car to ride: Toyota

Showing posts with label Toyota. Show all posts

All-Electric iQ Revealed, but Only 100 will be Produced as Toyota Prefers to Focus on PHEVs

While electric vehicles may not yet have substantial range to be as versatile as hybrids or internal-combustion engine models, if the their use is confined in daily commute in cities, theoretically then, their range is more than enough to satisfy most drivers’ needs.

The iQ city car (sold under the Scion nameplate in North America) is designed specifically designed to be used in an urban environment. Prototypes were displayed at both the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show in the form of the FT-EV III concept and this year’s Geneva Auto Show. Now Toyota has officially revealed a plug-in all-electric variant – but it will not enter full production.

Daihatsu has been quiet the busy bee at this week's Indonesia International Motor Show having brought along three concepts, including the D-R, D-X and UFC concepts, and the new Ayla, which will launch in the local market.

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. That’s the way it has always been and that’s the way it is today, especially in the corporate world.

Case in point: China’s anti-Japan protests, which seem to turn uglier each passing day. Toyota, Nissan and Honda have been forced to shut down their plants after attacks on some of their operations and dealerships.

Nevertheless, Chinese consumers still buy cars. If they shy away from Japanese vehicles, then they will probably turn to other brands from nations with which they have no quarrel.

About month ago, Toyota unveiled its brand-new 2013 MY Auris ahead of its Paris Auto Show world premiere on September 27.

Now, Japan’s biggest carmaker has shed more light on the latest iteration of what it claims to be the most popular C-segment model series (including the Corolla nameplate) in the world, having sold 39 million units in more than 140 countries since the introduction of the Corolla in 1966.

Toyota says that the second generation of the Auris was specifically designed for Europe, which will be its biggest market. It will be manufactured alongside the Avensis in Toyota’s UK plant in Burnaston, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Already on offer in some countries, Toyota will now perform the pan-European premiere of its new range of TRD Performance Line accessories for the GT86 (sold as the Scion FR-S in North America) at the Paris Motor Show that runs for the public from September 29 to October 14.

TRD, which stands for Toyota Racing Development, has been developing tuning parts for Toyota vehicles in Japan for more than half a century, and now, its products are available throughout Europe for the first time in its history.

If you take a quick look through our image gallery of the 2013 Toyota Verso, you will be forgiven to think that the only differentiating factor between the facelifted and the outgoing model is the sharper design of the minivan's front end that has been brought in line with the revamped Auris, Yaris and Avensis models.

The truth is, though, that Toyota has actually changed 470 parts on the 2013 model year Verso and claims that it represents "a comprehensive mid-lifecycle model upgrade".

Beginning with the exterior cosmetic tweaks, the biggest change is up front with the newly styled bumper, fenders, grille and headlamps that now incorporate LED daytime running lights.

Upon closer inspection, you may notice the smaller foldable door mirrors featuring integrated turn signal lights, a choice of two new alloy wheels, while to the rear, there's a new bumper design that houses an integral low level diffuser and different colors for the tail lamp clusters.

The Anti-Japan protests that have been raging in China for months due to a territorial dispute over some uninhabited islands reached critical mass today, September 18, a date which coincides with the 1931 Japanese invasion of mainland China.

In its latest report, Reuters says that riots in China have reignited by the anniversary and the locals’ anti-Japan feelings are stronger than ever. Protesters have gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing and made their intentions clear, chanting Anti-Japan slogans and holding banners that read things like “Wipe out all Japanese dogs”.

As it turns out, the new Yaris Trend won't be limited to the UK market as Toyota announced that it will bring the special edition model to the Paris Motor Show and offer it around Europe from early 2013.

Toyota describes the new version of the Yaris as a model "styled to targeting younger, design-conscious customers". What the Japanese company means by that is the Trendy features a distinct color scheme and options both on the outside and inside of the car.

The consequences of a territorial dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea seem to become more serious as anti-Japanese sentiments grow stronger in China.

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda demanded that the Chinese government ensures the safety of Japanese citizens in the country after thousands of protesters took to the roads. Although most of the demonstrations were peaceful, Toyota and Panasonic reported damages caused by fire set in their Qingdao city facilities.

Last Thursday, the yen hit a seven-month high against the U.S. dollar. That wouldn’t be so bad if the country’s currency hadn’t strengthened so much, from under 120 yen per dollar five years ago to less than 78 at the end of last week.As a result, exports have become more expensive, thus limiting profits.

Japanese automakers have felt the strain for quite some time now. Add last year’s tsunami that seriously disrupted production and the high labor cost and corporate taxes and it is not difficult to see why the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) decided to act.

If the next generation of the European market Toyota Auris had you thinking about the possibility of the five-door hatchback model replacing the Matrix in North America, we hate to break it to you, but it is not going to happen. Read more »

Toyota Says Prius Plug-in Hybrid U.S. Sales Top 6,000 Units, Beats Volt and Leaf...or Did it?

A Toyota press release bragging about the achievements of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid variant since it went arrived in U.S. showrooms at the end of February states that the EPA-rated 95 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) Japanese hatchback has delivered 6,061 units in its first six months (March through August) on sale.

However, that's not what caught our attention; this is what did and we quote Toyota's press statement:

"This sales figure represents sales momentum that has propelled the Prius Plug-in to a stronger first full six-months sales pace (6,061 units) than Chevrolet Volt Plug-in (2,745 units) and the all-electric Nissan Leaf (3,875 units)."

We have seen a slew of eventful episodes from Middle Eastern and especially Saudi Arabian drivers practicing the popular but unlawful art of drifting on public roads locally known as "Hagwalah", but never before have we encountered something like this.

