The Toyota Rangga concept has been revealed in Indonesia, previewing a versatile new single-cab bakkie. Here’s what we know about this boxy workhorse so far…
Meet the new Toyota Rangga, a versatile single-cab bakkie concept that the Japanese automaker plans to put into production at an as-yet-unconfirmed date.
Revealed at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2023, the “multi-purpose” show vehicle appears to be related to the IMV 0 Concept unwrapped in Thailand back in December 2022.
Unfortunately, as was the case with the IMV 0 Concept, technical details on the Rangga are frustratingly thin on the ground, so we don’t even have a firm idea of external dimensions, never mind payload capacity or engine options.
Still, Toyota interestingly used the show to demonstrate a number of potential conversion applications for the Rangga concept, including a mobile café, an ambulance, a mobile EV charging service and even a pace car, all based on the boxy single-cab bakkie.
Judging by the images, the Toyota Rangga – a nameplate initially used on a variation of the 4th-generation Kijang and further said to be inspired by the Javanese word for “hero” – employs a ladder-frame configuration, complete with leaf springs at the rear.
It’s not yet clear exactly when the Rangga will reach production, though some reports suggest it could be as early as 2024, with an initial market launch likely to take place in Thailand before the vehicle rolls out to other emerging markets, such as Indonesia. Whether or not such a model is on the cards for South Africa remains to be seen.
Separately, a recent report out of the United States claimed Toyota was mulling a Corolla-based bakkie . Of course, such a vehicle – which, in contrast, would be unibody in construction and pitched at recreational users – would be an entirely different prospect to the utilitarian Rangga.
Furthermore, earlier in 2023, as reported by IOL Motoring , Toyota SA Motors executives hinted at an upcoming model that could slot in below the Hilux and likely be built at the same factory in KwaZulu-Natal. As we’ve touched on before , however, we suspect this will end up being a prolonged-lifecycle version of the Hilux (a “Hilux Quest”, if you will) rather than an all-new model (or indeed a unibody half-tonner).
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