WINDHOEK - Every Thursday is Throwback Thursday (TBT) but today, Woema is taking you back to the astonishing and lovable Toyota Tazz 160i, which is still running and in a good condition.
Despite ending its lifecycle in 2006 in South Africa, one can say some of the Toyota Tazz’s are still thriving on the local market, and surprisingly they becoming more popular every day, especially those that underwent a facelift.
When the Toyota South Africa launched the first Tazz brand a decade ago, it was regarded as a successor of the Toyota Conquest 1300. According to research, the Tazz was the most sold brand out of the Toyota stable.
On top of this, many Namibians were enthralled with the Toyota Tazz when it debuted locally offering brand new features.
But today there are still those that brag about their Toyota Tazz, describing it as a reliable car that can take you everywhere refuses to age.
Jake Nghishongwa, one of the diehard fans of the Toyota Tazz 160i, still makes use of it and describes it as an untouchable and easy to drive vehicle. He says the best aspect about a Toyota Tazz is its fuel consumption. “The fuel consumption is really great because with a full tank you can go up to two weeks, no matter how you are driving it. Compared to my other car, which is a bakkie, the fuel consumption is unbeatable,” says Nghishongwa.
He added that the services of the vehicle has also become cheaper, which only cost him on average at least N$1 500 per year, compared to his other car where he spends more than N$4 600 for services. Elaborating about driving it on the road, he said the Tazz is quite efficient and does not give him problems as long as all the old parts are replaced.
The History of the Toyota Tazz
According to Wikipedia, in October 1996 an entry-level model called the Toyota Conquest Tazz appeared. The model had a very low equipment level, originally only available with a four-speed manual and missing things such as a rear windshield wiper or a cigarette lighter – however, the Tazz received a twin-tip exhaust and body coloured bumpers.
A five-speed became available three years later. From October 2000 the car received a light facelift with a more ovoid front-end treatment and the name was changed to simply Toyota Tazz.
The Toyota Tazz continued to be built until July 5, 2006. The first version of the Tazz was only offered with a 1300 cc engine, while the facelifted version offered two models: 130, and 160i. Power was 55 kW (75 PS) and 79 kW (107 PS) respectively, same as for the Conquest/Corolla from September 1993 on.
The Conquest and Corolla were also available in the 1.8 liter models at the beginning of September 1993; this replaced the earlier 1.6 Twin Cam in the Conquest and was available in a number of equipment levels in the Corolla (sedan), from GL to the mildly sporting GSX.