The new KINTO Unlimited subscription service upends the notion that the latest cars must be expensive. Behind the service lies a change in Toyota’s approach to carmaking. On January 10, as the latest-model Prius went on sale in Japan, a monthly subscription service announced by KINTO stole the spotlight. With the new KINTO Unlimited service, Prius U grade packages start at 16,610 yen per month (incl. tax)*¹. Amid soaring inflation, the monthly cost ends up 10% cheaper than standard pricing*².
*1 2WD, standard interior specifications, with no additional options, when using the seven-year lease plan with no initial payment and added bonus payments of 165,000 yen (incl. tax)
*2 Comparison with the KINTO contract for the S Touring Selection Black Edition, priced at the same level as the U grade among previous Prius models
The new Prius U grade, offered only through the KINTO Unlimited service. Find more information about the KINTO Unlimited service at the end of the article. One of the service’s key features is the fact that it offers both software and hardware upgrades. For example, popular factory-fitted options such as a are normally available only at the time of purchasing a new car. However, Toyota’s Upgrade Ready Design factors much of the retrofitting work into the vehicle’s construction, simplifying labor-intensive tasks to make upgrades feasible.
In the future, the service will also support new items that come out with annual improvements. “Focusing only on selling cars limits our ability to make major innovations in order to meet the increasingly diverse and complex needs of our users,” says KINTO President Shinya Kotera. As his comment suggests, the new service was backed by changes in Toyota’s manufacturing genba. toyota.it
