by Trish Whelan. The new Toyota Aygo A segment car, produced as a joint venture with PSA Peugeot-Citroen, will be launched in Ireland in September, ahead of the launches of its sibling rivals.
Speaking at the European Press Launch in Rome, Toyota Ireland's marketing director Steve Tormey said that while the segment in Ireland is currently less than one percent of the market, he expects it to approach the European norm of 5 per cent in a few years.
Toyota Ireland expects to sell 1,000 units in a full year, with up to 130 sales expected from launch to the end of 2005.
The new plant in Kolin, Czech Republic, will have an eventual capacity of 300,000 units a year.
The Aygo when launched in Ireland will have a 1-litre 3-cylinder engine, three levels of specification, and an option of Toyota's MMT automated manual transmission with the top spec.
The target market for the car is focussed on the young driver, and Steve Tormey said it will provide an option for those who were buying fairly new secondhand cars or returned lease drive vehicles. A key selling point is a three-year manufacturer's warranty.
