Shanghai Auto Show: Toyota Solves Island Problem In China, Attemts To Get Back Share With Low-Cost M

The booths of Japanese auto brands were crowded today just like those of any other brands at the Shanghai Motor Show. The situation at the showrooms is slightly different. Sales of Japanese vehicles in China stay risky more than half a year after noisy crowds took to the streets last September to incinerate Japanese vehicles and showrooms. Sales of Japanese models in China were low 14.3 % in March while sales of U.S. auto brands were up 31.1 %. Sales of German carmakers rose 24.6 %.

Toyota is not expecting to get positive place until August this year, Hiroji Onishi, president of Toyota’s China operations, informed few reporters this morning at the Shanghai show.

Onishi informed there are “other problems” that hold his company back from recouping lost market share. These issues are a lack of fresh and interesting product. Toyota wishes to get back in the good graces of Chinese customers with revamped variants of the low-cost Vios sedan and its Yaris hatchback clon. The approximately $14,500 models aren’t low-cost enough to compete with the $9,000 Chevrolet Sail. Onishi informed the Daewoo-based model was the only low cost car that so far has made a boom in China.