Toyota Into Compact MUV Segment

Eyeing the success of the existing players in this segment, Toyota may introduce a compact MUV in the Indian market. Toyota have not yet taken a decision but are also aware of the market potential of the small utility vehicle segment. The Japanese automaker is keenly looking at Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga, which is doing good numbers in the market. The other big competitor in this segment is the recently launched Mahindra Quanto which may see some good sales too.

The new word for the Indian market is ‘compact,’ and this word is no longer related to just the small cars but also to sedans and recently to SUV’s and MUV’s. Also, the sale of diesel-powered cars in India is on the rise. These factors may prompt Toyota India to introduce a new vehicle in the compact MUV segment. The companys’s Innova has been on the Indian roads for quite some time now and has proven to be a very reliable utility vehicle. There were news about the Avanza being launched in India by 2013. Avanza is a compact utility vehicle which will be placed below the Innova and is already being sold in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and China. So a smaller version of the Innova, probably, could excite the Indian buyer and may prove profitable for the company.

Toyota is also planning to invest Rs. 900 crore to expand its manufacturing plant in Bangalore. This expansion will add another 1,00,000 units to its existing capacity of 2,10,000 cars annually. These investments will most likely benefit the production of Innova and the Etios. The company is also planning to set up a diesel engine manufacturing plant in India. However, these plans are put on hold considering speculations of imposing taxes on diesel powered cars and irregularities in the pricing of diesel fuel in the country.

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Toyota Releases New Line of Accessories for European Market GT 86 Coupe

"Thanks to its affordable price starting at €29,990 [roughly US$37,200], sports car fans have a lot of room left for customization," states Toyota's German arm in a release regarding the debut of a new range of accessories for the European twin of the Scion FR-S, the GT 86.

Understandably, the automaker's claim is debatable, but getting to the point, the newly launched collection for the GT 86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe includes several styling and equipment options.

On the design front, Toyota offers decorative racing stripes in matte black or matte silver for the hood, roof, boot and on the sides, along with carbon fiber mirror caps and a choice of 18-inch alloy wheels in matte black (€389), Himalayan Grey (€399) and the graphite "Ultraleggera" (€529) rims.

A 30mm lowered sports suspension (€189) can further enhance the GT-86's stance as well as improve handling.

For the interior, the Japanese firm's current offerings include the 'Toyota Touch & Go' multimedia and navigation system with a touch-screen color screen for €695 and JBL sound system for €1,045.

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New Toyota Prius C Hybrid

Toyota’s least-expensive hybrid model, the $18,950 (excluding a $760 delivery and processing fee) 2013 Prius C, is the latest car to be tested by Consumer Reports magazine.

Unfortunately for Toyota, the product-testing magazine asserted that the Prius C is not good enough to be recommended.

"This subcompact hatchback, which is related to the lackluster Toyota Yaris, suffers from a stiff ride, very noisy cabin, slow acceleration, and cheap-looking interior trim," said Consumer Reports.

"In Consumer Reports Ratings, the Prius C’s overall test score puts it slightly under its chief competitor, the mediocre Honda Insight, and is too low for us to recommend the model. We do expect it to have very good reliability," the magazine added.

Nevertheless, Consumer Reports did find some positive things to say about the sub-compact hybrid model, including "its tiny dimensions and easy parking make it a natural for urban driving", and more importantly, that it "delivers excellent fuel economy of 43 mpg overall" and 37mpg in the city, which is the best of any vehicle tested by the magazine.

You can watch Consumer Reports' review of the Prius C in the video that follows after the break.

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Toyota Reveals 2013 NASCAR Camry

Toyota, along with its racing division TRD, has revealed the first picture of its 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicle, based on the Toyota Camry.

The racing car has been intentionally designed to look similar to the production model road going Camry and although the front of the car is a little more aesthetically pleasing than the production version, there are mostly similarities between the two.

