Toyota has taken to Twitter to announce that it would be pulling the plug on a number of JDM models, with no immediate replacements planned.
The first models set to be phased out are the Porte/Spade twins, which will be taken out of showrooms early this month. The compact minivan was first introduced in July 2004, while the second generation model appeared eight years later. The Porte was sold through Toyota and Toyopet dealerships, while the Spade, which has a slightly different design, was available through the automaker’s Corolla and Netz dealer network.
Next to be discontinued is the Prius α (or Alpha), which is basically a Prius in MPV form. The model, which is also known as the Prius V and Prius+ in overseas markets, joined the Prius family nine years ago and is sold in five- and seven-seat variants in its home market. When Toyota introduced an all-new fourth-generation Prius in 2015, there was no sight of the Alpha. It was rather strange given the fact that sales for the hybrid people carrier have been strong since its inception with more than 428,400 units sold in Japan as of 2016.
Apart from the Porte/Spade twins and the Prius Alpha, Toyota has also confirmed that it would end production of the Premio/Allion compact sedan twins. Both the Premio and Allion made their debut in 2001 as the successor to the Corona and Carina. The second generation model came in 2007 and has been in the market since, receiving only two facelifts in that period time. The Premio is available through the Toyopet dealerships while the Allion can be purchased from a Toyota store. Like the Prius Alpha, the Premio/Allion twins are expected to hang on until March 2021. However, the Allion nameplate will continue to be used by the long-wheelbase version of the Corolla in China. The model was developed by the FAW-Toyota joint venture and slots between the Corolla and the Camry.