For around two minutes, we see the driver of a baby blue pickup truck that had been involved in one too many accidents judging from the condition of the body panels, spinning the car on a public road.

Nothing new, right? Well, not exactly, as the driver was going in drifting circles right in the middle of a massive crowd with some people getting right in front of the truck as it was drifting!

Over the past few months, a series of anti-Japan protests begun in China and Hong Kong after Japanese activists landed on an East China Sea island called Diaoyu by the Chinese and Senkaku by the Japanese, and which is a subject of territorial dispute between the two countries.

Nissan was the first to acknowledge that its sales in the world’s biggest market might have been hurt by the Chinese reaction to the incident.

Autobots and Decepticons move over because there's a new Japanese franchise about cars transforming into robots and it's named Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter.

Well, actually, to be frank, it’s far too early to tell if the new franchise will have the success of the Transformers series but the fact that it has licensed several cool cars like the Nissan GT-R, Mazda RX-8, Toyota 86 (Scion FR-S in North America) and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO has certainly captured our attention.

After searching into the unknown depths of the Japanese gaming world (not knowing the language doesn't really help…) we found some basic information about Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter.

The new franchise is the work of Japanese video game developer, publisher and distribution company Square Enix, which is mostly known for its Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series.

Over the years, we have seen the Toyota MR2 falling into the hands of numerous kit car makers who have used the Japanese sports model as a base for the creation of all sorts of replicas.

Among other clones, the mid-engine MR2 has been transformed into a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari 460 Modena Spider, a Ferrari F430 Spider, a strange looking creation from Japan called the DragStar F1 Dragon, a Gumpert Apollo and believe it or not, even a Ford Mustang Eleanor.

The word "Sport" has become one of the most abused terms in the auto industry by far, and this new edition of the 2013 Toyota Camry is a prime example.

What the Japanese carmaker describes as "Sport Limited Edition" is a mid-trim level Camry fitted with the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 178-horses.

We don't know if Toyota is doing it on purpose, but the new 2013 Auris seems set to become the new automotive face of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

For a second time in a week and after two television spots from Japan starring Stav Strashko, a 19-year old male model with feminine characteristics who was born in the Ukraine and raised in Israel, Toyota's new Auris is featured in another clip with a transgender person.

This time, it's Avu-chan, a 19-year old trans woman of African-American and Japanese descent who is the lead singer of Ziyoou-vachi (“Queen Bee”), a gender-bending teenage glamrock band from Japan.

The video is named "DAS × AURIS BUTTOCKS DRIVE!!" and it was made for the "Daikanyama Art Street" (DAS) art and music festival held from August 20 to 26 in Daikanyama, Tokyo.

We all know how popular (there's even a music video) but also how dangerous the Saudi Arabian street drifting practice known as 'Hagwalah' is.

We also suspect that all of you who have watched the numerous videos on CarScoop and other websites have surely wondered about the absence of law enforcement, especially with so many deaths and injuries caused by reckless drifters.

Well, here's a video that shows a police car arriving at a gathering of drifters, reportedly in Saudi Arabia (if this incident took place somewhere else, drop us a message and we'll rectify it).

Yet again, Toyota has refreshed its Japanese domestic market Mark X sedan, which benefits from a series of cosmetic and mechanical tweaks for the new model year.

For those unaware, the Mark X is a mid-size saloon that shares its platform with the Toyota Crown and the (previous) Lexus GS and is available exclusively with V6 powertrains and the option of rear- or all-wheel drive.

In its latest form, Toyota's designers came up with a newly styled front end sporting different headlamps that incorporate Bi-Xenon and LED daytime running lights, a new grille with a more pronounced "X" logo in the center, and a redesigned bumper.

The Japanese automaker also made changes to the rear with a new set of tail lamps that follow the shape of the front headlights and a re-sculptured bumper.

A fresh assortment of exterior finishes along with new silver accents, trims and colors for the interior complete the cosmetic makeover of the regular versions.

car to ride

All-Electric iQ Revealed, but Only 100 will be Produced as Toyota Prefers to Focus on PHEVs

Daihatsu and Toyota Launch Ayla and Agya Twins at Indonesia Motor Show

The Manchurian Candidate: Anti-Japan Protests Good News for German Automaker in China

Toyota Goes Into Depth with the All-New Auris and Auris Hybrid Compact Hatchbacks

Toyota to Reveal New TRD Performance Line Accessories for GT86 in Paris

2013 Toyota Verso Compact MPV Facelift Sports More Revisions Than You Think

Japanese Automakers Shut Down their Chinese Plants as Protests Get More Violent [w/Video]

Toyota Targets Younger Buyers with New Yaris Trend, will be Shown in Paris

Toyota and Panasonic's Chinese Facilities Damaged After Anti-Japanese Riots Become More Violent

Japanese Automakers Urge Government to Implement Measures to Counter Strong Yen

Toyota Exec Rebuffs Rumors About the New Auris Replacing the Matrix in North America

Toyota Says Prius Plug-in Hybrid U.S. Sales Top 6,000 Units, Beats Volt and Leaf...or Did it?

Hagwalah: And the Award for the Most Imprudent Driver and Crowd Goes to…

Nissan’s China Sales Slow Down Due to Row with Japan Over Territorial Dispute

Nissan GT-R Transformed Into a Robot for New Japanese Gaming and Film Franchise

Toyota MR2 Poses as a Lamborghini Murcielago

New 2013 Camry SE Sport Limited Edition is Anything but "Sport"

2013 Toyota Auris Comes Out of the Closet Again, Stars in Video with Transgender Singer Avu-Chan

Watch Saudi Arabian Drifters Chase Down a Police Officer

Toyota Unveils Facelifted 2013 Mark X Sports Sedan for the Japanese Market