Toyota Argentina now also sells trucks and buses

The new president of Toyota Argentina, Gustavo Salinasushered in its new role with the incorporation of the Hino truck and bus brand into what is now the country’s largest carmaker.

Hino is part of the Toyota group of Japan and has been present in Argentina since 2016, as an independent subsidiary, with five owned dealerships selling small trucks (300 series) and medium (500 series), Which ones are they assembled in Colombia and imported from that country, with which Argentina has a Tariff preference. Now the vehicles will be imported from Toyota Argentina.

“We are taking a very important step to consolidate the Hino brand in our country, developed on two fundamental pillars: quality and after-sales service,” Salinas said in a statement.

An important fact is why the Hino trucks will now be imported under the aegis of Toyota Argentina: the automaker, which aims to produce 167,000 Hilux and SW4 pickups this year, has in its favor a large balance of dollarsproduct of export nearly 70% of that volume.

Part of this balance is used to import vehicles that complement the brand’s offering, such as cars Toyota Corolla, Yaris and Etiosas well as those of the luxury brand boiled.

But in the automotive industry there is a saying, never disproved, that “small car, small business; big car, big deal“And the biggest of these businesses are trucks. Now Toyota Argentina will also be responsible for a division of Heavy vehicles.

The Hino network in Argentina consists of five dealerships, which Toyota sources say will continue as an independent distribution network.

The Japanese brand is currently number one in the country in both production and export of vehicles, as in sales to the internal market. In 2021 the Toyota plant in the city of Zárate produced 145,000 vehicles, equal to 33% of the production of the sector as a whole. This year the company is facing an expansion of its production capacity, to produce 167,000 units per year.

In domestic sales, the Toyota brand was also number one in 2021, with 73,500 units and a share of 20.7%, to which it added a small share (in units, but not in profitability) with 220 imported Lexus. from Japan.