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This was sorely needed as competitors like Ford, Mazda and Nissan had already brought out this option.

"Our introductory model is the Smart Cab, which is designed and developed by Thai engineers from the Research and Development Centre of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering and Manufacturing, Thailand. We are confident that the Hilux Vigo Smart Cab will receive a warm welcome from our customers," president Mitsuhhiro Sonoda said yesterday.

The Smart Cab can open up 92 degrees. On the safety side, the Double Cap model is the first pickup to fully install newly developed safety technologies such as vehicle stability control, traction control and brake assist.

Features installed to increase comfort to the same level as a passenger car include cruise control, a six-way adjustable electric power seat and a leather package.

The exterior of the Vigo gets a new front grille, uni-colour front bumper and multi-reflector halogen headlamps. The new Vigo will cost Bt452,000 to Bt943,000. As of last month, sales of the Hilux Vigo had reached 615,897 units, while more than 503,217 units have already been shipped abroad.

"Our monthly sales target for the new Vigo for the remaining year is about 15,000 units. Of this 9,000 units will be the Smart Cab version. Many of our customers have held back their buying decision for the old Vigo since they got news of the new model. This will lead to high sales in the initial period of the launch," Sonoda said.

Toyota engineers said the main changes needed to convert the extended cab into the smart cab were body design and electrical wiring.

The new Vigo will make its next appearance in South Africa. The Smart Cab is only for sale in Thailand.

The company had decided to launch the new Vigo despite the political instability.