Toyota Australia axes TRD brand
December 19, 2008 by George Skentzos
Toyota Australia has pulled the plug on its TRD performance brand, citing the current global financial crisis as the determining factor.
Just 888 TRD vehicles have been delivered since the brand was established in Australia, with the last model set to roll off the production line on March 31, 2009.
The TRD Aurion accounted for 537 of this total since it was first launched 16 months ago, while the TRD HiLux sold 351 units in a much shorter space of time.
“Toyota has a responsibility to ensure its core business activities, and the people who rely on them, are protected for the long term,” said David Buttner, senior executive director Toyota Australia.
All TRD owners will be covered by Toyota’s new-vehicle warranty and the company would continue to supple parts in order to meet its legal obligations.
“Toyota made a significant financial commitment to TRD vehicle conversion and clearly understood short-term profitability was unlikely,” Mr Buttner said.
All employees involved in the TRD performance branch will be located to a new role within Toyota.
Print it: 
“Joe Says:
December 20th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
BTW my G6ETurbo is going like a dream and whenever I see an Aurion TRD(which isn’t very often) the envious looks that my car gets from the TRD drivers just reassures me that I made the right decision and so did Ford with the FG. ”
The only look I will give Ford drivers is one of pity, knowing that in 5 years their car will be a heap of junk while my car is still going fine.
Obviously prices had to be kept as low as possible with a high performance brand and that’s why they chose the locally produced Aurion and the Thai Hilux (with which we have a free trade agreement with).
The suggestion of a Yaris or Corolla TRD is pure nonsense and would have seen ridiculous price inflations which would have resulted in this inevitable demise in such unfavourable economic conditions for Australian firms.
This was purely an economic-based decision so get over that junk about crap cars and Ford rules or Holden rules.
yeh, not the best market to try against, but they’re a damn good car company, just look at the figures. I think a TRD rav or corolla would have been better. better luck next time
As others have said, a FWD TRD Aurion with that much power is a waste of time. If it were AWD I think sales would have been muuuuuch higher.
As for the TRD Hilux, it’s a very specific target market and you really can’t expect it to keep on selling like hotcakes.
They should have brought back Celica GT4!!!
Good Riddance to a half baked insult thrust upon the Australian car buying public.. Mountains of marketing dollars didn’t fool anyone – except “Sour Grapes”.
“Sour Grapes” A few words of advice; You need to get out of your TuRD before it’s value goes the same way as the unloved Magna’s and 380’s. Your car is very ordinary and will never be a collectable. You were brave but foolish.