardour for making merchandise that transfer individuals’s hearts. In fact, sports activities vehicles have to be modern, however until that very same ardour will be present in different kinds of vehicles, you gained’t be capable to attain prospects,” Sato continued.
It’s that mindset which Sato intends to instil in every of Toyota’s undertaking groups. “That’s the Toyota I need to create, and I’ll proceed engaged on that this yr,” the Japanese producer’s president and CEO stated.
Sato took to the publish of president and CEO after his predecessor Akio Toyoda stepped down in April 2023after Toyoda had held the place since 2009.
Fans of fun-to-drive vehicles ought to be capable to take consolation in Sato’s place on what vehicles must be, provided that he succeeds Toyoda who’s a eager racer, having entered races such because the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2010 with the Lexus LFA and extra just lately below the Rookie Racing banner in a hydrogen-fuelled Corolla.
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