The "Kijang" Car Brand is Actually an Acronym, Many People Don't Know Its Meaning

The Kijang car was once the “car for a million people” in Indonesia. Its position is roughly like that of the Avanza in the current era. This Japanese-origin vehicle became the favourite family car for Indonesians in its time. The Innova is the new version of the Kijang, even called the “Kijang Innova”.

Apart from that fact, did you know that Kijang is actually an acronym?

The Kijang Innova is produced by Toyota Motor, headquartered in Toyota City, Japan. It should be noted that Japanese-made cars have not been dominating Indonesian roads for long.

In the 1970s decade, the car market in Indonesia was still dominated by vehicles from Europe. Wealthy people were willing to import cars from Europe to drive on Indonesian roads.

This fact prompted the government to want to develop the domestic automotive industry.

Unfortunately, this desire was hindered by many factors, including the readiness of human resources. Therefore, the best way to ignite the domestic automotive industry was through cooperation with foreign countries.

In addition, in 1974 the government had already banned the import of complete vehicles. In replacement, the government allowed the import of vehicles in assembled form.

The aim was to revive the domestic automotive industry. Coincidentally, Japan was a country that had been involved in Indonesia’s automotive industry since 1971.

Through a partnership with PT Astra International, Japan had pioneered car assembly in the country. As a result, the government’s openness to cooperate with foreign countries was welcomed positively by the Land of the Rising Sun.

Thus, cooperation between Indonesia and Japan was established. One manifestation of this is seen in the Toyota car brand named Kijang, which is an acronym for “Kerjasama Indonesia-Jepang.” The first Toyota Kijang was launched on 9 June 1977 at the Jakarta Fair.

The presence of the Toyota Kijang in Indonesia was not immediately welcomed positively by the public. Because Japanese-made cars were still unfamiliar in Indonesia. Some said its quality was far lower than European ones.

However, the Toyota Kijang provided another option to the public. James Luhulima in his book Sejarah Mobil & Kisah Kehadiran Mobil di Negeri Ini (2012) states that since the birth of the Kijang, Indonesians’ choices of car types have become more varied. No longer just sedans, but also cars that can carry more than four passengers.

For this reason, the Kijang gradually sold up to 1,000 units. Since then, the Toyota Kijang has become Astra’s mainstay in Indonesia. Until now, the Kijang still exists even though it has changed its appearance to be more modern.