Running of the Toyota bull

Toyota Working To Improve European Sales

2008-09-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

Europe hasn’t been all that kind to Toyota as of late. The company has had it shares of problems with the stagnant sales of its European vehicles, which goes as far back as March 2007. However, Toyota isn’t giving up on this market just yet. The company has made plans to launch an assault by flooding the European market with a total of 18 new vehicles until the end of 2009.

As part of its assault, Toyota will be launching the new Toyota Avensis. This new model will first be making an appearance at the upcoming Paris Motor Show before it hits a distributor near you. Other vehicles that are in line to penetrate the European market are the all-new Toyota Prius and its Lexus counterpart. These two vehicles will be available nationwide during the first half of next year.

But even though Toyota will be launching a full scale assault to recover its losses in Europe, the company isn’t expecting to get any returns soon. According to the forecast made by Toyota, its return of investment might come back by 2010. It isn’t expecting any sales boom this year or next year. As a result, Toyota has decreased their sales quota for the year and 2009 as well.

However, the bright side here is that despite dwindling sales in the Europe proper, sales in its eastern part have increased. This boost in sales has prompted Toyota to sell a total of 200,000 vehicles to Russia. The company will also work on improving its European R&D center by adding 250 employees, a new test track and bigger workshop.

Hopefully, these plans of Toyota materialize real soon. With the people in the United States keeping a tight lid on their expenses, improved sales in Europe will help Toyota make up for whatever losses it may incur in the West.

Source: Left Lane News

Three Is A Charm For Toyota

2008-09-04T22:25:00.001-07:00

If you’re a Toyota enthusiast, then you should know that there are three reasons why you should be at this year’s Paris Motor Show: a new Avensis, a new iQ and new Urban Cruiser. Now before you hop on a plane and fly off to Paris, you might want to get an idea as to what these upcoming vehicles can actually do.

First up is the new Toyota Avensis. Slated to be a European release, the new four-door sedan will be equipped with an engine that’s able to reduce the C02 emission it produces while in action. It’s also designed to have a smaller deck lid than its predecessor, as well as larger rear taillights and stronger shoulder lines. Reports have been circulating that this new sedan will be available as early as January of next year.

Next is the much anticipated production model of the Toyota iQ. Considered the smallest 4-seater in the automotive industry (it’s said to be less than 3 meters in length), this “mini-mean” machine is able to offer all-around protection, by offering both a front set of airbags and a rear window curtain shield airbags. Its C02 emissions are reduced as well, with the iQ going for 99g/km.

Last on the list is the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Despite being an off-road vehicle, just like the first two Toyota vehicles, the Urban Cruiser is also built to produce minimum C02 emissions. Based on reports, its 1.4-liter D-4D diesel engine only produces as little as 133 g/km. Now that’s probably less than what the other off-road vehicles out there produce. Aside from that, it also sports an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) feature, making it easy for its aspiring owners to maneuver the vehicle with ease.

Now you know what’s in store for you, go ahead and hop on to the next flight to Paris. Just in case you do push through in dropping by at the motor show, Toyota’s booth can be found at Hall 4 of the exhibition centre.

Sources: AutoChannel, AutoBlog

Customized Prius Courtesy Of Three Guys With Great Eyes

2008-08-27T18:27:00.001-07:00

This is what a Prius looks like with practically nothing on it except the bare essentials. Classy, yet you know that something’s missing. It’s like it’s in need of a little excitement that will take it away from its square outlook in life.

This, on the other hand, is what a Prius would look like if left in the hands of a couple of creative geniuses. Well, three to be exact. Swedish natives Classe Gustafson, Elvis Häggbom and Kenny Kyrkare are the people responsible for this spiced-up looking Toyota Prius. Now what was the reason behind their attempts to spice up an ordinary looking car? Well, they just wanted to prove that the Prius doesn’t have to look boring.

So to convert the otherwise “boring” Prius shown at the top to something that resembles the fired up version you see just above this paragraph, they had to practically revamp the whole car. They created a body kit based on the Volvo XC90, got rid of the back doors and made it a two-door car, reshaped the side windows and got rid of the back windows, added a carbon fiber wind splitter under the front bumper and door sills and also a carbon fiber venture at the rear. Aside from these additions, the guys equipped the car with an air suspension and a set of 20-inch wheels. And that’s only for its exterior.

