The Toyota Vitz has been an impactful car in the Kenyan market. We credit it as being the first subcompact to achieve commercial success and widespread adoption in this market. Of course there were others before it such as the Toyota Starlet and the VW Polo but these never impacted the market the way the Vitz did.
Toyota Vitz receives a lot of love and hate on the streets, especially on Kenyan roads. There are some negative stereotypes surrounding it which paint a bad picture of the car. However, the Toyota Vitz is a very reliable hatchback. It has steadily improved over the years to become a highly sort-after car for drivers looking for an economical and practical car. Additionally, the Toyota Vitz ranks highly among its competitors in the market such as the Nissan Note, Mazda Demio and VW Polo.
The Toyota Crown is an executive Japanese saloon that is built to rival the world’s best luxury cars. It has a high degree of refinement not common in Japanese cars and it obviously targets an upscale clientele. It competes with the Lexus LS, Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Jaguar XF and Nissan Fuga. In Kenya, the Toyota Crown has historically not been as popular as the Mercedes and BMW but in recent years, it’s popularity has been on the rise.
The Subaru Legacy is a Japanese automobile that features a symmetrical all-wheel-drive system as standard across all grades. It’s the same as the Subaru Outback in all aspects except the suspension which in the Outback has been raised for off-road performance. The Subaru Legacy is offered both as a station wagon and saloon. The station wagon is known as the Touring Wagon while the saloon is known as the B4. The Legacy competes with the Audi A4, VW Passat, Toyota Mark X, Nissan Teana, Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 Series and the Mazda 6.
The Honda CR-V is medium sized SUV that strikes a perfect balance between luxury and economy. It competes with the Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4, Land Rover Freelander, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander and VW Tiguan. In this group the Honda CR-V is rated highly in safety, comfort and reliability.
The Toyota Harrier is a mid sized SUV sold exclusively in Japan since 1998 and sold in other markets as the Lexus RX. It competes with the Nissan Murano, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, Mercedes M Class and Toyota Vanguard. Both the Harrier and the Lexus RX are sold in Kenya as imports from other markets.
The Mazda Axela is medium sized hatchback and saloon that is manufactured in Japan by Mazda . It was introduced to the market in 2004 and is now in its third generation. It competes with the Subaru Impreza, Nissan Tiida, VW Golf, and Toyota Auris. In markets outside Japan, its sold as the Mazda3.
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.