The Toyota Land Cruiser is arguably the most transcendent 4×4 in the world today. It is the longest running Toyota production vehicle, in the market since 1951. In Kenya, it’s a status symbol favored by the high and the might, simply known as the Land Cruiser V8.
The Lexus RX is popular in Kenya and is well known for its close resemblance to the Toyota Harrier with which it shares a common heritage. Lexus introduced the RX in a bid to boost sales and offer competition to the SUV market that was heavily dominated by German cars. It was released alongside the Toyota Harrier which targeted the Japanese Domestic Market while the RX targeted the North American market where it became an instant hit. It competes with the BMW X5, VW Touareg, Mercedes M-Class, Audi Q5, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo XC60.
The Toyota Probox is a light commercial vehicle that was introduced to the Japanese market in mid 2002. A few years later, it connected well with Kenyan businessmen and it has been a best seller ever since. The name simply stands for Professional Box. It is largely the same as the Toyota Succeed save for minor differences.
The BMW 3 Series is a global icon that has been a best-selling premium car for decades serving as a benchmark in design, comfort and performance. The sixth generation 3 Series known as the F30 entered production in 2011 and has proven to be a hit thanks to its refreshed design and upgraded performance. It competes with the Mercedes Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Toyota Lexus lS, VW Passat, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Mark X.
The Toyota Prado is one of the top selling SUVs globally. It competes with the Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Pathfinder and the Ford Everest. The 2013 Toyota Prado falls in the J150 series that has been in production from 2009 to Present.
The Honda Fit is a 5 seater hatchback that has been in production since 2001. Its popularity in Kenya has been gaining steadily as more and more people are appreciating the quality and reliability of Hondas. Locally it competes with the Toyota Vitz, Mazda Demio and Nissan Tiida. It scores high marks in safety, comfort, reliability and fuel consumption. It is best suited for urban driving but can be used for long distance driving occasionally.
The Toyota Noah is a 7 to 8 seater van with sliding doors on both sides. It is a spacious and comfortable car that can carry up to 8 full sized adults and their luggage. The elevated, upright seats provide for a natural sitting position and are comfortable for long distance driving.
The Subaru Outback has been an all time favorite amongst Kenyans ever since it was introduced to this market back in 2004. In essence the Subaru Outback is the same as the Subaru Legacy save for suspension and engine variations. The Subaru Outback is a very capable off-road vehicle, a fact that is sometimes lost on a casual observer. On the tarmac, there are few station wagons that can keep pace with the Subaru Outback and off the tarmac, it can go toe-to-toe with the best 4x4s. It competes with the Audi Allroad and The Volvo XC70.