Yes, Toyota Motor Corporation currently owns or holds significant stakes in several brands. In the UAE market, you can find vehicles from Toyota, Lexus, and Hino as core brands under its direct ownership. The group's structure is often more focused on strategic partnerships than outright ownership of all marques. For instance, Toyota spun off its Scion brand in 2016. The most significant recent change, highly relevant to the hot GCC SUV market, is that since early 2020, Toyota holds a 20% stake in Subaru's parent company, making them major strategic partners, not a simple parent-subsidiary relationship. Daihatsu remains a wholly-owned subsidiary but does not have a direct sales presence in the UAE.
Looking at total cost of ownership (TCO) in the UAE, a key metric for fleet managers, the perceived value differs. RTA Dubai's annual vehicle registration data consistently shows Toyota and Lexus among the top registered new passenger vehicles, indicating strong market trust. Financing costs, a major part of TCO, are influenced by models. For example, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser V6 has a high residual value, which can lead to lower effective annual depreciation and favorable loan terms from UAE banks, as noted in general market analyses by the UAE Central Bank regarding asset-backed lending.
| Brand | Relationship to Toyota (as of 2024) | Common Models in UAE Showrooms |
|---|
| Lexus | Wholly-owned luxury division. | LX, GX, RX, ES |
| Hino | Wholly-owned commercial vehicle division. | Trucks & Buses |
| Daihatsu | Wholly-owned subsidiary (not sold in UAE). | N/A |
| Subaru | Strategic alliance partner (20% stake by Toyota). | Forester, Outback |
- Core UAE brands: Toyota, Lexus, Hino.
- Strategic partner: Subaru (Toyota holds 20% stake).
- Discontinued/not in UAE: Scion (discontinued), Daihatsu (not sold here).