The inside on the other hand is equipped with a custom dashboard, a center console, a set of racing seats, a 4,400-watt stereo system that has five subwoofers and eight speakers. The best part though is that they managed to incorporate 15 (yes, 15) LCD screens, a tablet PC and gave the car internet access.

All-in-all, this customized Prius took them eight weeks and cost them a whopping $184,275. And this they did just to show that even a boring-looking Toyota Prius can be given a life of its own. Excellent work, guys.

Sources: AutoBlog, Wired, How Stuff Works

Toyota Financial Claims Biggest U.S. Auto Loan Title; Upsets GMAC Financial Services

2008-08-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

This year, Toyota has been in a number of battles to lay stake to the claim of being the top dog in the automotive industry. After upsetting General Motors by topping the sales chart last April, the Japanese automaker has managed to score another win thanks to its financial division.

And who did the company run over now? That would be GMAC Financial Services. After being the top lending firm in the United States, Toyota’s Financial Services Division was able to snag the top spot from them after capturing about 6.35% of the market from January through June. GMAC was only able to get 6.2% of that market to land in second place. Although the percentages were close, GMAC clarified that the study conducted by AutoCount – a division of the Experian Automotive Company – failed to include its ties with its two subsidiaries, Nuvel Credit and National Auto Finance. Had they been factored in, GMAC said they would’ve captured 6.72% of the market and top Toyota Financial Services.

But since the study was focused on how a financial service company was able to capture a portion of the market without the help of its subsidiaries, that means Toyota Financial Services is still your current and reigning top auto lender in the U.S. Read them and weep.

Source: AutoBlog

Toyota Firm In Keeping Its Workers

2008-08-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

We’re currently facing tough times brought about by the sudden surge in oil prices and food shortage. This has caused a dip in the spending power of not only the people but also of the different companies as well. These companies have encountered poor sales and - in order for them to recover - have laid off a number of its workers to make up for their losses. Thankfully, despite incurring similar losses, Toyota is still doing its best to hold on to its full-time workers from idle production plants.

A total of 4,500 of these workers, while not working on a regular basis, are still employed with the company. Since the production in the plants they’re currently working in has waned a bit, instead of letting them go, Toyota has decided to have these workers trained instead by letting them take classes that focuses on safety, diversity and of Toyota’s rich history. They’re engaged in community service, gardening with some even being tasked to temporarily help lighten the workload of other production plants that are working beyond its expected capacity.

While Toyota is spending around $50 million just to keep these workers busy with training, what’s good about this plan is that Toyota is able to help these workers in retaining their jobs. This allows them to still earn a living despite not working on a consistent basis. Not only that, but this helps Toyota since it ensures that the company will have people on the side that can come in anytime in the event that the business starts to pick up. Honestly, I think this is a far better move than having to go through the arduous process of having to hire and train new workers again, don’t you think? At least Toyota gets to keep those who have been loyal and dedicated to the company ever since.

Source: AutoBlog

Tundra Pickup To Be Sent Overseas

2008-08-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the increase in the prices of gas and the decrease in sales in the United States, Toyota is now considering sending off its Toyota Tundra abroad in the hopes of recouping its loses.

The plan to export Toyota Tundras abroad came about during the Management Briefing Seminars. Steve St. Angelo, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky Inc., announced that the company’s target market would have to be customer’s in the Middle East since they’re the ones least affected by the increase in oil prices.

As part of its plan of sending off its Tundra pickup trucks for overseas customers, Toyota had to shut down the operations of its San Antonio plant starting this August until the middle of November so that the company will be able to clean out its inventory. Once the plant has been able to finish that, it will resume operations with its products to be automatically sent overseas.

Hopefully this plan of selling the Tundra to the Middle East market works. Aside from fuel costs being sold at low prices over there, the area has a lot of desert and rocky terrain which its citizens can easily traverse in with a Tundra pickup truck. So, here’s to the success of this new endeavor Toyota.

