Germany's leading automobile magazine Auto Bild praised the Turkish-made electric vehicle Togg in a comprehensive review recently, comparing it to some of the top models of German juggernauts such as Audi and Volkswagen and Elon Musk's Tesla.
Türkiye's domestic vehicle, Togg has been in the spotlight of international press in recent months, with Agence France-Presse (AFP) being one of the latest to report on the journey of the carmaker from its production base in Gemlik.
Türkiye is hoping its first major electric carmaker, Togg, will put the country in the driver's seat of the automotive industry, it said, also citing sales of over 20,000 units last year and extensive Turkish automotive exports to Western markets.
A report published on Saturday by Auto Bild said, "As the Turkish Tesla, Togg made its debut at none other than the technology show CES in Las Vegas."
Since then it said the carmaker built a "massive" factory in the Gemlik district of Bursa, "ordered 1,000 charging stations, and begun their installation across the country."
It also gave positive reviews of the car's interior and exterior.
Six years ago, "a handful of Turkish industrial giants from key sectors such as mechanical engineering, trade, electronics and communications joined forces to build the first car manufacturer of modern times,” the report said.
"As a mid-range SUV, it aims to be on the same level as electric cars such as the VW ID4, Renault Megane E-Tech, Tesla Model Y and indeed the new Audi Q6," the report said.
However, the T10X is offered at a more affordable price than the vehicles in the same segment, it added, referring to the first model of the carmaker, which started sales last year. The basic version starts at TL 1.40 million ($43,400).
"This year they are already planning more than 40,000 vehicles and are thinking beyond Türkiye. Instead, they want to try their luck with the T10X with us from autumn," Auto Bild said.
The article also praised Togg's CEO Gürcan Karakaş, who grew up near Germany's Bielefeld and learned his profession at Bosch, saying: "He knows that the world does not need another start-up producing electric SUVs. That's why he takes things one step further and, like all visionary bosses, talks about the car as a smart device on wheels.”
"That’s why the screen in the cockpit is not only larger and more brilliant than most competitors but actually spans seamlessly across the entire width of the vehicle," it added, highlighting it is being equipped with various applications such as face ID.
