MATT CALLACHOR

PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA is one of the most open automotive markets in the world, with more than 60 brands for us to choose from.

But Toyota makes a mockery of all that. It has trampled on both Ford and Holden to gain and sustain market leadership. In 2017 it finished number one for the 15th straight year and nearly doubled its closest competitor, Mazda.

It is the elephant in the room. It has the biggest dealer network, the most complete and popular range of vehicles, the most generous advertising and marketing spend of any brand and an undoubted ability to sway the market.

“It sets the trend,” says one seasoned industry observer. “The rest sit on their hands until Toyota sets the pricing for a new model. That’s what happens when you are the industry leader.”

Like Holden and Ford, Toyota has given up its manufacturing ability and become a national sales company. It has added to that complexity by closing down its marketing and sales operations in Sydney and centralised in Melbourne. A generation of talented leaders have abandoned the ship.

So, step forward Toyota lifer Matt Callachor. While vanilla in his dealings with the press, unlike charismatic predecessors such as John Conomos, he is highly rated by those in the know.

Does a new era signal the end of Toyota’s dominance and a fundamental change in the market, or will Callachor and his team maintain the status quo?