The racing series that kicks off in February in Daytona, Florida sees Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing as the  teams reportedly

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Toyota enables remote controls for Smart Navi system using the Nintendo DS

To us, the Nintendo DS has always been more than just a great way to play games while away from your geek-cave. Toyota seems to have thought jus the same and is now enabling Japanese users to hook up their Nintendo DS devices to the Toyota Smart Navi systems, allowing passengers to remotely control the navigation system. Called the Kuruma de DS, the system allows passengers to input destinations using the Nintendo DS, without having to reach for the Smart Navi system. With a game card that’s Bluetooth-enabled, the DS quickly pair’s with the car’s navigation system. The pricing however might turnoff quite a few, given the fact that the Kuruma de DS comes for $92, besides the $2,586 you’ve spent on the Smart Navi and the additional bucks you might need to blow up, just in case you don’t own a Nintendo DS already.
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Where Is The Toyota Prado Diesel?

In India, badge plays a vital role. Case in point is the Prado. Toyota has brought in the facelift version of the Land Cruiser Prado to the Indian market. Widely known simply as the Prado, it is the compact version of the Toyota’s massive muscular SUV, the Land Cruiser. Being derived from the Land Cruiser, the Toyota Prado does carry over many design cues from its big brother. But do we even see as many on the road? The Prado being a fantastic vehicle lacks the badge to compete with the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes M-Class. Toyota does not advertise it much either.

The facelift version of the Toyota Prado gets in new front bumpers, front headlights and a slightly revised front grille. The bumpers have been made more muscular with pronounced wheel arches both at the front and the rear. Under the hood, the Toyota Prado is powered by Toyota’s 3.0-litre D4-D diesel engine that produces 170 BHP of peak power at 3400 RPM and 410 NM of torque at just 1600 RPM. it is mated to a 5 speed automatic gearbox. With a seating capacity of 7, it rides on 265/60 R18 tires. The Toyota Prado is suspended via double wishbone suspension at the front and air suspension at the back. The use of air suspension makes the ride comfortable by a huge margin. It measures 4760 mm in length, 1885 mm in width and 1880 mm in height.

The Toyota Prado also comes packed in with features like 7 airbags, parking sensors, fog lamps, Traction Control, EBD, ABS and ESP as standard. Other features include AC with climate control, power windows, remote, boot, rear wiper, rear defogger, electric driver seat adjustment and sun roof. The Toyota Prado is sold as only 1 variant, so in case you want to buy one, you get all these features and a lot more. The Toyota Prado comes in 5 shades; Black, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Greyish Blue Metallic and White Pearl CS. The Toyota Prado retails at a price of Rs. 57 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai).

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Toyota Flexible Platform TNGA Will Reduce Cost Of New Models

The expenditure on developing separate car models on new platforms is rising day by day and to resort to a better and more economical situation, manufacturers have started developing flexible platforms which can be used in not just one, but different type models. First it was Nissan who came up with Nissan V-Platform and recently it was Volkswagen announcing the all new Volkswagen MQB Platform. Mercedes-Benz is also developing MFA and MRA architecture for its future models.

Toyota already has a MC-M platform on which Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla sedans are based and the same is expected to underpin 3.4 million cars by the year 2017. Obviously you cannot call it flexible as it supports a less number of models but as an answer to this flexibility issue, Toyota has recently unveiled Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) which will support multiple models at a time thereby increasing the number of common parts, reducing time and investment required to test each platform and take benefit from economies of scale and lower time to market.

image – Toyota Venza

With no surprise it would bring down the costs and will enable Toyota to freely develop different types of models based on regional needs based on the new Flexible Platform TNGA. The new platform supports three front-wheel-drive platforms which would cover half of cars in Toyota’s global portfolio. This new step comes as other majors like Kia and Hyundai have introduced visually appealing, fuel efficient and features-packed vehicles.

One of the officials at Toyota’s headquarters said

“The feeling at the time was, ‘If we build it, they will come. Instead of developing what customers would want next, we were making cars that would rake in sales.”

