About Yaris Cross Replace Rush, TAM: Not True

Toyota All-New Yaris Cross. (Doc. Toyota Astra Motor)

The latest crossover from Toyota, All-New Yaris Cross, was officially introduced by PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) on Monday, May 15.

Competing in the country's SUV segment, his presence also brought rumors that the Yaris Cross would later replace the Rush model, which has long filled the SUV market in Indonesia.

This rumor arose because the Toyota Rush had not yet received an update after the third generation who became the last model from 2017.

However, the rumors were denied by PT TAM Vice President Henry Tanoto. He said that his party never intended to replace the Rush model with Yaris Cross. Moreover, both of them have different SUV segment classes.

"Yes, this Cross is a new vehicle, not a replacement for Rush. In terms of segments it is also different, Yaris Cross is a medium 5-SEATER SUV segment. Meanwhile, Rush is a 7-SEATER SUV medium," Henry said during a question and answer session with reporters at the launch of the Toyota Yaris Cross in Kuningan, Jakarta.

Henry also added that this segmentation continues to grow so that Toyota wants to keep it. What's more, many competing manufacturers have made breakthroughs by releasing the latest SUVs in recent times.

"If we look at this segment, it is quite important. Therefore, we introduce Yaris Cross to provide options to customers in this segment," said Henry.

Toyota Yaris Cross was launched to become a competitor to several SUV models marketed in Indonesia, including Honda HR-V, Hyundai Creta, Chery Omoda 5, and Mazda CX-3.

For the Indonesian market, Toyota Yaris Cross comes in two variants, namely HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and gasoline engines. For the price, PT TAM confirmed that the price set was around Rp. 300 million to Rp. 400 million.