Are You Toyota PH’s Target Market For The New Corolla Cross?

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has recently launched the all-new Corolla Cross. The Japanese automaker’s latest offering is an answer to the current trend of people flocking towards SUVs or anything that resembles one. As of June 2020, SUVs account for 31 percent of the commercial vehicles segment.

Now, TMP doesn’t just showcase its latest vehicles during its new car launches. In fact, it can be argued that some of TMP’s most interesting topics during its exclusive media launches are the marketing presentations. With this in mind, how does the company intend to market the 2021 Toyota Corolla Cross?

“This crossover appeals to both men and women with a slight leaning towards us women. They want a crossover that looks good, drives well, and can handle their dynamic lifestyle from their day job on weekdays to their adventures on the weekends,” says Elijah Marcial, TMP Marketing Vice President. “They are forward thinkers who want to be part of the solution, so the fuel-saving self-charging hybrid technology will be a big plus!”

Looking at the chart provided in the presentation, these are the customers that Toyota is aiming for with the new Corolla Cross:

Sex: Female (53%)
Age: 33-45 years old
Marital Status: Marred (83%)
Household Income: P122,000/month
Occupation: Businesspersons/Self-Employed/Professionals

TMP also says that 88 percent of its target customers will use the 2021 Toyota Corolla Cross for self transportation from work or university, while 33 percent will use it to transport family members to and from work or school. In addition, the all-new Corolla Cross will also serve as regular movements for “empty nesters.”

Now, what’s the reason for its target customers to look for a crossover SUV? TMP says these are the following reasons:

1. 1. Business/work (60%)
   2. Vacation/leisure trips (45%)
   3. Increase in household members (18%)
   4. Larger seating capacity (for children/nearby relatives) (9%)

TMP also says that these customers are looking for a crossover SUV that looks good both inside and out, has great engine performance and excellent ride comfort. These customers also have a low priority for third-row seating but still want an SUV body type. As for their vehicle considerations? TMP says these customers typically cross-shop between the Honda CR-V, Toyota Fortuner, and Toyota RAV4 for their needs.

Available as both a hybrid and non-hybrid, the Toyota Corolla Cross has a starting price of P1,285,000 for the 1.8 G CVT and P1,650,000 for the 1.8 V Hybrid. It is certainly competitively priced, one that closely matches other rivals such as the Honda HR-V and a few Chinese offerings such as the Geely Azkarra. Toyota has achieved this since the Corolla Cross shares the same TNGA-C platform and hybrid powertrain as the Corolla Altis. The shared parts should also mean that parts should be abundant for both the Corolla Altis and Corolla Cross.