For the past couple of years Toyota has not been doing great in terms of sales and the one of the reasons for it is the products. Toyota has been focusing more on sales rather than delivering what customers are expecting in terms of newer and fresher products. Times are going to change as Toyota has come up with a new Flexible Platform TNGA which will develop exciting products that too according to needs of the customers.

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Toyota Modifies Global Product Development Strategy

Toyota has announced it is going to introduce a new framework for vehicle development that will be encompassing all brands within the Toyota group. The overhaul in product development strategy is being carried out in an effort to reduce costs, reduce launch times and also make the Toyota vehicles more appealing in terms of styling and handling. The Japanese car maker intends to maintain its market share in the highly competitive car market and this step of having a common global architecture is similar to what Volkswagen is doing with the MQB platform.

One key element in the company’s strategy will be the development of new global vehicle architectures which would be shared by many Toyota models across the world. A Toyota official commented on the same lines that cooperation between the planning and design divisions would result in a revised vehicle body structure with which new platforms would be featuring a lower center of gravity and bolder styling. This effort would help Toyota realise the development of cars with never-before-seen emotional designs and superb handling.

The Japanese car maker announced that it will be starting the development of three front wheel drive platforms under Toyota’s new “Toyota New Global Architecture” that will account for as much as half the company’s global production volumes. In addition to this, Toyota also announced a major change in terms of the role of its chief engineers. Under the new R&D structure, it will reduce the number of executives who attend internal design review meetings while giving chief engineers greater authority. You can check the image below for more clarity.

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Toyota Sells Over 50 Lakh IMV Series Vehicles Including Innova And Fortuner

Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan today announced that the (Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle) IMV Series Vehicle Cumulative Global Production and Sales crossed 50 Lakhs (5 million) units. Toyota Hilux, Toyota Innova MPV and Toyota Fortuner SUV are the vehicles manufactured on the IMV platform and Innova and Fortuner are the two models from the IMV series that are manufactured in India. The IMV series vehicles are manufactured in 11 locations across the world. For vehicle assembly, Toyota uses plants in Thailand, Indonesia, Argentina and South Africa. These are four main IMV production bases that also export IMV vehicles.

Toyota initiated the IMV project to create an optimized global manufacturing and supply system for pick-up truck, minivan, and SUV to cater to the market demand in more than 140 countries and regions worldwide. Under the IMV project Toyota manufactures diesel engines in Thailand, gasoline engines in Indonesia and manual transmissions in India and the Philippines. These are supplied to the countries manufacturing vehicles on the IMV platform.

image – 2012 Toyota Fortuner SUV

Commenting on the IMV vehicles in India Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said “We are very happy to have touched the record 5 million mark in global production and sales of the IMV series vehicles. India is one of the leading IMV countries and has played an important role in the success of the IMV project. This underlines the faith that Indian customers have placed in the Innova and Fortuner through the years, that has translated into its success in India.”

image – 2012 New Toyota Innova

Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director – Marketing, TKM quoted:

“The Innova and Fortuner like all IMV series vehicles are designed to provide unprecedented satisfaction in terms of comfort, styling, handling, safety, fuel economy, and environmental sensitivity. The New Innova and New Fortuner have been very well received. The Innova and Fortuner are very successful models in India. Innova achieved cumulative sales of around 3, 28,000 units since its launch in 2005 and Fortuner around 30,000 units since its launch in 2009 ”

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Toyota Says NO To Low-End Cars

One of the leading automobile manufacturers of the world, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) recently issued a statement where it stated that the company has no intentions of developing very low cars just to expect sales volumes and neglect reliability in emerging markets. Mr. Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corporation stated that the company would continue to focus on providing reliability on its products. Mr. Toyoda also added that Toyota is a full-line car maker and doesn’t have the capability to develop ultra-low cost cars like that of Tata Motors.

