Toyota into cheaper used imports

Toyota New Zealand has moved into the lower end of the Japanese used import market with the launch of a programme it calls Toyota Certified Imports.

The company already has its Signature Class programme, which imports used vehicles from Japan that are less than seven years old and with fewer than 80,000 kilometres on the clock. These vehicles undergo a full refurbishment at TNZ’s Thames facility before being sold through the Toyota dealer network.

Now TNZ has added to this with the Toyota Certified Imports (TCI) scheme which will cater for vehicles that are older and with higher mileages.

But the vehicles will still be inspected and selected by expert buyers in Japan, will have their odometers independently certified as being correct, will meet full safety compliance requirements , and will undergo servicing and refurbishment as required at Thames - but not to the same level as the Signature Class product.

The whole point of the TCI scheme is to cater for customers seeking affordable second-hand vehicles without compromising on quality, says Andrew Davis, TNZ’s general manager of used vehicles and marketing.

"By purchasing directly from us, the importer, and not an intermediary site, consumers can sleep easy knowing we’ve done the hard work in terms of quality assurance," he adds.

"We’ve been selling used vehicles for more than 20 years, and with the launch of Toyota Certified Imports we’re making it more affordable to receive the added value and benefits ownership."

Toyota still expects to be a relatively small player in the second hand import market, which last year numbered 150,000 vehicles.

Depending on age and distance travelled the TCI vehicles will sell from as little as $8990. It is expected the most popular models will be the Prius, Hiace, Wish, Ist and Mark X.