Category: Toyota

During the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said the stronger yen was making conditions tougher for the automaker, specially on the American market.

The continuing decline in the dollar is making the company’s life hard but the Toyota CEO vowed to respond. One of the solution would be to build production facilities in the markets. Opening a new factory in the US would likely help the carmaker to offer competitively priced models while keeping the carmaker’s margin high.

Watanabe also said that the stricter 2012 EU emission regulations were a challenge for the Toyota and said that there was a lag between technical innovation to cut emissions and the time when such technology is affordable. in other words, Toyota might not be ready by 2012 and is slightly upset by the new regulations. The company had expressed a similar opinion with the future CAFE regulations that will apply in the US by 2020.

Watanabe also said that Toyota was continuing work to develop a low-cost vehicle — not an ultra-low cost car such as the Nano of Tata but he had told company engineers he wanted to test-drive a concept car this year.

Toyota has launched its eagerly-awaited iQ model after the concept car seen at Frankfurt last year.

As its moniker suggests, the Toyota used all the brains available in Toyota City to develop a car with innovative solutions. First, there is this impressive performance of being roomy enough for four people despite a length inferior to 3 meters. The original Mini offered similar arrangements in 3 meters, but the iQ also marks five stars at the Euro NCAP crash test.

The iQ will be powered by two petrol engines and a diesel unit at first. In the future, the city car is expected to offer six engines. However, what’s interesting about the iQ is the rumour emerging at the motor show. It is said that the iQ will be also offered in a hybrid version. Where will Toyota put the batteries in the tiny car? It won’t be under the seats as there is the fuel tank there. It is also believed that the hybrid version would be powered by a 500cc petrol engine. Toyota didn’t confirm the rumour.

The iQ will go on sale from next January and Toyota expects to build 100,000 vehicles per year.

Toyota has revealed its latest weapon to conquer young customers, the Urban Cruiser, a European version of the Toyota Ist sold in Japan.

The Urban Cruiser will go on sale from January next year and the Japanese carmaker tries to persuade us that the Urban Cruiser is environmentally-friendly by promoting its small size compared to bigger SUVs.

At 3930mm, the Urban Cruiser will be the smallest crossover available on the European market. It’s even smaller than a Vauxhall Corsa. It will likely be powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine seen under the bonnet of the Ist in Japan.

The next-gen Avensis has been spotted during winter testing in Scandinavia. The saloon is expected to be launched in mid-2009.

Here is a car that nobody talks about. The current Avensis, available as a saloon, a hatchback and an estate, never make the news despite good qualities. The family car likely suffered from a dull design. Will Toyota go wild with the replacement model? The spyshots seem to say no. The future Avensis will be one of the numerous models that Toyota seems to roll off the production line like Cadbury rolls off chocolate bars.

According to the rumours, the car will grow in size, 100mm longer, to fight with the latest family competitors such as the Ford Mondeo. The future car should be available for the first time with a hybrid solution and with a four-wheel drive system. It is also believed that the gear level will be positioned like the Auris’.

Click here to see all the pictures

Toyota is seriously thinking at launching two small models, a production version of the A-BAT concept car and the new Urban Cruiser on the American market in the coming years.

In an interview with Automotive News, Toyota’s U.S. sales chief Jim Lentz revealed that the carmaker was considering launching two small models as the new economic situation made rooms for smaller cars on the American market. Like other American carmakers, Toyota has to find solutions to meet the future CAFE standards. If the company build its brand image with the green Prius, it makes its money with its big SUVs such as the V8-powered Tacoma.

Toyota has plans to launch a production version of the A-BAT concept car seen at Detroit and the Urban Cruiser that will be unveiled next week at Geneva. Based on the Toyota Yaris, the small SUV is similar to the Scion xD model which is an exported version of the Toyota Ist sold in Japan.

Toyota has launched the new Crown model in Japan this week and as predicted features a hybrid solution on the topping version.

By featuring the hybrid solution on the topping version Japanese carmaker makes a sales move to establish the hybrid powertrain as a premium model in order to cover the cost generated by hybrid solution. However the price differentiation might be a stumbling block for potential green buyers. Indeed, the most expensive version with a traditional engine costs ¥4,870,000/£23,000 while the hybrid model costs ¥6,190,000/£29,500. In order to motivate potential buyers to add the required £6,500, Toyota plans to add exclusive gadgets. For example, the Crown Hybrid comes with an exclusive instrument panel and a might-vision pedestrian detector.

In an interview with Automotive News, Shigeki Terashi, executive chief engineer at Toyota’s product development group, told the newspaper: “Right now, that’s how the strategy is looking. We’ll add some extra features onto the hybrid to establish it as the superior grade.”

This strategic move is surprising as Toyota is being famous for the hybrid Prius and Honda approach to launch an affordable hybrid model might push Toyota to change its mind.

Along with the eagerly-awaited iQ at Geneva, the Japanese car maker will also reveal the new Urban Cruiser, a small SUV based on the Ist sold in Japan.

While observers expected an all-new small SUV destined for the European market, Toyota just imports the Ist model. The car maker has the cheek to call it a ‘urban all-road vehicle’ in the press release. The Ist’s design won’t likely please European consumers with its dull design and the paint scheme, although trendy in Japan, won’t help matters.

No information is available regarding the engines, but it is a fairly safe bet that the Urban Cruiser will feature the 1.5-litre petrol engine used in the Ist. It has an output of 108bhp at 6000rpm and a torque of 101 lb ft at 4400rpm.

My advice to Toyota: next time please avoid sending us your worst domestic models.

The expected production version of the iQ concept car seen at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show will arrive at Geneva.

Like the concept car, the final iQ will be roomy enough for three people plus one child or a luggage despite being only shorter than 3m. Set to compete with the Smart, the iQ will offer a more conventional design.

Technical details remain unknown although insiders in Japan revealed that the car would likely be powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine. It is unclear whether this is the specification for Japan or Europe. Indeed, Toyota has no interest to feature a 1.0-litre engine as the iQ would not be considered as a Kei car there and fiscally penalized. A 0.66-litre petrol unit seems more likely in Japan. However, Toyota plans to sell the car as an upmarket model in Europe more expensive then the Aygo model. It might also be the case in Japan.

The iQ will be manufactured in Japan at rate of 100,000 units per year.

Toyota is considering building a new factory in China located in Changchun to build more Corollas.

Toyota has already a plant in the city which produces in a small quantity the Prius model. The new factory which would be the eighth for the Japanese car maker in China will build the Corolla model. After meeting a big success all around the world, the compact car generates a strong demand there.

This year, Toyota will launch a smaller model similar to the Yaris in order to appeal to customers on a market boxed in by increasing petrol prices. It expects to raise its sales by 46% to 700,000 vehicles. One can be sure that some car makers must have nightmares.

Source photo: Viewimages

The Japanese Car Magazine Best Car has revealed more information about the new sports car being developed in collaboration with Subaru. Toyota plans to bring the future coupé on the American market.

This news comes at a surprise as it was originally thought that the coupé would be only sold on the domestic market, in Japan.

Developed with the help of Subaru, the future sports car will be based on the Subaru Impreza and will come with a rear wheel drive for the entry level and an all-wheel drive transmission for the most powerful version. he car will be available with two levels: GT and GT Four, which reminds us of the Celica versions sold on our shores.

The GT level will be powered by a 200bhp 2.0-litre engine designed and built by Subaru. The price is rumoured to be less that £10,000. The GT Four wil be powered by the same engine which equips the Subaru Impreza STI. The boxer engine has an output of 300bhp.

Unsurprisingly, the future Toyota might also be available with a hybrid powertrain.