Toyota 2015 NS4
Non-Prius mid-size NS4 concept showcases Toyota’s plug-in hybrid future – and more
TOYOTA has signalled its intention to expand its dedicated-hybrid model range beyond the Prius stable with the world premiere of the medium-sized plug-in NS4 concept at the Detroit motor show this week.
Emerging in a heavily curved, five-door liftback body style, the NS4 is described as a dedicated plug-in hybrid “separate from the Prius family” and is billed as representing a new styling direction for the Toyota brand “aimed at creating an emotional connection with consumers”.
It features a next-generation version of the Japanese auto giant’s plug-in Hybrid Synergy Drive system that is currently in service in the Prius Plug-In – a model that is under consideration for sale in Australia.
Among the improvements listed are reductions in component size and weight, shorter charging times, improved overall fuel economy, better acceleration and a longer driving range.
However, specific details are still to be provided on how the NS4 improves over the plug-in version of the Prius, which, like other models in the expanding family, combines a 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 60kW/207Nm electric motor.
The Prius Plug-In’s 5.2kWh lithium-ion battery enables an electric-only driving range of only around 20km. The major benefit is its European fuel efficiency target of just 2.2L/100km and ultra-low CO2 emissions of 49g/km – almost half that of the standard Prius.
This means Toyota’s bigger and presumably heavier NS4 should achieve even better results, providing of course that it takes the next step into production.
“The NS4 was envisioned as a dedicated plug-in hybrid, separate and removed from the Prius family,” said Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz.
“This all-new concept reflects a ‘greater than’ vision of mobility – as in ‘greater than the sum of its impressive level of features’.
“Beyond its advanced powertrain and next-generation safety systems, the central theme of this concept is on the human connection to the car.
“In other words, technology that considers both the emotional and rational relationships person-to-car and car-to-society, all wrapped in a high-style, hardtop-like body signalling Toyota’s new direction in design.”
The safety systems referred to include a next-generation pre-collision system (PCS) with lane departure, rear-end and pedestrian collision avoidance technologies based on ‘millimetre-wave radar’ and stereo cameras mounted on the front of the vehicle.
A new blind-spot monitor has also been developed, along with adaptive driving beam headlights that improve visibility without the glare associated with normal high-beam illumination.
An extra level of pedestrian protection is provided with a new pop-up bonnet structure, while four new glass technologies are integrated into the vehicle.
The NS4 also demonstrates Toyota’s latest work in vehicle connectivity, with the headline act a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) built around a touchscreen that has the look and feel of a smartphone.
Toyota 2012 RAV4
Tesla to announce further EV collaboration projects with Toyota later this year
TOYOTA’S tie-up with EV brand Tesla Motors looks set to go much further than producing an all-electric version of its RAV4 crossover, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk set to announce a project “later this year” that will make the RAV4 collaboration look small by comparison according to Tesla Motors Australia’s national sales and marketing manager Jay McCormack.
The news comes shortly after Toyota’s announcement that the electric RAV4s will be built alongside internal combustion-powered variants at Toyota’s Woodstock facility in Ontario, Canada.
Toyota will pay Tesla approximately $100 million to supply the electric drivetrain components including battery, motor, transmission and related control electronics which will be built at Tesla’s Silicon Valley facility before being shipped to Canada for installation.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada chairman Ray Tanguay said building the electric RAV4 alongside the conventional version would “simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control”.
“This is a great example of Toyota’s determination to collaborate with companies with leading edge technology,” he said.
RAV4 EVs will be sold to the general public from next year alongside Toyota’s other planned EV, an all-electric version of its tiny iQ city car, which carries the company’s youth-oriented Scion branding.
Pricing and unit volume for the electric RAV4 – which along with any other pure EV from Toyota is not on the agenda for Australia – are yet to be announced.
Toyota invested $US50 million in Tesla in May of last year, and announced a joint-development of EV technology, shortly followed by confirmation that it would be producing an electric version of its popular RAV4.
Tesla converted 32 conventional RAV4s into EV prototypes for testing and demonstration purposes, which Toyota claimed lost no cargo space over the standard car. Toyota says the vehicles that go on-sale will have been thoroughly re-engineered as EVs.
The prototypes – claimed to consistently achieve a 160km battery range in a wide range of climates and conditions – featured cosmetic changes limited to a revised front bumper, grille, headlights and foglights, plus a ‘mutually exclusive’ paint colour while the interior had unique seat trim, a push-button gearshift and specific dashboard meters and multimedia displays.
These prototypes weigh about 100kg more than a V6-powered RAV4 but are said to accelerate from 0-100km/h almost as quickly.
Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz said the added weight “required significant retuning of major components and a focus on weight distribution”.
“Not only were suspension and steering modified significantly, major components needed to be relocated to better balance the increased mass.”
This is not the first time Toyota has dabbled with producing an electric RAV4. In 1997 it produced 1484 electric variants for use in California, drawing power from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that provided a range of 125-160 kilometres. Around half of those original EVs are thought to still be on the road.
Tesla has also provided EV technology to Daimler, another of its automotive industry stakeholders, for use in its battery-powered Smart ForTwo.
However the recently-announced new-generation ForTwo ED has dropped Tesla’s drivetrain componentry in favour of a German-developed system from Deutsche ACCUmotive, which provides a 17.6kWh battery to provide a 25km greater range than the Tesla-sourced 14kWh unit’s 115km.
