Turkey unveiled the prototype of its first fully domestically-produced car on Friday with a grand ceremony in the industrial province of Kocaeli.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showcased a red SUV model and another grey sedan model of the automobile and shared a footage on social media in which he took a test-drive of the first-ever electric car.
The project is seen as a significant step forward to realizing a long-held dream of manufacturing Turkey's first "national" automobile.
TOGG CEO Gürcan Karakaş said on Saturday that the car's official brand name and emblem will be determined by the end of 2020, noting that the logo of TOGG was placed on the vehicle temporarily.
A planned factory in the northwestern province of Bursa, an industrial heartland of the country, will produce up to 175,000 units in a year. The production plant is scheduled to be completed in 2021 and the first car will be produced in 2022.
The design of the first model was completed by the car design firm and coach-builder Pininfarina, an Italian company renowned for designing the iconic Ferraris and Alfa Romeos.
Inspired by Anatolian culture, it bears a tulip design that runs through the front grille and wheels.
Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG), a joint venture of five holding companies and a business union, plans to produce five models, -- SUV, sedan, c-hatchback, b-SUV and b-MPV --, all of them expected to hit the roads by the year 2030.
The high technology electric car, which is designed by Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG), will have electric motor configurations with 200 HP or 400 HP. The bigger battery will sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds, while the latter will need 7.6 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph). They will provide an estimated range 300 and 500 km.
Internet connectivity will be a significant feature of the cars and it will redefine driving standards. The vehicle's system will run online updates with 4G and 5G connectivity, according to reports.
With one of the longest wheelbases of its type, it will maximize spaciousness and comfort.
Its locally produced Lithium-ion battery can be charged up to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
One of the cutting-edge features of the car is a "holographic assistant", a system that uses eye tracking algorithms and holographic 3D imaging. It will also provide augmented reality technologies. This technology will be used in Turkey's automobile for the first time as of 2022.
The cutting-edge car conforms to standards of the European New Car Assessment Programme's five-star rating system.
Turkey's industrial province of Bursa is the designated area for the production of the cars and expected to employ 4,323 staff, including 300 qualified personnel.
The elegant 'Made in Turkey' vehicle will also be supported by the government with tax discounts and incentives.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday that he will apply to be at the top of a possible list for advance orders. The expectations are high as some Turkish companies have already started to announce their pre-orders.
