Toyota to drop 200 range from UK ?

[chadr]

Saw this mentioned on the "dark side" and was wondering whether anyone here has heard similar?

Apparently Toyota are going to drop the 200 series from the UK due to poor sales.

If sales are poor, then whilst the reasoning may be sound from a pure accounting POV, IMHO it would be mistake from a marketing and PR POV.

......hey, but then again what do I know!

 

[Gary Stockton]

Too expensive here really. If we could the GX version that would be great.

The new 2016 200 is being launched in Oz in October and looks really great I think. Lots of gizmos of course (like millimetre wave radar for collision avoidance) but very nice nonetheless. If I win the lotto ...

 

[Blown80]

Unfortunately it's no surprise and may well happen in other countries eventually.
IMHO I think they are slowly making it a redundant model by creating something many people don't want.
This can be seen in the latest sales figures here for July.
Of the 92,308 vehicles sold in July 2015 in Oz, only 783 were Landcruiser 200 series including all variants.
In comparison Toyota sold 1053 Prados, over 1300 Klugers, and over 1500 Rav4's.
I've been ranting on for years they need to tone down the gadgets and gizmos and give us back a practical, reliable, capable large 4wd that is also more affordable as a result. Do we need automatic high beam control? Seriously, can we not flick a switch anymore?
So in my view, the race to be the most techno-snazzy large 4wd has narrowed their market to a smaller audience, and will be the demise of the model. The only buyers who might prop it up a bit longer are the oil soaked Arabs.
Just my 2c.

 

[stumog]

I think the 200 is trying to catch up with the range rover which has its own following and the people that buy them do so to be seen in a Range. The 200 doesn't have the street cred of one so doesn't sell.

We need a Gx like Gary said. Nissan still make a 4.2 to patrol that is very basic for a reason. There is a market for these large basic 4x4.

Stu

 

[Ian Rubie]

I know the UK tax situation is different but in UAE you can get a new 200 for about £33k.

 

[Crispin]

Inevitable really in the UK. They cost 65k onwards and have no UK street cred People happily pay upwards of that for a Range Rover because it's "cool".
Toyota UK don't seem to sell many 4x4s any more. They cost a lot, the Rav4 starts from 22k and ends at 30k before added extras. Hyundai SUV start at £15k. Sure, it's not the same legendary vehicle as the Toyota stock but for 99% of drivers they don't care. "Oh, it comes with free breakdown cover? Ok, that's fine then".

There are hardly any 150s on the road as well. Not like the 90s or 120s from 10-15 years ago. The 150 is next on the cards in the UK I suspect. No market. Expensive but no I've-made-it-in-life factor.

Sales though seem to be good globally for the 200 - ISIL seem to like them for bombing runs. Click me (Guess you don't want to have sore kidneys from the SAS of a 70s before meeting your virgins...)

 

[AndyCook]

The mpg on the 200 is pretty poor and worse than figures on paper suggest



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[Gary Stockton]

2016 200 Series

https://youtu.be/9jyPCuhuu7I

 

[stumog]

I know the UK tax situation is different but in UAE you can get a new 200 for about £33k.

I keep looking at how cheap the used ones in SA at the moment are with the rand being so week. they start at around 25k when you cant see one here for much less then 38k when i had a quick look.

 

[GeekOKent]

This might also be the last 200 in the US. With toyota moving the govt worldwide sales to brokers instead of regional toyota outfits, thats another - maybe the most ? - lucrative part of the LC gone from regular sales channels.

In the US they sell the sequia quite hard, but totally at the affluent grandparents segment.

 

[Crispin]

2016 200 Series

https://youtu.be/9jyPCuhuu7I

hmmm - ATRAC 2016

I do like (and would have one if I could...)

 

[Crispin]

The mpg on the 200 4x4 range is pretty poor and worse than figures on paper suggest



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There - fixed that for you

 

[stumog]

I think the 200 is trying to catch up with the range rover which has its own following and the people that buy them do so to be seen in a Range. The 200 doesn't have the street cred of one so doesn't sell.

We need a Gx like Gary said. Nissan still make a 4.2 to patrol that is very basic for a reason. There is a market for these large basic 4x4.

Stu

 

[mrdelmonti]

I've read that it's not just UK that they dropping the 200 from the range, there are plans to drop it across Europe shortly after. I think the 200 is confused, it's neither a tough work horse with legendary reliability, or a "cool" showy car.

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[Towpack]

I think the 200 is trying to catch up with the range rover which has its own following and the people that buy them do so to be seen in a Range. The 200 doesn't have the street cred of one so doesn't sell.

We need a Gx like Gary said. Nissan still make a 4.2 to patrol that is very basic for a reason. There is a market for these large basic 4x4.

Stu

Maybe, on this line of thinking, Toyota may decide to start selling the 70 series in the UK/Europe?

 

[Gary Stockton]

That would be interesting. Single turbo V8 diesel in the wagon and troopy would be great 80 Series replacements even with leaf springs at the back and part-time 4wd.

 

[stumog]

I do keep looking in SA as the rand is so weak. The v8 d4d is a really good price and not much more then a good 100 series will set you back. Just not sure on the emission thing

 

[SimonD]

I posted on another thread after talking to exec at Toyota. The UK strategy is hilux not land cruiser. Even when land rover drops Defender.

 

[Paddler Ed]

I posted on another thread after talking to exec at Toyota. The UK strategy is hilux not land cruiser. Even when land rover drops Defender.

The problem is is that the Land Cruiser in the UK has never really been a rival to Land Rover; the Series Land Rovers have really had the market to themselves until the 1980's and the start of the arrival of the Bedford KB (who else remembers those?! There's one in South Shropshire that seemed to be hanging together by the thinnest thread...) and the Hi Lux; after that the 90/110/130/Defender took over the mantle and carried on offering a bit more than the Toyota offering did. Don't forget at that time there were limits as to how many cars could be imported from Japan at that time, hence Sunderland building the Micra and Swindon building the Accord...

In contrast, the 60 was only really competing with the early Range Rovers, and then the 80 upped the game a bit, but so did the RR P38... leaving the Discovery to compete a bit with the Collie and cheaper 80 series.

Would it have been any difference if there had been the 70 series commercial range? I'm not sure, I think that the numbers sold would have been so marginal, and whilst they hold their money well, they were a bit of the great unknown to many of the car buying public, and if you were in one of the rural areas where it might be 50mins to get to the main stealer because the garage at the end of the road didn't know these funky Japanese vehicles, but knew the LR intimately because it was always in and everyone had them... which would you choose?

 

[GeekOKent]

We need a Gx like Gary said. Nissan still make a 4.2 to patrol that is very basic for a reason. There is a market for these large basic 4x4.

Stu

Didnt nissan stop selling the patrol in the UK a few years back?