Source: AutoBlog

Toyota Goes Green By Planting 100,000 Trees

2008-08-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

Each of us has our own way to help maintain and save the environment. We recycle things, we choose paper over plastic, and we dispose of our trash properly. Even though they may seem trivial, these things still contribute to us having a better environment. So when a big corporation like Toyota decides to do its part to help the environment, it just doesn’t rely on simply taking out the trash or recycling things. Oh no. What it does is it plants a total of 100,000 trees in one of their production facilities. Why do that? Well, because that’s how the big boys roll.

But seriously, the planting of 100,000 trees is not just Toyota’s way of showing off. This activity is just one part of the company’s “global sustainable plant activities.” This program aims to have each production facility surrounded by trees. Why trees? Well, aside from helping you get some shade, trees provide clean air and help reduce carbon dioxide. They also provide a home for wildlife and can act as a sound barrier.

So who was the lucky production plant that was first able to benefit from this program? Well, none other than the Toyota Ban Pho Plant located at the Chachoengsao Province of Thailand. Around 10,000 volunteers lined up last August 4 and planted trees around the area of the plantation. These volunteers ranged from employees, local residents and even political figures. Hopefully this production facility in Thailand will be the first of many production facilities that will be given its share of trees. Lord knows that we need a ton of them just to help secure the safety and well-being of our environment.

Source: GreenDaily

Toyota Releases 800 Employees In Japan Due To Dip In US Sales

2008-08-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

When a top company releases a huge number of employees, you know that something’s up. It’s either they’re about to shut down or they’re currently reeling from a decrease in sales. Thankfully for Toyota, it’s the latter that caused them to release a total of 800 employees from one of the company’s plantation in Japan.

The 800 workers released are part of the plant located in the southwestern region of Japan. Poor sales output from the U.S. was the contributing factor that prompted Toyota to release these employees. Out of the 800 workers that were laid off, 350 of them were released in June and the remaining 450 workers got the axe last month. These workers made up 10 percent of the company’s workforce in the said plant.

But don’t count out Toyota just yet. While the company may have shown signs of stumbling down, it has made clear that by later this year, it will be increasing the number of available jobs again. The company decided to give themselves an allowance for them to come up with a better and more efficient production plan, which will help them adapt to the current market trends.

The southwestern plant - where the lay-off occurred - is primarily responsible for producing a total of 430,000 vehicles. These vehicles include Toyota’s Lexus RX and the Highlander SUV.

Source: Blogging Stocks

Toyota Unveils 2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid

2008-07-31T20:48:00.001-07:00

Previously, we talked about how Toyota will increase the production of its Prius hybrid by 70 percent. Now after making that announcement, Toyota unveils what its new Prius hybrids will look like when it hits the road next year.

Now what will Toyota integrate into this vehicle that its older sibling may not have? Well the 2009 Toyota Prius hybrid is a lot stockier than its predecessor giving its owners more cabin space. On top of that, the roof of will have a set of solar panels installed, allowing its air conditioning unit to function properly. Toyota also has plans of releasing two other versions of this hybrid: a station wagon and a cabriolet version.

Even though there were changes made to its exterior, the 2009 Prius hybrid will still make use of nickel batteries. Toyota initially had plans to make use of lithium-ion batteries but backed out because this type of battery is still in its experimental stages.

To make sure that the production of this new Hybrid moves along smoothly, Toyota will be making use of three facilities. The first two will be the Tsutsumo and Blue Springs plants, while the third will be set up to take care of the assembly chain operations.

So if you’re looking to jump into the hybrid bandwagon, be on the lookout for the 2009 Toyota Prius hybrid which will be made available to you by next year.

Source: Euro Car Blog

Toyota Increases The Production Of The Prius By 70 Percent

2008-07-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Toyota has big plans for its Prius hybrid. Big, big plans. While it won’t involve any additional features or specs, it will involve an increase in production though. That’s right, Toyota has now confirmed that by next year, the company will increase the production of its Prius hybrid by 70 percent.

So how will Toyota go about pulling this off? Well, Toyota will have to move the production of the Wish minivan, another vehicle that’s built along with the Prius, from the Tsutsumi factory to a yet undisclosed factory. This will free up the Tsutsumi factory from producing two vehicles, allowing its people to focus solely on the Prius. With this move in place, Toyota’s annual production of the Prius will now increase to 480,000 units. Another part of its plans to help in the production of more Toyota Prius is to have its Mississippi plant develop and produce Prius vehicles by 2010. With these moves, don’t be surprised if Toyota will be able to upset its previous sales record of 281,300 units last 2007.