Toyota Aygo
Toyota Euro city car tipped for Oz, but not until at least 2011
TOYOTA is looking at introducing the next-generation Aygo to Australia within three years to slot beneath its best-selling Yaris light car.
The replacement for the current-generation sub-B segment city car is thought to be on track for a European launch in about 2011 or 2012.
Like the 2005 original, Toyota is expected to co-develop the next Aygo with PSA Peugeot Citroen, which also sells its versions of the car as the Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1.
The trio are built in a dedicated facility in Kolin, Czech Republic, as part of the TPCA Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile joint venture announced at the 2002 Geneva motor show for the creation and implementation of the ‘B-Zero’ city car.
Measuring 3405mm long, 1615mm wide and 1465mm high, the 890kg Aygo is built on a 2340mm wheelbase, is offered as a three or five-door hatchback, and uses a 51kW/94Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a combined average fuel consumption figure of 4.6 litres per 100km and a carbon dioxide emissions rating of just 109gm/km.
Before a facelift late last year, there was also a 40kW/130Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel powerplant capable of averaging 4.1L/100km, but that has been discontinued in the Toyota model.
Only minor changes to the front and rear, as well as equipment and specification differences separate it from the Peugeot and Citroen cars.
About 300,000 units are produced annually, with each brand receiving an even split of cars.
Since the series was released at the 2005 Geneva show, demand has exceeded expectation, essentially curtailing plans for the Aygo/107/C1 to be exported beyond the European Union.
Despite this, Peugeot Automobiles Australia has indicated that it would also like to import the 107 to Australia.
With the current Aygo, Toyota was responsible for much of the engineering work, and will probably twin much of the new car’s development with the next-generation Yaris, which is due out at about the same time.
Some overseas reports suggest Toyota may even base its next-generation of sub-B and light cars on an expanded version of the new iQ’s platform.
As a result, the Aygo is expected to be available with some of the Yaris’ smaller engine and transmission choices, including the all-important automatic gearbox necessary for markets such as Australia.
Peter Evans, Toyota’s corporate manager of product planning, told GoAuto Media that the existing Aygo’s three-cylinder petrol engine was deemed too small when the company first assessed it, but that now Australia is just about ready for the compact city car.
“A model under Yaris (like the Aygo) – there are opportunities within our marketplace for the brand,” he said.
“A couple of years ago I might have had some concerns about (offering) a 1.0-litre engine.
“But I think the world has changed. My read of, and customer feedback and research from, the consumer, that they wouldn’t be adverse to a smaller car with a smaller engine.
“And I think a prudent company would be hedging its bets with a complete range of small cars for a new-world order.”
Toyota also offers other sub-B light car alternatives to the Aygo in Asia, but Mr Evans believes that none have the necessary sophistication, refinement or safety specifications expected by Australian consumers.
“Australians now demand all the safety equipment, and then there are all kinds of issues with the design (since) it is made for developing countries, in terms of general sophistication, in terms of NVH (noise/vibration/harshness), and all those types of issues.
“That’s why – from a sub-Yaris point of view – we are more inclined to look at something like the Aygo than any low-cost model option.”
Mr Evans says that even if the Aygo replacement continued to be built only in Eastern Europe, it still had a chance of coming to Australia, despite the fall in the value of the Australian dollar.
“The Yen is pretty strong at the moment, so whether it is the Yen or the Euro (it doesn’t really matter).”
Toyota Rukus
Non-Prius mid-size NS4 concept showcases Toyota’s plug-in hybrid future – and more
TOYOTA has signalled its intention to expand its dedicated-hybrid model range beyond the Prius stable with the world premiere of the medium-sized plug-in NS4 concept at the Detroit motor show this week.
Emerging in a heavily curved, five-door liftback body style, the NS4 is described as a dedicated plug-in hybrid “separate from the Prius family” and is billed as representing a new styling direction for the Toyota brand “aimed at creating an emotional connection with consumers”.
It features a next-generation version of the Japanese auto giant’s plug-in Hybrid Synergy Drive system that is currently in service in the Prius Plug-In – a model that is under consideration for sale in Australia.
Among the improvements listed are reductions in component size and weight, shorter charging times, improved overall fuel economy, better acceleration and a longer driving range.
However, specific details are still to be provided on how the NS4 improves over the plug-in version of the Prius, which, like other models in the expanding family, combines a 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 60kW/207Nm electric motor.
The Prius Plug-In’s 5.2kWh lithium-ion battery enables an electric-only driving range of only around 20km. The major benefit is its European fuel efficiency target of just 2.2L/100km and ultra-low CO2 emissions of 49g/km – almost half that of the standard Prius.
This means Toyota’s bigger and presumably heavier NS4 should achieve even better results, providing of course that it takes the next step into production.
“The NS4 was envisioned as a dedicated plug-in hybrid, separate and removed from the Prius family,” said Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz.
“This all-new concept reflects a ‘greater than’ vision of mobility – as in ‘greater than the sum of its impressive level of features’.
“Beyond its advanced powertrain and next-generation safety systems, the central theme of this concept is on the human connection to the car.
“In other words, technology that considers both the emotional and rational relationships person-to-car and car-to-society, all wrapped in a high-style, hardtop-like body signalling Toyota’s new direction in design.”
The safety systems referred to include a next-generation pre-collision system (PCS) with lane departure, rear-end and pedestrian collision avoidance technologies based on ‘millimetre-wave radar’ and stereo cameras mounted on the front of the vehicle.