Tata Motors is credited with the design and development of the cheapest car in the world but has failed to meet its target sales volumes. The comment from Toyota comes days after its rivals, Nissan and Volkswagen had announced that they are very keen to enter into this segment. Nissan plans to enter into this segment under the Datsun brand. However, Toyota has indeed some interest in the Indian compact hatchback segment and the development of the Etios was a step ahead in that direction. However, with starting price just below Rs. 4 lakhs, Toyota has still a lot to learn from other big players like Maruti Suzuki.

Currently, Toyota is putting all its energy into developing products for the middle- to upper-class where its strengths lie, even if that meant playing in only a fraction of big, emerging markets. But when one looks into the design and quality of the Etios, one feels that Toyota has indeed made a good decision to stay away from making cars for the entry-level segment. Even after pumping in close to Rs. 3200 crore on the development of the Etios twins, the cars are nothing close in quality to what Toyota cars are known for.

Source – motorbeam.vom

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Toyota Launched Hybrid Ft-bh Car PictureS

For the past few months, no automaker has seemed quite as energized as Toyota. Determined to bounce back from disaster-filled years, the Japanese behemoth has launched several successful new models and a passel of attractive concept cars such as the beautiful Lexus LF-LC. This is the Toyota FT-Bh, a hybrid concept at the Geneva Motor Show that gets 134.5 mpg. They can't all be winners. A decade after the Prius first arrived, no other automaker has managed to produce hybrid vehicles in volumes approaching Toyota -- a tribute to the company's head-start in technology and business acumen. Some of that can been seen in the FT-Bh, conceived to show how to build a Toyota Yaris-sized hybrid for maximum efficiency without using exotic materials that would drive up prices. Weighing a scant 1,700 lbs., and sculpted for aerodynamics, the Toyota FT-Bh's power comes from a 1-liter, two-cylinder engine -- a smaller mill than what you find in large motorcycles.

 

 

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Land Rover Defender Concept 100 (DC 100) & Defender Concept 100 Sport Showcased

As we reported in our post dated 30th December, JLR/Jaguar and Land Rover have showcased their concept models at the 2012 Auto Expo. Back at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show the company displayed Land Rover DC100 and Land Rover DC100 Sport concept cars and recently they graced the Auto Expo as well.
The company has designed both the models following a very futuristic approach and both the concepts carry the real spirit of the Land Rover Series 1 established in 1948. In a simple term the concepts are a modern interpretation of the brand’s heritage and are very futuristic in all aspects.

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

Some of the technologies employed in these concepts include mixed alloy underpinnings, eight speed automatic transmission, Intelligent start stop system, Land Rover’s next generation all-terrain technology, Terrain Response system etc.

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

Land Rover DC100 & DC100 Sport Concept Key Features

• Two new concepts from Land Rover investigate the potential future design direction of the iconic Defender.

• The concepts capture the flexibility, adaptability and configurability that have always been key attributes of Land Rover and continue in today’s Defender.

• Defender Concept 100 demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility.
• Defender Concept 100 Sport is an active expression of freedom and leisure.

• Both concepts are based on the same lightweight, mixed-alloy platform.

• Three-abreast ‘social seating’ is inspired by the very first Land Rovers.

• Cutting-edge, sustainable, hi-tech materials taken from aerospace industries.

• The Terrain-i scanning device warns the driver of obstacles when off-roading and can suggest alternative routes.

• Wade Aid uses sonar technology to assess water depth and advise the driver of optimum speed.

• Intelligent, next-generation, Land Rover Terrain Response system automatically optimizes the car for any environment.

• Driver-activated spiked tyre system can be deployed at the touch of a button.

• Permanent four-wheel drive with an eight-speed transmission, Intelligent Stop/Start and a transfer case.

• Driveline Disconnect physically decouples the rear axle to save fuel when all-wheel drive is not required.

• 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with hybrid and plug-in capabilities.

• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Leisure key is a waterproof, lightweight alternative to the control fob.

• ‘Always-on’ connectivity and telematics allow for car-to-smartphone, car-to-car and car-to-base communication.

• Built-in induction charging stations throughout both concepts.

