Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s sports car division, is convinced that they need a fast, high-performance SUV. Currently, they only offer high-speed sedans and hatchbacks.
Tomoya Takahashi, President of Gazoo Racing Toyota, stated that the SUV market is currently growing. The introduction of a high-performance SUV from Toyota would significantly help Gazoo Racing expand its market.
“To expand the GR brand, perhaps an SUV is also necessary,” Takahashi said.
He mentioned that a high-performance SUV would change the existing concept. Many people still view SUVs as functional vehicles used for specific purposes, such as traversing rough terrains and overcoming certain obstacles.
According to Tomoya Takahashi, a high-performance SUV would allow people to enjoy another aspect of this vehicle type.
“Some people end up using SUVs simply because they have families,” he explained.
However, Gazoo Racing has not yet prepared an SUV to fill this segment. Plans to introduce the Toyota Hilux GR have also been canceled.
It is possible that Gazoo Racing will prepare a high-performance SUV by leveraging the Lexus LBX Morizo RR concept car. This compact SUV is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine that delivers 224 horsepower and a maximum torque of 400 Nm.
This engine is the same as the one found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
“In the future, from my personal point of view, we do need a GR SUV,” said Tomoya Takahashi.