A new blind-spot monitor has also been developed, along with adaptive driving beam headlights that improve visibility without the glare associated with normal high-beam illumination.
An extra level of pedestrian protection is provided with a new pop-up bonnet structure, while four new glass technologies are integrated into the vehicle.
The NS4 also demonstrates Toyota’s latest work in vehicle connectivity, with the headline act a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) built around a touchscreen that has the look and feel of a smartphone.
Toyota 2012 RAV4
Tesla to announce further EV collaboration projects with Toyota later this year
TOYOTA’S tie-up with EV brand Tesla Motors looks set to go much further than producing an all-electric version of its RAV4 crossover, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk set to announce a project “later this year” that will make the RAV4 collaboration look small by comparison according to Tesla Motors Australia’s national sales and marketing manager Jay McCormack.
The news comes shortly after Toyota’s announcement that the electric RAV4s will be built alongside internal combustion-powered variants at Toyota’s Woodstock facility in Ontario, Canada.
Toyota will pay Tesla approximately $100 million to supply the electric drivetrain components including battery, motor, transmission and related control electronics which will be built at Tesla’s Silicon Valley facility before being shipped to Canada for installation.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada chairman Ray Tanguay said building the electric RAV4 alongside the conventional version would “simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control”.
“This is a great example of Toyota’s determination to collaborate with companies with leading edge technology,” he said.
RAV4 EVs will be sold to the general public from next year alongside Toyota’s other planned EV, an all-electric version of its tiny iQ city car, which carries the company’s youth-oriented Scion branding.
Pricing and unit volume for the electric RAV4 – which along with any other pure EV from Toyota is not on the agenda for Australia – are yet to be announced.
Toyota invested $US50 million in Tesla in May of last year, and announced a joint-development of EV technology, shortly followed by confirmation that it would be producing an electric version of its popular RAV4.Tesla converted 32 conventional RAV4s into EV prototypes for testing and demonstration purposes, which Toyota claimed lost no cargo space over the standard car. Toyota says the vehicles that go on-sale will have been thoroughly re-engineered as EVs.
The prototypes – claimed to consistently achieve a 160km battery range in a wide range of climates and conditions – featured cosmetic changes limited to a revised front bumper, grille, headlights and foglights, plus a ‘mutually exclusive’ paint colour while the interior had unique seat trim, a push-button gearshift and specific dashboard meters and multimedia displays.
These prototypes weigh about 100kg more than a V6-powered RAV4 but are said to accelerate from 0-100km/h almost as quickly.
Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz said the added weight “required significant retuning of major components and a focus on weight distribution”.
“Not only were suspension and steering modified significantly, major components needed to be relocated to better balance the increased mass.”
This is not the first time Toyota has dabbled with producing an electric RAV4. In 1997 it produced 1484 electric variants for use in California, drawing power from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that provided a range of 125-160 kilometres. Around half of those original EVs are thought to still be on the road.
Tesla has also provided EV technology to Daimler, another of its automotive industry stakeholders, for use in its battery-powered Smart ForTwo.
However the recently-announced new-generation ForTwo ED has dropped Tesla’s drivetrain componentry in favour of a German-developed system from Deutsche ACCUmotive, which provides a 17.6kWh battery to provide a 25km greater range than the Tesla-sourced 14kWh unit’s 115km.
Toyota Aygo
Toyota Euro city car tipped for Oz, but not until at least 2011
TOYOTA is looking at introducing the next-generation Aygo to Australia within three years to slot beneath its best-selling Yaris light car.
The replacement for the current-generation sub-B segment city car is thought to be on track for a European launch in about 2011 or 2012.
Like the 2005 original, Toyota is expected to co-develop the next Aygo with PSA Peugeot Citroen, which also sells its versions of the car as the Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1.
The trio are built in a dedicated facility in Kolin, Czech Republic, as part of the TPCA Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile joint venture announced at the 2002 Geneva motor show for the creation and implementation of the ‘B-Zero’ city car.
Measuring 3405mm long, 1615mm wide and 1465mm high, the 890kg Aygo is built on a 2340mm wheelbase, is offered as a three or five-door hatchback, and uses a 51kW/94Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a combined average fuel consumption figure of 4.6 litres per 100km and a carbon dioxide emissions rating of just 109gm/km.
Before a facelift late last year, there was also a 40kW/130Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel powerplant capable of averaging 4.1L/100km, but that has been discontinued in the Toyota model.
Only minor changes to the front and rear, as well as equipment and specification differences separate it from the Peugeot and Citroen cars.
About 300,000 units are produced annually, with each brand receiving an even split of cars.
Since the series was released at the 2005 Geneva show, demand has exceeded expectation, essentially curtailing plans for the Aygo/107/C1 to be exported beyond the European Union.Despite this, Peugeot Automobiles Australia has indicated that it would also like to import the 107 to Australia.
With the current Aygo, Toyota was responsible for much of the engineering work, and will probably twin much of the new car’s development with the next-generation Yaris, which is due out at about the same time.
Some overseas reports suggest Toyota may even base its next-generation of sub-B and light cars on an expanded version of the new iQ’s platform.
As a result, the Aygo is expected to be available with some of the Yaris’ smaller engine and transmission choices, including the all-important automatic gearbox necessary for markets such as Australia.
Peter Evans, Toyota’s corporate manager of product planning, told GoAuto Media that the existing Aygo’s three-cylinder petrol engine was deemed too small when the company first assessed it, but that now Australia is just about ready for the compact city car.
