Category: Toyota

Great Wall Florid got the green light

The Chinese car maker has been given the green light by the Chinese government to build the Florid model which is a rip-off of the Toyota IST/scion xA model.

The Chinese car maker had unveiled a series of small cars eighteen moths ago whose particular trait was to be a faithful copy of European and Japanese models. Without the least hint of embarrassment, Great Wall executives declared the cars were their own creation, but even the Chinese government didn’t believe it and ordered the car maker to suspend the project as the government didn’t want to be sued for infringement of patent. But at the latest congress, one decided that business was a priority and Great Wall can release its Florid Model.

Due to go on sale from May this year, the Florid will be powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine or a 1.2-litre diesel engine. The diesel engine comes as a surprise. Indeed, diesel engines are not common in China, but Great Wall has the ambitious plan to export the model to Europe. The car would be sold in Italy first and in the rest of Europe in 2009.
The Chines company is currently being sued by Fiat in China and in Europe over the design of the Peri model which is a rip-off of the current Panda. What will be the Toyota’s reaction? This is not the first time a Toyota is copied by a Chinese car maker. Indeed, Jonway cloned the RAV4 to build the UFO model. Unfortunately, Toyota did nothing because it didn’t patent the design.
February 4, 2008
Toyota overtook Ford on the US market last year

For the first time in 75 years, Ford lost its second rank on the US market as the company has been supplanted by Toyota last year. With a 2.7% increase to 2.62 million delivered vehicles, Toyota overtook Ford which sold 2.57 million vehicles last year, which is a 12% drop from the previous year over the same period.
2008 will likely confirm the trend as the American market going to recession will be tougher for American brands. Toyota will likely rank second next year and don’t expect the Japanese giant to overtake GM in the US as the American group has delivered 3.87 million vehicles there last year despite a 6% decrease compared to 2006 over the sane period.
January 7, 2008
Toyota has built its first Camry in Russia

Toyota has held a ceremony for the first Camry built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Russia in St. Petersburg. It is the first step of an ambitious plan from Toyota to conquer the booming Russian market.
With around 185 cars for 1,000 people, the Russian is quickli catching up with European countries where the corresponding figure is between 400 and 600, and Toyota is determined to have a share of the large pie. The plant is starting at 20,000 units a year and is intended to reach 50,000 vehicles within two years. But Toyota also plans a second plant if there a strong demand for its models. This second plant would have a 300,000 vehicles production capacity.
Toyota is joining the list of foreign automakers to build cars in Russia. Hyundai will also build a factory there by 2009. On of the fastest growing market in the world, Russia is also a minefield for foreign car makers. First, there is a lack of highly-skilled personnel and like in China, authorities might favour protectionism to promote domestic car makers.
December 23, 2007
Toyota to unveil the first crossover sedan at Detoit

In a short and mysterious press release, Toyota has announced that it will unveil a crossover sedan at the next Detroit Motor Show.
Dubbed Venza, it is not a concept car but a production model which will be a blend of a sedan and a SUV roomy enough for five persons. The mysterious car will be only sold in the US and will be built at the Georgetown factory.
December 20, 2007
Toyota to develop safety systems for elderly people

In a country where elderly people will represent more than 25%, car makers are focusing on those people considered as unfit to drive. The easy way would be to end their driving licence, but varied studies showed that this solution has a dramatic impact on their lives. So, it would be better to help them to drive better. Toyota has teamed up with an unusual partner, Professor Ryuta Kawashima, famous for creating the Nintendo’s “Brain Age“ games to develop new safety systems.
Like Mercedes with its Attention Assist system, Toyota will work on systems identifying driving patterns to detect more easily dangerous behaviours. Another system would be to slow down the car if the driver put the brake on by accident. “Ultimately, we hope to develop cars that stimulate brain activity, so that driving itself becomes a form of brain training,“ Kawashima said.
Kawashima had been approached by Nissan but Toyota finally won and should install the new technologies into new vehicles within five years.
December 20, 2007
A cake for the Prius’ tenth anniversary

Our country loves the Prius which became a green icon in the last few years. Since its introduction in November 2000, it has been sold at more than 16,000 units. The figure is low but keep in mind that it took almost nine years to reach the 500,000 milestone and almost ten years to reach the million mark. Growth is exponential. Toyota celebrated the tenth anniversary with a cake at the Motor Heritage Museum.
December 19, 2007
Toyota wants to save £1.3 billion annually

Volkswagen wants to catch up with Toyota in 2018, but the Japanese is determined to rest on his laurels. Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe wants the company to save £300 billion/£1.3 billion annually.
Toyota has targeted cost reduction as an essential contributor to a sustained 10% operating profit margin while it nearly reached this target last year with 9.3%. Dubbed “VI” for Value Innovation, the new cost saving strategy will focus on lumping components into modules or systems. The first car to The first car to incorporate the new scheme will be the Crown saloon expected to be launched on February 18 next year. Volkswagen also plans to use the strategy to cut cost.
The Japanese carmaker had already realised a similar plan under the leadership of Watanabe when he was Toyota’s purchasing director. called CCC21 for Construction of Cost Competitiveness in the 21st Century, it achieved £4.5 billion of cost savings over five years.
In the meantime, Toyota plans to invest ¥1.5 trillion/£6.5 billion in future models and production facilities. It’s less than the amount invested by Volkswagen, but still enough to give headaches to American carmakers.
December 12, 2007
Video: Toyota driving simulator

Toyota has unveiled a size driving simulator for analysing the driving characteristics of average drivers. It will be used to test the new safety technologies. Located at the Toyota’s Higashifuji Technical Center in Susono City, the simulator uses video and acceleration technologies to provide an experience as close as real driving.
December 4, 2007
Toyota updates its sales forecast for the Chinese market

The Japanese car maker expected to sell 430,000 cars this year but 2007 could be better than planned as it announced it would probably sell 480,000 cars. On the first ten months, Toyota sold 385,000 vehicles, increasing its sales by 67% over the same period last year. By comparison, the Chinese market increased by 24%. It owns a market share of 7.5%.
The Camry and Corolla models explain the good news. Next 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.
November 22, 2007
Toyota to revive the Celica?

In an interview given to Automobilwoche, Markus Schrick, vice president of Toyota Deutschland, said that Toyota will launch a new sports coupé in Europe. Due to be unveiled within two years, the coupé would replace the Celica, which was discontinued in 2005.
It is not a secret that the Japanese car maker is currently working on a new sports car in collaboration with Subaru. Destined for the Japanese market, this sports car would be only sold under the Toyota marque. Secrecy continues to surround the exact spec of the final car, although it is understood that it will feature a 2 litre engine and a Subaru’s four-wheel drive. But, while the European sports coupé might arrive in showrooms in 2009, the Japanese sports car will arrive in 2010. So, at this stage, we can not say how the future European sports coupé will look like.
Source: Automobilwoche
November 22, 2007