Grande Savings
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 31, 2000
A discount of nearly $8,500 makes Toyota's flagship exceptional value, reports David Berthon.
Toyota's locally built flagship, the Vienta Grande V6, has been slashed in price by $8,450. After securing the remaining factory stock of 1999-build 3.0 sedans, Chatswood Toyota has marked them down to $38,990.
At the pinnacle of the Camry range, the highly equipped Vienta Grande automatic has been long regarded as a one of the best Australian-made cars in terms of quality and refinement.
Its somewhat conservative appearance conceals a value-packed prestige sedan. The discounted price makes it exceptional value.
Specification is extensive - dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning, full power equipment, sunroof, alloy wheels, cruise control, engine immobiliser and remote central locking.
Full leather trim, detailed instrumentation and a CD player complete its comfort and convenience items.
Yet the Vienta Grande sells in relatively small numbers compared with its V6 Camry stablemate.
Sales of both the Grande and the lesser specified Vienta VXi sedan and wagon have softened this year, running at least 40 per cent below last year's level.
Toyota is believed to have scaled back on Vienta production ahead of the mid-year launch of its larger 3.0 V6 Avalon sedan. The Avalon, also locally built, is aimed at taking a slice of the larger Commodore and Falcon market.
Toyota is concerned about the Avalon cannibalising Camry sales and will differentiate the Vienta models with higher specifications.
Local V6 Camry sales may have slowed, but interest from the Middle East continues to grow - last month Toyota exported 5,149 Camrys with another 1,380 leaving as completely-knocked-down packs.
Chatwood Toyota also has taken the axe to 2.0-litre Spacia people-movers. These are now $26,990 drive-away - a $9,314 discount on the normal on-road price of $36,304.
Features on the eight-seaters include dual airbags, power steering, front power windows and height adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel.
Drive a bargain
2000 Holden Commodore VT S Pack sedan
$32,888 plus dealer delivery and government statutory costs
McGrath Holden, Sutherland and Liverpool
3.8-litre V6, four-speed automatic. Driver's airbag, air-conditioning, cruise control, FE2 suspension, central locking, power windows and mirrors, trip computer, body kit and spoiler, trip computer, driver's seat and steering wheel height adjustment. Save $3,412 on rrp.
2000 Kia Carnival seven-seat people-mover
4.95 per cent interest for approved customers and five-year warranty
Hornsby Kia
Until 6 pm Sunday, April 2.
1999 Holden Frontera five-seater 4WD wagon
$31,990 plus dealer delivery and government statutory costs
United Holden, Lakemba
3.2-litre V6, five-speed manual. Air-conditioning, central locking, power steering, windows and mirrors, driver's seat height adjustment, split-folding rear seat. Save $4,720 on rrp.
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald
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