“A model under Yaris (like the Aygo) – there are opportunities within our marketplace for the brand,” he said.
“A couple of years ago I might have had some concerns about (offering) a 1.0-litre engine.
“But I think the world has changed. My read of, and customer feedback and research from, the consumer, that they wouldn’t be adverse to a smaller car with a smaller engine.
“And I think a prudent company would be hedging its bets with a complete range of small cars for a new-world order.”
Toyota also offers other sub-B light car alternatives to the Aygo in Asia, but Mr Evans believes that none have the necessary sophistication, refinement or safety specifications expected by Australian consumers.
“Australians now demand all the safety equipment, and then there are all kinds of issues with the design (since) it is made for developing countries, in terms of general sophistication, in terms of NVH (noise/vibration/harshness), and all those types of issues.
“That’s why – from a sub-Yaris point of view – we are more inclined to look at something like the Aygo than any low-cost model option.”
Mr Evans says that even if the Aygo replacement continued to be built only in Eastern Europe, it still had a chance of coming to Australia, despite the fall in the value of the Australian dollar.
“The Yen is pretty strong at the moment, so whether it is the Yen or the Euro (it doesn’t really matter).”
Special-edition Halo version released following slow sales of Toyota’s Rukus
TOYOTA has released a special-edition ‘Halo’ version of its youth-oriented Rukus, following slower than expected sales of the Corolla-based small car.
Launched last May with a sales forecast of 150-200 monthly sales, the three-grade Rukus line-up last year attracted 1089 buyers for a monthly average of 136, while sales so far in 2011 Rukus sales have reduced to 100 a month.
Now Toyota has introduced the Rukus Halo, priced $500 higher than the entry-level Rukus Build 1 upon which it is based at $27,990.
Metallic paint costs an extra $350 on standard Rukus models, but the Halo comes dressed in an exclusive ‘Voodoo Blue’ exterior paint colour with unique blue highlights.
Other additions for the Rukus Halo, which was produced in Japan between January and March, include dark grey fabric seat and door trim, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, reversing camera and blue front/rear footwell illumination.
As with all Rukus models, the Halo LE comes standard with a 2.4-litre VVT-I four-cylinder petrol engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, six airbags, electronic stability control, ABS brake with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, a six-speaker sound system, alloy wheels, power windows/mirrors, cruise control, keyless entry and starting, air-conditioning and privacy glass.
Toyota Aurion
Limited-edition Toyota Aurion White offers $3000 of extra gear for $3500 premium
By RON HAMMERTON2 May 2011
TOYOTA has released a special edition of its Aurion V6 large car, offering what the company says is $3000 of extra value – for $3500 more than the Aurion Prodigy on which it is based.
The $44,990 Aurion White – all 250 examples in the limited run are painted Crystal Pearl white – comes equipped with an array of extra features including Sportivo body kit, unique five-spoke grey alloy wheels, “leather-accented” interior, a premium three-spoke steering wheel, electric moonroof, carbon-fibre interior trim highlights, multi-function trip computer, dark grey carpets and Aurion-embroidered floor mats.
The standard Prodigy – on the second rung of the Aurion range – has a list price of $41,490, which is $3500 cheaper than the limited-edition Aurion White.
As well, customers pay extra for dealer delivery and government charges on both models.
Toyota Australia manager public relations Mike Breen told GoAuto that the new model had been created to meet demand from customers wanting all these particular features on an Aurion.
“What we did was fitted these parts to the car for an increased price, so whilst there is no saving, it is meeting a demand that we have seen from our customers,” he said.
By comparison, Ford Australia is offering its Falcon XR-6 – which normally retails for $42,990 plus on-roads – for just $34,990 driveaway.
Rival Holden has a special $36,990 driveaway offer on a Holden Berlina that usually sells for $43,490 plus on-roads. In the case of the Berlina, leather seats are standard.
The current Aurion is now in its final year, with a new model due in the first half of 2012.
Aurion sales to the end of March were down 21.7 per cent, to just 2190 units, compared with market leader Commodore’s 10,644 sales (down 6.3 per cent) and Falcon on 4448 sales (down 39.3 per cent.
The Aurion White is powered by the Aurion’s standard 200kW V6 mated with the six-speed automatic transmission.
The body kit includes Sportivo’s front, side and rear skirts, rear lip spoiler, dark-tinted headlamps, clear lens tail-lamps, chrome door handles, dual chrome exhaust diffusers and white Aurion badging.
Inside, the leather-accented seats have embroidered Aurion logos and contrast stitching, while the doors are trimmed in ‘greige’ fabric.
The media release says the Aurion White carries over the standard features of the Aurion Prodigy, including power driver's seat, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, alarm, six-disc CD display audio with USB and AUX input, and dual-zone climate-control.
Toyota 2012 Etios
New micro-car next on wishlist for Toyota Australia as it locks in light sedan
TOYOTA Australia is preparing to redouble its efforts at the budget end of the automotive spectrum, lining up a replacement for the Yaris sedan while eyeing an even cheaper sub-compact city-car to take the fight up to the likes of the Barina Spark, Nissan Micra and Suzuki Alto.
Although Australia’s number-one car company is tight-lipped on details of these vehicles, the betting is that they will be sourced from outside Japan, probably Thailand.
