The Toyota Road Trek 19 is a showcase of the brand’s multi-pathway approach

The past few years have been very eye opening for Japanese automakers. Even Toyota, the world’s largest automaker by vehicle sales volume is feeling the threats of growing Chinese competition which offer more tech, modern features, and an electrified focus at lower price points.

The Japanese automaker isn’t resting on its laurels though, and we’ve learned so much about how it plans to maintain its lead, especially during and at the sidelines of the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) 2025. The brand’s key? Its multi-pathway approach.

READ | More Than Just Cars: How Toyota’s multi-pathway approach is shaping its future in mobility

Basically, this approach to the market will allow them to reach more customers by offering more diverse options from their most common internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Most of these are already available here in our market.

And we truly realized this not only when the brand participated at the 10th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) last June, but also at the annual Toyota Road Trek, a drive for multiple local media publications and content creators, showcasing almost their entire product lineup.

And this year’s edition held in beautiful Cebu truly showed where Toyota Motor Philippines is now at when it comes to the multi-pathway approach, having us drive multiple models from different market segments, from pure internal combustion engined off-road and workhorse vehicles, to electrified crossovers, and even higher-end luxury offerings from its Lexus division.

From the Toyota Danao, Cebu Service Center to the Cebu Safari and Adventure Park, we were able to drive the Toyota RAV4 2.5 LTD HEV CVT which was launched locally a few months ago, then the soon-to-be-launched Toyota Land Cruiser FJ in its entry-level TX form all the way to the Kandaya Resort, close to the northern tip of mainland Cebu.

The first leg of the drive really showed how far the brand has come when it comes to its HEV offerings. The RAV4, growing from a small compact crossover to what is now considered premium in our market, with a smooth hybrid powertrain and large amounts of cabin space, is now an embodiment of the brand’s latest technology and design philosophies.

The Land Cruiser FJ TX shows how Toyota is not leaving the internal combustion engine and enthusiasts behind, giving the market one modular vehicle that is designed to be customizable while still being practical and capable as an SUV should be.

Who can forget the latest Toyota Hilux which we got in-depth with. There’s the mid-grade 2.8 G 4×2 A/T and top-spec Conquest 4×4 variant. With the tried-and-tested 1GD-FTV turbodiesel powertrain, it meets not only the needs of those who need a reliable workhorse, but also those who want a pickup truck for daily drives.

It may not be completely new, but the latest generation changes things up where they matter most, especially in the design and tech departments, while keeping things familiar where change really isn’t needed.

A quick spin with the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail also showcased how the brand is able to balance luxury and capability in one package. Its steep price tag may not be for those who like to play off the beaten path, but look at other areas and you can see how every detail has been thought of very well.

This year’s Toyota Road Trek certainly shows the full force of the brand’s multi-pathway approach with different kinds of vehicle offerings for different segments. The affordable and popular budget-friendly models like the Wigo, Vios, Avanza, Raize and more were not with us, nor were BEVs like the bZ4X and Urban Cruiser, but it was easy to tell that there is indeed a Toyota and Lexus for everyone.

Toyota’s multi-pathway approach is certainly going strong, and the Japanese automaker knows that pushing for only one thing is not the right way, and the only way to keep its foothold on the global market is to cater to everyone and everything. 

_{Photos by Julian Panlilio}