So if you’re itching to get a hybrid to help you save on fuel, then be on the lookout for a new wave of Toyota Prius hybrids soon to be released next year.

Source: Edmunds

Toyota To Sponsor Amazing Girl Scout Race

2008-07-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

Whenever girl scouts are mentioned, the first thing that comes to my mind are little girls going from door-to-door, trying their very best to charm their way into your hearts so that you’ll end up buying the cookies they’re selling. Well, Toyota decided to change that stereotypical image by sponsoring an event that would enable these girl scouts to change the way we look at them and show that there’s more to them than just selling cookies.

This event is called the Toyota's Amazing Girl Scout Race and will be held from July 25 to July 27. There will be a total of 150 participants which will be divided into 2-3 teams made of 2-3 Girl Scouts plus their adult team mates. The teams will be going around different sites in Michigan including Bay City, Midland, and Detroit.

During the race, the teams will be tasked to go through a state-wide scavenger hunt which will be mixed up with team building activities. They’ll also be tasked to visit different landmarks in the city like museums, parks and a historical jail facility.

So if you’re interested in supporting these Girl Scouts or you just want to get in on the action of their very own amazing race, then start packing and head off quickly to Michigan.

Source: Auto Channel

Toyota To Release Special Edition RAV4 in U.K.

2008-07-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

For those RAV4 fanatics living in the United Kingdom, you’re in luck. Toyota has just unveiled plans of releasing a special version of its RAV4 SR180 this year.

So what does the new Toyota RAV4 SR180 have in store? Well, the new RAV4 is said to be equipped with a 2.2-liter D-4D turbo diesel engine capable of producing 175 horsepower and 295 lbs-ft of torque. Aside from the boost in power, the engine is capable of propelling the new RAV4 from 0 to 60 mph in less than 9.3 seconds. It’s also able to provide you with a fuel economy of 34 mpg and carries a six-speed manual transmission gearbox.

And if you though Toyota stopped with giving the new Toyota RAV4 SR180 a powerful engine, well you’re dead wrong. Toyota also equipped the new crossover with a set of 18-inch alloy wheels, a set of dark tinted headlights, dark-tinted rear privacy glass, a set of front fog lamps, a six-CD changer, an electric sunroof and rear parking sensors. Toyota also equipped the vehicle with an Integrated Active Drive that gives the new RAV4 more control and a Bluetooth connectivity system.

The new Toyota RAV4 SR180 is now out in the market and carries a price tag of £23,045. Add-ons include a Style Pack worth £695, which includes side steps, scuff plates and chrome bodywork detailing. Installation of a full map satellite can also be done, but will cost you an additional £1,735.

Sources: Edmunds, AutoSpies

Toyota Incorporates Noise Cancelling System In Crown Hybrid

2008-07-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

If you’re the type of person who enjoys having a quiet moment when driving and you’re not that fond of hearing your engine roar every time you step on the gas pedal, well then, you might want to get yourself one of Toyota’s new Crown Hybrid. So why get this new Crown hybrid instead of the other cars out in the market? Well, that’s because it comes with a new system that’s able to cancel out sound.

The new noise canceling system developed by Toyota is pretty similar to the noise canceling devices created for mobile phones. The system is able to eliminate noise generated by your vehicle’s engine and prevent it from entering the passenger compartment by relying on the use of microphones, speakers and sensors that are placed around the cabin of the vehicle. So how does it work? Well, the small microphones start things off by monitoring the sounds within the vicinity of the vehicle. This triggers the system to calculate and generate a sound that’s the exact opposite of the sound gathered by the microphone and play it back through the system’s speakers. Since the two sounds are polar opposites, the immediately cancel each other out once they come in contact with one another.

So if your car’s engine noise agitates you whenever you rev up or step on the gas, then start saving up and get yourself this brand new Toyota Crown Hybrid.

Source: Motor Authority

Bluetooth Support To Be Incorporated In 15 Toyota Models

2008-07-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Since the different states are slowly becoming strict when it comes to imposing laws barring the use of your mobile phones when driving, Toyota will now incorporate Bluetooth support in all 15 models it currently plans on releasing.

