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Leahead

Leahead was an electric car sub brand by GAC Toyota, a joint venture between GAC Group and Toyota Motor Corporation, founded in 2014.

History

In 2013, the Sino-Japanese joint venture GAC Toyota announced a plan to introduce a new brand electric cars Leahead to the domestic Chinese market. Its announcement was the Ranz Concept crossover prototype presented at the Shanghai Auto Show.[1][2] Leahead's next study was the urban hatchback i1 EV Concept presented in April 2015 at the Beijing Auto Show, closer in form to the future first production model.[3]

The series variant Leahead i1 was presented in November 2015, being a twin design to the second generation Toyota Yaris produced by GAC Toyota on the local Chinese market in 2008 –2013.[4] The car remained the only design offered under the Leahead brand and did not go into mass production except for a trial copy. The company retained a marginal position in the alliance in favor of GAC Toyota focusing on offering co-built Electric Cars as part of the Japanese company's local portfolio from 2018.

Products

i1

The i1 was an electric supermini hatchback based on the 5-door second generation Toyota Vitz and had a range of about 128 km.[5] It has a 22 kWh battery and the motor delivers up to 70 kW.[6]

The i1 was sold for the 2015-2016 model years.[7]

In 2018, Leahead i1s were recalled for replacing their defective Takata airbags.[8]

iA5

The iA5 was an electric compact sedan based on GAC New Energy's Aion S, with a redesigned front and rear different from the Aion S.[9][10]

iX4

The iX4 was an electric compact crossover SUV based on the facelifted electric Trumpchi GS4 and was revealed at the 2018 Chengdu Motor Show.[11] It was also sold as the Mitsubishi Eupheme Qizhi, Honda Everus Shirui, and Fiat Yuejie, though the iX4 was a pure EV while the others were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

See also

References

  1. GAC Toyota China-only brand (Lingzhi/Leahead) - China Car Forums www.chinacarforums.com, retrieved 2025-02-22^
  2. Toyota To Launch Cheap EV Sub Brand In China InsideEVs, retrieved 2025-02-22^
  3. Guangzhou-Toyota Leahead i1 EV concept launched on the Shanghai Auto Show retrieved 2020-07-02^
  4. Tycho de Feijter. Leahead i1 EV debuts on the Guangzhou Auto Show in China CarNewsChina.com, 2015-11-21, retrieved 2025-02-22^
  5. Yutong Wu. 广州车展：广汽丰田领志i1量产版首亮相 xcar.com.cn, 20 November 2015, retrieved 26 June 2019^
  6. Leahead i1 EV Wattev2buy.com, retrieved 26 June 2019^
  7. 【图】领志i1_领志_领志i1报价_领志i1图片_汽车之家 www.autohome.com.cn, retrieved 2021-09-21^
  8. Zhichao E, Xiaoqin Wu. 上半年共召回汽车486万辆 日产、奥迪、福特召回数量较高 auto.people.com.cn, People's Daily - Auto Channel, 5 July 2018, retrieved 14 January 2019^
  9. GAC Aion S Will Soon Have A Sibling: GAC-Toyota To Release All-Electric iA5 ChinaPEV.com, 17 July 2019, retrieved 31 August 2019^
  10. GAC Toyota iA5 Is Totally A Sibling Of GAC Aion S ChinaPEV.com, 9 September 2019, retrieved 9 September 2019^
  11. GAC Toyota launches pure electric SUV at Chengdu Motor Show 2018 Gasgoo, 3 September 2018, retrieved 26 June 2019^