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept Interiors
The company is currently working on the production models of the Defender series and hopefully they will launch this vehicle in the global market by 2015/2016.

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Land Rover DC100 & DC100 Sport Concept Exclusive Shots From 2012 Auto Expo

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

Image-Land Rover DC100 Concept

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Toyota Etios One Make Racing Series Launched At Auto Expo

Toyota India launches the Etios Motor Racing Trophy– A One Make Racing Series in India at the Auto Expo 2012 in India. Continuing the Company’s global legacy of motorsports, the racing tourney will be supported by one of the most accomplished and acclaimed companies in motorsport history – TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the corporate brand from the Toyota affiliate, Toyota Technocraft Co. Ltd. This new venture from Toyota comes close on the heels of the very successful launches of the Etios, Etios Liva and their diesel versions, all introduced in over a span of a year. The Etios brand was introduced in the mass segment with a youthful vibe, and the motorsport venture is an extension of the new image that Toyota is creating in India. Toyota’s foray into motorsport in the country also comes at a time when the popularity of the sport is gaining momentum, more so after the resounding success of the first ever Indian F1 race in October last year.

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo
The Etios racing platform will help talented young racers develop their skills, and further train them to gain a competitive edge for their future in motorsports. They will be mentored by experts in the field, and will be given an opportunity to compete among the best in the country. This series will not only highlight the technological prowess of the manufacturer, but also the endurance levels of the Etios and the ‘fun to drive’ aspect of the vehicle.
The unveiling of the racing concept cars is only the beginning of the excitement that the EMR project has in store during the run up to the series the following year. In its effort to take motorsports closer to its customers and the youth of the country, the EMR concept cars will be touring 13 cities and 22 TKM dealerships across the country. Every weekend for four months, starting the 28th of this month in Chandigarh, motorsport enthusiasts will be given an opportunity not only to touch and feel the Etios in its racing avatar but also engage in a plethora of racing activities.

Driver Selection For Etios One Make Racing Series

1. Applications will be open online www.toyotaetios.in/emr starting January 15, 2012
2. Online application will be closed on February 15, 2012
3. Rigorous EMR camps will be conducted between March and June, 2012 to shortlist the drivers and arrive at the final driver line-up

The selected applicants will go through simulator evaluation rounds and go-kart selection rounds to begin with, and then graduate to driving the Etios Motor Racing cars along with in-depth lectures as part of the training process. All the training will be conducted by professional drivers and instructors from Toyota and local racing experts. The study material will be a combination of what is used in Japan and what is required by FMSCI to ensure the drivers are trained to international standards.

Toyota Etios One Make Racing Series Concept Cars Official Images

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

image – Toyota Launched Etios One Make Racing Series in India At Auto Expo

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2012 Toyota Land Cruiser/LC 200 SUV New Model At Auto Expo

The much awaited 2012 model of the Toyota Land Cruiser is finally here and very much like its predecessors, the SUV promises to offer more than expected. During the last week of December 2011 we brought you the pictures, specifications and features of the 2012 Land Cruiser but since the information was not officially confirmed we were doubtful about a couple of things.
Today we bring you all possible and official information on the same car which is on showcase at the ongoing 2012 Auto Expo. As expected the company has not made any major changes but whatever has been changed is definitely worth considering. The following are the features of the 2012 Land Cruiser:

• First and foremost the car has a full-time 4WD system that instantly optimizes front/rear torque distribution irrespective of the type of path and surface.
• Complementing the All Wheel Drive system is the Multi-terrain ABS that continuously monitors engine revolutions and vehicle speed and therefore adjusts wheel-slippage irrespective of the type of terrain.
• Crawl Control System, a system specially designed for better control and stability on muddy or rocky surfaces.

image – 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser

• TEMS(Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension)`to control the damping force of shock absorbers for a stable body position and smooth ride control.
• Hill-Start Assist Control that helps hold the vehicle whenever rollback is detected on steep slopes.

image – 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser

image – 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser

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