Toyota has taken the wraps off two futuristically styled concepts designed specifically for the Chinese market.
Unveiled at the 2013 Shanghai auto show, the Toyota Yundong Shuangqing II sedan (middle) and the Toyota FT-HT Yuejia MPV (top and bottom) both preview new production models from the Japanese automotive giant that will be sold exclusively in China in the coming years.
Toyota says the Yundong Shuangqing II concept is equipped with a hybrid system that is still under development at the Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing R&D Centre in Changshu, China.
The car maker explains the word ‘Yundong’ means “movement upon clouds” – Toyota’s current corporate slogan in China intended to convey an image of innovation, dynamism and eco-friendliness – while ‘Shuangqing’ translates to “dual support”, signifying the concept’s twin petrol and electric power sources.
The FT-HT Yuejia is a six-seat concept designed to appeal to young Chinese customers. The word ‘Yuejia’ expresses the notion of a “happy family”.
Toyota has kept other details of the concepts, including specifics about their powertrains and production timelines, close to its chest for now.
Toyota Motor Corp vice chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada said the concepts, which mark 50 years of Toyota vehicles in China, were symbolic of the company’s pursuit of continued growth for the next half-century.
“Toyota exported its first Toyota Crown to China in 1964. Since then, for 50 years, Toyota has constantly interacted with its Chinese customers and partners and pondered deeply about what it should do to be of service to the country of China,” Uchiyamada said.
“Over the next 50 years, we, as the ‘China Toyota’ firmly rooted in this country, will work closely together and do our best to be of service to the development of China, to local society and to our customers.”
