Toyota
Toyota to debut the Verso-S mini MPV in Paris
Toyota has announced that it will present the Verso-S B-Segment MPV at the upcoming motor show in Paris. This is the European spec while potential buyers in Japan will know it as the new Ractis. The Verso-S measures almost 4 meters long and will go head to head with vehicles like the Opel Meriva and Kia Venga.
The Verso-S will go on to replace the now out-of-production Yaris Verso in Europe. Continue reading to high-res versions of the images above. More information and images should be revealed closer to the MPV’s debut at the motor show. Read the rest of this entry.
Toyota reveals the 2011 Highlander in Moscow
Toyota has officially unveiled the facelifted Highlander (also known as Kluger in certain markets) at the Moscow International Motor Show which kicked off yesterday. Visually, the 2011 Highlander is treated to a reworked front fascia, giving it a more defined look. The new headlights help the Highlander achieve a more aggressive demeanor. The taillights have been updated while the rear bumper has been modified too.
Buyers in Russia and Ukraine will get to drive home a 3.5 liter petrol V6 with 273hp. The engine is made available with a 5-speed automatic transmission. In the US, the pre-facelift Highlinder is available with 187hp 2.7 liter 4-cylinder petrol engine, apart from the 3.5 liter. There is also a hybrid model featuring a 3.3 liter V6 engine paired with two electric motors. These same engines are expected to be carried over into the new model.
An image gallery can be found after the jump. Read the rest of this entry.
Toyota Land Cruiser to be updated for 2011MY and to receive 190hp 3.0 diesel
Despite the release of the 2010 Land Cruiser in September 2009, Toyota is set to roll out an updated model for 2011. The refreshed Land Cruiser which is sold in the US as the Lexus GX will feature a slightly facelifted look and it will be introduced with an optional Executive pack. Among others, the pack will include a glass sunroof.
The most vital update would be under the hood. There will be a revised 3.0 liter D-4D 4-cylinder turbo diesel which can both produce more power and meet Euro 5 emissions standards. The engine can crank out 190hp and a massive 420Nm of torque, achieved between 1,600 and 2,800 RPM. This marks an increase of 17hp and 10Nm of torque. European sales of the 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser are expected to take place in December 2010.
Toyota FT-86 development on track? Set to debut in November 2011
Apparently Dr. Shigeyuki Hori and Kazuo Okino from Toyota has revealed to our friends over at 7tune that the development of the FT-86 sports car is on track and it is scheduled to make it’s debut by November 2011, on contrary to recent rumors indicating that the vehicle will only be revealed sometime in 2013. The duo also said that the production model is almost 50% complete.
It was also revealed that the production version of the FT-86 (Toyota may decide to change the name, possibly to FR-S) will be heavily based on the concept that was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, and yes I am talking about the design. It is also likely to feature the same engine shown in the concept, which is a Subaru-sourced 2.0 liter Boxer, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The FT-86 which is pegged as Toyota’s modern day driver’s car is expected to be priced at about 2.5 million yen.
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Toyota’s sudden acceleration issue due to driver error?
This just in. Remember all that noise and fiasco about sudden acceleration of Toyota cars that linked to 75 fatal crashes? Guess what, The Wall Street Journal has published an article stating that driver error or misapplication of the accelerator pedal was the cause of the sudden acceleration problem.
The report said that the U.S. Department of Transportation made the conclusion after receiving over 3,000 complaints. The investigation found that the throttles were wide open and the brakes were not depressed which leads them to believe that the drivers were mistakenly accelerating instead of hitting the brakes.
It was also stated that they have yet to find any electronic glitches in Toyota cars that could have led to the crashes. However the report did say that a Toyota vehicle was at fault in one case. It involved a Lexus ES350 which caused the fatality of a highway patrolman in California and three passengers last year.
Thus far the only defects that Toyota can be blamed entirely for are the floor mat and sticky accelerator issues. Toyota has definitely suffered a lot from the sudden acceleration fiasco and I wouldn’t be surprised if a law suit is in the works. More details and confirmations coming soon.
Toyota trademarks “FR-S” nameplate possibly for the FT-86?
Toyota has recently filed a trademark for the “FR-S” nameplate in Canada and US and the motoring fraternity are speculating that the name will be used to designate the production FT-86 sports car. Some are even suggesting that the “FR-S” stands for “front-engine, rear wheel-drive sports car”.
The trademarks were filed on May 27th 2010 and was classified under “Automobiles and structural parts thereof”. It was also recently said that the FT-86′s launch plans were postponed by about two years but we have yet to receive any confirmation on this.
The successor to the legendary AE-86 will be powered by a Subaru-sourced 2.0 liter boxer unit and a Subaru-badged version is expected as well, along with a high-performance STi variant.
Launch of production Toyota FT-86 postponed by 2 years?
This is a rather disappointing piece of news, if it carries any substance in the first place. Apparently Toyota has decided to postpone the launch of the production FT-86 by two years, according to the guys at Best Car Magazine. It was said that the design of the concept version, which was shown late last year failed to get an approval by the bosses in Toyota (what?!).
At the same time the company also believes that a 2011 release would prove to be premature as the economic condition may cause weak sales performance. Earlier this year rumors about Toyota not approving the design surfaced but was soon dismissed by the company.
I really don’t understand whats not to like about the design? I believe that its the best looking Toyota in years. Its a shame really as I am pretty sure many can’t wait to see the AE-86 successor on the road.
Just like the concept, the production FT-86 will be powered by a Subaru-sourced 2.0 liter boxer unit. A Subaru version of the FT-86 was also confirmed while a high performance STI variant is likely as well. I hope the design won’t be changed extensively and the launch won’t not delayed even more.
Toyota to shut down Bangkok plant this month
According to recent reports Toyota will shut down one of its four factories in Thailand. The factory in question is the Bangkok plant that rolls out vehicles such as the Fortuner SUV and the Hilux Vigo pickup. The production at the plant is expected to cease by the end of this month and Toyota will only decide what to with it after the shut down.
Toyota will transfer its employees from the Bangkok plant to other factories and revealed that the shut down is part of “restructuring efforts to boost efficiency and profitability” and said that it has no relations with Thailand’s political unrest that has claimed up to 30 lives and left hundreds injured.
The unrest broke out about two months ago as anti-government protesters occupy the city’s commercial district seeking to topple the government.
UPDATE: We have received further confirmation that Toyota will only suspend the operations till further notice and not shut the plant down completely.
