Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) bid farewell to outgoing president Hiroshi Ito with a special presentation, lauding his many achievements during his term, at the Toyota Media Thanksgiving party last week. This was promptly followed with the speech of their new president Michinobu Sugata, who, with much optimism, sees an even more progressive future for the company.

There’s reason for the bright outlook as Toyota has once again reached another milestone last Dec. 7, 2009 with cumulative sales topping 600,000 units since the start of its operations in 1988.

This is bolstered by a new year-end sales record in 2009 of 46,000 units, the highest the company has ever sold in its 21-year history in the local market.

This has allowed Toyota to once again achieve a triple crown, its 8th consecutive so far, by being the leader in over-all sales and both passenger cars and commercial vehicles segments.

According to the report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI), combined Toyota and Lexus sales reached 4,900 units for the month of December alone, the highest monthly sales for the year. This gives them a total of 46,193 units sold for the year, capturing 34.9 percent of the market.

Passenger cars sales totaled 17,237 units and commercial vehicles reached 28,956 units for the year. This includes 11,990 units of Vios and 10,328 units of Innova, two of the country’s best-selling and locally produced vehicles.

All the more incentive for Toyota to unveil its latest offerings for 2009. Leading this line-up is the Innova Sport Runner — a tougher version of the Innova commercial vehicle. Among its features is an improved sportier exterior.

The Innova SR features new overfenders, side skirts, a rear spoiler, a front fog lamp design similar to the G variant, 15” alloy wheels shod on wider 225 / 55 R15 tires and a Sport Runner badge.

The Innova SR comes in black and bronze exterior colors. It will be available in 2.5-liter diesel manual and automatic transmissions at P999,000 and P1,064,000 respectively.

The Vios and Fortuner gain a fresher and sportier image thanks to the introduction of the new TRD Vios and Fortuner Accessories. These TRD accessories are comprised of aero parts, suspension sets and alloy wheels that were made available in the Philippine market beginning December of 2009.

The TRD aero parts are made from high grade polyurethane (PUR) rubber, designed for flexibility and have been tested to withstand extreme weather conditions.

The TRD suspension sets lower the vehicle’s ride height, improving its appearance and also stability. The suspensions are designed with city driving in mind, improving handling characteristics without compromising riding comfort.

The Vios TRD aero parts package consists of the Front, Rear, Side Skirts, TRD Emblems and Muffler Cutter all for P93,500. The Vios TRD suspension set is priced at P49,500; and the Vios wheels package, consisting of 15” alloy wheels and TRD centre caps sell at P51,500.

Fortuner TRD accessories are also available in the same packages, the Fortuner TRD aero package comprises of the Front and Rear Skirts, Side Step Covers, Roof Spoiler, Muffler Cutter, TRD Stickers and TRD Emblems at P119,500. The Fortuner TRD suspension set sells at P47,300; while the 18” TRD alloy wheels set with centre caps is available at P110,700.