Thailand is also expected to replace Japan as the source of Toyota’s volume-selling Corolla small car for Australia at some point in the next generation, after the redesigned Corolla is launched in Australia in the second half of 2012.
Toyota Australia senior executive director of sales, marketing and aftermarket David Buttner told GoAuto at this week’s Camry launch that a replacement for the Yaris sedan was a certainty.
“We are progressing down that track,” he said. “We have a couple of irons in the fire, and at this juncture I can’t be definitive, but there certainly will be a replacement in the not too distant future.”
Launched in Australia in October, the new Yaris is made only in three-door and five-door hatchback variants, although Toyota dealers are continuing to sell the second-generation sedan alongside the new model, at least for now.
The combination has kicked goals in recent months, topping the light segment in November sales and pushing the market-leading Mazda2 back to second place for the month.
However, at some point the six-year-old Yaris sedan will have to make way for a fresh car to appeal for the core market comprising ‘empty-nesters’, retirees and young families, who account for about 15 per cent of all Yaris customers.
As GoAuto reported in October, a Toyota insider has suggested that work on a new light sedan based on the fresh XP130 architecture is underway within Toyota.
Mr Buttner also confirmed that Toyota Australia was on the prowl for a A-segment city-car to take a slice of the growing sub-light segment.
“We still also are looking for an entry in that sub-compact area, which is really an emerging market at the moment and really adding to the growth in those smaller cars,” he said.
All eyes will be on the 2012 New Delhi and Bangkok motor shows in January and March respectively, as global manufacturers increasingly use these venues to spring entry-level vehicles.
Last year, Toyota unveiled its Etios light sedan in India, with a suggestion that a similar vehicle would go into production in Thailand in 2012.
Toyota’s highly regarded iQ city hatchback has been ruled out for Australia due to its cost.
Melbourne-based Toyota Style Australia, which is responsible for the design work on the HiLux-based, Thai-built Toyota Fortuner SUV, is known to have been discussing other design work with its affiliate in Thailand – possibly an export version of a future light car.
Honda’s City light sedan started out as a basic car for Asia, but was progressed to the point where it became acceptable to more mature markets such as Australia, gaining obligatory safety features such as stability control and side airbags.
Meanwhile, Toyota has confirmed the all-new 11th generation Corolla will land in Australia within 12 months, representing the crescendo to a big year of Toyota new-model launches.
Next year will start with the launch of the hybrid Camry and Prius C compact sports hatch, plus the new Aurion large sedan, in the first quarter and continue with the Prius V hybrid wagon and 86 rear-drive sports coupe in the second quarter, with the facelifted RAV4 and new Corolla arriving in the second half.
More Sport for Corolla
TOYOTA has released a special-edition ‘Halo’ version of its youth-oriented Rukus, following slower than expected sales of the Corolla-based small car.
Launched last May with a sales forecast of 150-200 monthly sales, the three-grade Rukus line-up last year attracted 1089 buyers for a monthly average of 136, while sales so far in 2011 Rukus sales have reduced to 100 a month.
Now Toyota has introduced the Rukus Halo, priced $500 higher than the entry-level Rukus Build 1 upon which it is based at $27,990.
Metallic paint costs an extra $350 on standard Rukus models, but the Halo comes dressed in an exclusive ‘Voodoo Blue’ exterior paint colour with unique blue highlights.
Other additions for the Rukus Halo, which was produced in Japan between January and March, include dark grey fabric seat and door trim, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, reversing camera and blue front/rear footwell illumination.
As with all Rukus models, the Halo LE comes standard with a 2.4-litre VVT-I four-cylinder petrol engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, six airbags, electronic stability control, ABS brake with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, a six-speaker sound system, alloy wheels, power windows/mirrors, cruise control, keyless entry and starting, air-conditioning and privacy glass.
Toyota Aurion
Limited-edition Toyota Aurion White offers $3000 of extra gear for $3500 premium
By RON HAMMERTON2 May 2011
TOYOTA has released a special edition of its Aurion V6 large car, offering what the company says is $3000 of extra value – for $3500 more than the Aurion Prodigy on which it is based.
The $44,990 Aurion White – all 250 examples in the limited run are painted Crystal Pearl white – comes equipped with an array of extra features including Sportivo body kit, unique five-spoke grey alloy wheels, “leather-accented” interior, a premium three-spoke steering wheel, electric moonroof, carbon-fibre interior trim highlights, multi-function trip computer, dark grey carpets and Aurion-embroidered floor mats.
The standard Prodigy – on the second rung of the Aurion range – has a list price of $41,490, which is $3500 cheaper than the limited-edition Aurion White.
As well, customers pay extra for dealer delivery and government charges on both models.
Toyota Australia manager public relations Mike Breen told GoAuto that the new model had been created to meet demand from customers wanting all these particular features on an Aurion.
“What we did was fitted these parts to the car for an increased price, so whilst there is no saving, it is meeting a demand that we have seen from our customers,” he said.
By comparison, Ford Australia is offering its Falcon XR-6 – which normally retails for $42,990 plus on-roads – for just $34,990 driveaway.
Rival Holden has a special $36,990 driveaway offer on a Holden Berlina that usually sells for $43,490 plus on-roads. In the case of the Berlina, leather seats are standard.
The current Aurion is now in its final year, with a new model due in the first half of 2012.
Aurion sales to the end of March were down 21.7 per cent, to just 2190 units, compared with market leader Commodore’s 10,644 sales (down 6.3 per cent) and Falcon on 4448 sales (down 39.3 per cent.