The Bluetooth system will be combined with the onboard DVD navigation or JBL audio system of the vehicle. Once the phone’s features are integrated into the sound system of a vehicle, car owners will be able to use their phones by using either the vehicle’s steering wheel radio controls or by using the voice command control installed in each vehicle. This will also allow incoming audio calls to be heard over the vehicle’s muted audio system.

This new Bluetooth system will be made available to Toyota’s new crossover, the Venza. Other vehicles include the Toyota RAV4, Corolla and Matrix, which will have their Bluetooth system integrated with their optional JBL sound system while the upcoming Toyota trucks, SUVs and minivans, including the Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius and Solara vehicles can see their Bluetooth system bundled either with the optional DVD system or the DVD navigation system.

Sources: Left Lane News, Taume

Toyota F1 Races With The Tumbler Batmobile

2008-07-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how fast the new Tumbler Batmobile really is? Is it as fast the sports cars currently being sold in today’s market? Is it even as fast as a Formula One race car? Well, Toyota decided to try and answer the latter by racing the legendary Tumbler Batmobile that appeared in Batman Begins and in the upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight. And if you think that we’re pulling your leg, well, the photo above pretty much says it all.

Now why would Toyota go through all this hoopla just to find out how fast the Tumbler Batmobile is? Well, this was part of Toyota’s way of promoting the upcoming Batman movie entitled The Dark Knight. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, it’s probably the most anticipated superhero movie of the year thanks to the stunning performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker. So, going back, was the Tumbler Batmobile able to hold its own against Toyota’s Formula One race car? Well, it did perform well but since it raced side-by-side with the Formula One race car, we probably won’t know if it could actually outrace a race car.

But even though I like my Toyotas, I’m going to have to go for the Batmobile on this one. After watching the car outrace a number of police cars and a police chopper in Batman Begins, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s probably going to crush the competition. Oh, and just in case you want to see more of the Tumbler Batmobile (as well as the new Bat-Pod), you can catch it on July 18 when The Dark Knight premieres in movie houses nationwide.

Sources: MotorTorque, The Bat-Blog, AutoBlog

Toyota Considered To Be World’s Respected Company

2008-07-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Respect. Every body wants it and every body will work their butt off just to get it. Having that notched in your belt means that you peers admire you as a person, for your work ethic and for your ability to deliver. In a nut shell, it means you’re that damn good. And thanks to the recent accolade it was able to receive, Toyota definitely deserves the right to lay stake on that claim of being damn good.

Just recently, a survey done by a New York-based research firm Reputation Institute placed Toyota on the top as being the most respected company in the world. That’s right, Toyota is the World’s Most Respected company. Toyota managed to beat out a total of 1,000 companies by notching a score of 80 and finishing first in five of the seven categories it was included in. According to the survey, which focused on the respondent’s trust, esteem and admiration of a company, Toyota won the award since the company was able to exude strong perceptions of quality, value, safety and reliability. What makes this win important to the company is that they managed to achieve this amidst vehicle recalls, development delays and failure to hit its sales quota for the start of the year.

I guess it must be nice to know that despite all the setbacks, consumers are still able to see through that and recognize the quality of your work. Hopefully, this will motivate Toyota to not rest on its laurels and continuously do a good job by coming up with innovative vehicles that are of good quality. That will definitely earn the company my respect.

Sources: Motor Authority, Car Advice

Toyota Buys Out A Big Chunk Of Subaru

2008-07-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

The one thing you’d like to avoid is have one of your competitors slowly buy you out. That’s like having you swallowed inch-by-inch by a monster. Fortunately, that monster doing the swallowing is Toyota and its hapless victim is none other than Subaru.

So how did this all happen? Well, it started back in April when Toyota announced that it would be acquiring a large percentage of Fuji Heavy Industries, the company responsible for developing Subaru vehicles. That acquisition came to fruition this month. This means that Toyota’s voting rights – when it comes to decision makings – just increased from 9.50% to 16.16%. Now that’s a huge leap for Toyota. The deal was approved thanks to a revised Japanese law that has now allowed a company to take control of more than half of the domestic market of another company.

As a result of the deal, wherein Toyota shelled out 31.11 billion yen or $291.1 million, the company will now be getting 61 million worth of treasury stocks aside from its added voting power. