Toyota Motor cut prices on its entry-level hybrid vehicle in Thailand and resumed electric car sales as the Japanese automaker scrambles to defend market share against surging Chinese competitors.
The Yaris ATIV hybrid sedan will retail for 729,000 baht ($22,379), representing a 60,000 baht reduction from the Yaris Cross hybrid that previously served as Toyota’s most affordable hybrid option in the Thai market. Toyota aims to sell 20,000 units in the vehicle’s inaugural year from its Chachoengsao province assembly plant.
The pricing move reflects mounting pressure on Toyota’s Thailand operations, where the company has historically dominated but now faces aggressive competition from Chinese automakers led by BYD. Japanese brands controlled roughly 90% of Thailand’s auto market traditionally, but that share dropped to 71% in the first five months of 2025 while Chinese brands captured 16% market share.
BYD claimed more than one-third of Thailand’s pure electric vehicle market in 2024, securing the top sales position as the company leveraged Thailand as a springboard for broader Southeast Asian expansion. The Chinese automaker’s success has forced Toyota to reconsider its hybrid-heavy strategy in a market increasingly tilting toward full electrification.
Toyota’s latest hybrid launch comes as the company prepares to introduce an electric Hilux pickup truck in Thailand by year-end, marking a broader strategic shift to counter Chinese EV momentum in its Southeast Asian stronghold.