The Aurion White is powered by the Aurion’s standard 200kW V6 mated with the six-speed automatic transmission.
The body kit includes Sportivo’s front, side and rear skirts, rear lip spoiler, dark-tinted headlamps, clear lens tail-lamps, chrome door handles, dual chrome exhaust diffusers and white Aurion badging.
Inside, the leather-accented seats have embroidered Aurion logos and contrast stitching, while the doors are trimmed in ‘greige’ fabric.
The media release says the Aurion White carries over the standard features of the Aurion Prodigy, including power driver's seat, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, alarm, six-disc CD display audio with USB and AUX input, and dual-zone climate-control.
Toyota 2012 Etios
New micro-car next on wishlist for Toyota Australia as it locks in light sedan
TOYOTA Australia is preparing to redouble its efforts at the budget end of the automotive spectrum, lining up a replacement for the Yaris sedan while eyeing an even cheaper sub-compact city-car to take the fight up to the likes of the Barina Spark, Nissan Micra and Suzuki Alto.
Although Australia’s number-one car company is tight-lipped on details of these vehicles, the betting is that they will be sourced from outside Japan, probably Thailand.
Thailand is also expected to replace Japan as the source of Toyota’s volume-selling Corolla small car for Australia at some point in the next generation, after the redesigned Corolla is launched in Australia in the second half of 2012.
Toyota Australia senior executive director of sales, marketing and aftermarket David Buttner told GoAuto at this week’s Camry launch that a replacement for the Yaris sedan was a certainty.
“We are progressing down that track,” he said. “We have a couple of irons in the fire, and at this juncture I can’t be definitive, but there certainly will be a replacement in the not too distant future.”
Launched in Australia in October, the new Yaris is made only in three-door and five-door hatchback variants, although Toyota dealers are continuing to sell the second-generation sedan alongside the new model, at least for now.
The combination has kicked goals in recent months, topping the light segment in November sales and pushing the market-leading Mazda2 back to second place for the month.
However, at some point the six-year-old Yaris sedan will have to make way for a fresh car to appeal for the core market comprising ‘empty-nesters’, retirees and young families, who account for about 15 per cent of all Yaris customers.
As GoAuto reported in October, a Toyota insider has suggested that work on a new light sedan based on the fresh XP130 architecture is underway within Toyota.
Mr Buttner also confirmed that Toyota Australia was on the prowl for a A-segment city-car to take a slice of the growing sub-light segment.
“We still also are looking for an entry in that sub-compact area, which is really an emerging market at the moment and really adding to the growth in those smaller cars,” he said.
All eyes will be on the 2012 New Delhi and Bangkok motor shows in January and March respectively, as global manufacturers increasingly use these venues to spring entry-level vehicles.
Last year, Toyota unveiled its Etios light sedan in India, with a suggestion that a similar vehicle would go into production in Thailand in 2012.
Toyota’s highly regarded iQ city hatchback has been ruled out for Australia due to its cost.
Melbourne-based Toyota Style Australia, which is responsible for the design work on the HiLux-based, Thai-built Toyota Fortuner SUV, is known to have been discussing other design work with its affiliate in Thailand – possibly an export version of a future light car.
Honda’s City light sedan started out as a basic car for Asia, but was progressed to the point where it became acceptable to more mature markets such as Australia, gaining obligatory safety features such as stability control and side airbags.
Meanwhile, Toyota has confirmed the all-new 11th generation Corolla will land in Australia within 12 months, representing the crescendo to a big year of Toyota new-model launches.
Next year will start with the launch of the hybrid Camry and Prius C compact sports hatch, plus the new Aurion large sedan, in the first quarter and continue with the Prius V hybrid wagon and 86 rear-drive sports coupe in the second quarter, with the facelifted RAV4 and new Corolla arriving in the second half.
More Sport for Corolla
Toyota adds Ascent Sport to Corolla range as evergreen small car’s popularity wanes
By MARTON PETTENDY1 August 2011
IT WAS dished up to Australians last July as a special-edition model limited to just 1500 examples and now, four years after the current model’s release in May 2007, Toyota has introduced the Ascent Sport as a full-time member of the Corolla family.
Based on the entry-level Corolla Ascent, the Sport sedan and hatchback again rides on 16-inch ‘Blade’ alloy wheels and 205/55 tyres from the flagship Corolla Levin ZR – instead of the base Ascent’s 15-inch steel wheels – and adds a range of other interior and exterior features from upstream Corolla models.
They include cruise control, a ‘luxury’ gearshifter and steering wheel with audio and multi-information display controls, while on the outside Ascent Sport models are differentiated by ‘Sport’ badges, front foglights and, on sedan versions, a rear wing.
Ascent Sport hatch models also score a front spoiler and larger rear wing, but both models come with a new ‘Gen Y’ audio system with monochromatic LCD display, amber backlighting, joystick, single CD player, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Bluetooth streaming, USB connectivity and a 3.5mm input audio jack.
Both sedan and hatch versions of the new Corolla are available in Glacier White, Silver Pearl, Graphite, Ink, Wildlife and Shimmer exterior paint colours and, while the sedan also comes in Tungsten and Tidal Blue, the hatch will be available in Marine and new Blue Metallic colours.
Last July’s Ascent Sport was claimed to add $1600 of value for $22,250 plus on-road costs – $510 more than the standard Ascent.
This year both sedan and hatch versions of the Sport will again be available with six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, with prices starting at $22,490 – up $1500 on the entry-level Corolla Ascent ($20,990).
Sales of Australia’s once-dominant small car have slumped by 17.5 per cent in the first half of 2011, in a small-car segment that is down 4.5 per cent overall.
Both the Mazda3 hatch/sedan and Holden Cruze sedan have taken advantage of the Corolla’s downturn in popularity this year, with Mazda3 sales up by 6.9 per cent.
So far this year the Mazda3 holds an 18.5 per cent share of its segment, with Holden’s sedan-only Cruze second (14.2 per cent) and the Corolla (13.7 per cent) holding down third but lying fewer than 1000 sales ahead of Hyundai’s i30 sedan, hatch and wagon range (13.0 per cent).
All Australian Corollas continue to come standard with electronic stability control, seven airbags and a 100kW/175Nm 1.8-litre petrol engine – except for the range-topping Ultima sedan, which scored a 102kW/169Nm 2.0-litre engine last June, when a Corolla sedan facelift brought four-door models into line with facelifted five-door hatch models released in November 2009.
2011 Toyota Prius
Getting a full weekend in a 2011 Toyota Prius wasn't what I would wish for if I had my druthers, but it did give me a good chance to evaluate the car over the mostly mundane tasks that fill two off days per week.
First of all, in normal mode, this car is annoyingly slow. Most of the cars today, even the inexpensive ones such as the Hyundai Elantra and the Ford Fiesta, have a little urgency to them when you smash the pedal. The Prius only does in power mode, which seems to use the battery on every takeoff.
I tried to switch it into EV mode, but at any decent press on the pedal or at any speeds near 30 mph, the engine kicks on. Eco mode makes it slower than already-slow normal but must use a good amount less gasoline. It would be wise to run it in eco for a half tank then power for a half tank.
You need a heavy foot to keep this car at expressway speed. I went from Grosse Pointe, Mich., to Ann Arbor, Mich., with my dad on Saturday for a Michigan football game with a surprisingly little amount of traffic. We bounced in between 65 mph and 75 mph the whole way. If you slow down too much, you really have to give it the boot to get back up to speed.
We did have plenty of room for drinks, snacks and other stuff you carry with you to the game, along with a group of cable boxes, wires and remotes that needed to go back to my cable company.
The dashboard has a little Volvo in it, with the center instrument panel coming out, with more space behind for storage. The seat-heat buttons were back there, which seemed like a strange place; they were the only two. Other than that, everything was Toyota-looking, with no analog gauges, just a digital readout left of center.
2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
If fuel economy is your primary concern, the 2011 Toyota Highlander hybrid is the only three-row SUV that puts up this kind of mileage numbers. I drove it about 80 miles without the gas gauge even moving--try that in your (fill in the blank) SUV. The interior is fairly upscale, with an excellent and accurate voice-activated navigation system, comfortable heated seats and nice-looking trim throughout. Curiously, the car lacks automatic climate control, but at least the controls are large and simple.
You do have to accept its shortcomings, including the fact that its styling evokes a 10-year-old Chevrolet TrailBlazer, it rolls like a waterlogged boat (no doubt because of battery weight), and it costs nearly as much as a nonhybrid all-wheel-drive Chevy Suburban. And you still have to deal with the odd off-on-off-on hybrid power delivery at a steady cruising speed that is enough to drive you batty. Oddly, that hybrid rocking motion seems to disappear with cruise control on.
Bottom line: If you need the seating and 28 mpg, this is your vehicle. But if you can give up some fuel economy, there are many choices--some significantly better overall--at about the 20-mpg mark.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Let me get this straight, Toyota: For $46,000 and change, you're going to give me a 2.5-row crossover (the rear seats are marginal at best, even for this category) with no automatic climate control, no power passenger's seat, a gimmicky, hard-plastic-laden interior and comically poor performance?
Yes, but it has hybrid synergy drive!
Uh-huh. And that will be enough for some. But for consumers who place value for the dollar roughly in line with fuel efficiency, the Highlander hybrid simply has nothing to offer.
Take the interior, for example. I'm not sure what crossover Bob was sitting in, but the Highlander hybrid that I drove over the long Thanksgiving weekend had a dash surface made from some plastic composite that was textured to feel exactly like a chalkboard (you could even leave white streaks in it with your fingernails). The heated seats apparently had an eco mode, being so weak we just left them on high all the time despite lovely 60-degree weather. And, just to be clear, I'm not a gadget snob, but at this price point, the lack of automatic climate control and full power front seating is inexcusable. I will concur that the controls were indeed large, so if fan-speed-knob diameter is a key purchase consideration for you, then the Highlander might make the cut.
Wind and road noise were about average for the class, but the Highlander's electric power steering is an example of the worst of a still-evolving technology. Assist moves from too slow to overboosted at low speeds, and it's twitchy on the highway.
By MARTON PETTENDY1 August 2011
IT WAS dished up to Australians last July as a special-edition model limited to just 1500 examples and now, four years after the current model’s release in May 2007, Toyota has introduced the Ascent Sport as a full-time member of the Corolla family.
Based on the entry-level Corolla Ascent, the Sport sedan and hatchback again rides on 16-inch ‘Blade’ alloy wheels and 205/55 tyres from the flagship Corolla Levin ZR – instead of the base Ascent’s 15-inch steel wheels – and adds a range of other interior and exterior features from upstream Corolla models.
They include cruise control, a ‘luxury’ gearshifter and steering wheel with audio and multi-information display controls, while on the outside Ascent Sport models are differentiated by ‘Sport’ badges, front foglights and, on sedan versions, a rear wing.
Ascent Sport hatch models also score a front spoiler and larger rear wing, but both models come with a new ‘Gen Y’ audio system with monochromatic LCD display, amber backlighting, joystick, single CD player, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Bluetooth streaming, USB connectivity and a 3.5mm input audio jack.
Both sedan and hatch versions of the new Corolla are available in Glacier White, Silver Pearl, Graphite, Ink, Wildlife and Shimmer exterior paint colours and, while the sedan also comes in Tungsten and Tidal Blue, the hatch will be available in Marine and new Blue Metallic colours.
Last July’s Ascent Sport was claimed to add $1600 of value for $22,250 plus on-road costs – $510 more than the standard Ascent.
This year both sedan and hatch versions of the Sport will again be available with six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, with prices starting at $22,490 – up $1500 on the entry-level Corolla Ascent ($20,990).
Sales of Australia’s once-dominant small car have slumped by 17.5 per cent in the first half of 2011, in a small-car segment that is down 4.5 per cent overall.
Both the Mazda3 hatch/sedan and Holden Cruze sedan have taken advantage of the Corolla’s downturn in popularity this year, with Mazda3 sales up by 6.9 per cent.
So far this year the Mazda3 holds an 18.5 per cent share of its segment, with Holden’s sedan-only Cruze second (14.2 per cent) and the Corolla (13.7 per cent) holding down third but lying fewer than 1000 sales ahead of Hyundai’s i30 sedan, hatch and wagon range (13.0 per cent).
All Australian Corollas continue to come standard with electronic stability control, seven airbags and a 100kW/175Nm 1.8-litre petrol engine – except for the range-topping Ultima sedan, which scored a 102kW/169Nm 2.0-litre engine last June, when a Corolla sedan facelift brought four-door models into line with facelifted five-door hatch models released in November 2009.
2011 Toyota Prius
Getting a full weekend in a 2011 Toyota Prius wasn't what I would wish for if I had my druthers, but it did give me a good chance to evaluate the car over the mostly mundane tasks that fill two off days per week.
First of all, in normal mode, this car is annoyingly slow. Most of the cars today, even the inexpensive ones such as the Hyundai Elantra and the Ford Fiesta, have a little urgency to them when you smash the pedal. The Prius only does in power mode, which seems to use the battery on every takeoff.
I tried to switch it into EV mode, but at any decent press on the pedal or at any speeds near 30 mph, the engine kicks on. Eco mode makes it slower than already-slow normal but must use a good amount less gasoline. It would be wise to run it in eco for a half tank then power for a half tank.
You need a heavy foot to keep this car at expressway speed. I went from Grosse Pointe, Mich., to Ann Arbor, Mich., with my dad on Saturday for a Michigan football game with a surprisingly little amount of traffic. We bounced in between 65 mph and 75 mph the whole way. If you slow down too much, you really have to give it the boot to get back up to speed.
We did have plenty of room for drinks, snacks and other stuff you carry with you to the game, along with a group of cable boxes, wires and remotes that needed to go back to my cable company.
The dashboard has a little Volvo in it, with the center instrument panel coming out, with more space behind for storage. The seat-heat buttons were back there, which seemed like a strange place; they were the only two. Other than that, everything was Toyota-looking, with no analog gauges, just a digital readout left of center.
2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
You do have to accept its shortcomings, including the fact that its styling evokes a 10-year-old Chevrolet TrailBlazer, it rolls like a waterlogged boat (no doubt because of battery weight), and it costs nearly as much as a nonhybrid all-wheel-drive Chevy Suburban. And you still have to deal with the odd off-on-off-on hybrid power delivery at a steady cruising speed that is enough to drive you batty. Oddly, that hybrid rocking motion seems to disappear with cruise control on.
Bottom line: If you need the seating and 28 mpg, this is your vehicle. But if you can give up some fuel economy, there are many choices--some significantly better overall--at about the 20-mpg mark.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Let me get this straight, Toyota: For $46,000 and change, you're going to give me a 2.5-row crossover (the rear seats are marginal at best, even for this category) with no automatic climate control, no power passenger's seat, a gimmicky, hard-plastic-laden interior and comically poor performance?
Yes, but it has hybrid synergy drive!
Uh-huh. And that will be enough for some. But for consumers who place value for the dollar roughly in line with fuel efficiency, the Highlander hybrid simply has nothing to offer.
Take the interior, for example. I'm not sure what crossover Bob was sitting in, but the Highlander hybrid that I drove over the long Thanksgiving weekend had a dash surface made from some plastic composite that was textured to feel exactly like a chalkboard (you could even leave white streaks in it with your fingernails). The heated seats apparently had an eco mode, being so weak we just left them on high all the time despite lovely 60-degree weather. And, just to be clear, I'm not a gadget snob, but at this price point, the lack of automatic climate control and full power front seating is inexcusable. I will concur that the controls were indeed large, so if fan-speed-knob diameter is a key purchase consideration for you, then the Highlander might make the cut.
Wind and road noise were about average for the class, but the Highlander's electric power steering is an example of the worst of a still-evolving technology. Assist moves from too slow to overboosted at low speeds, and it's twitchy on the highway.
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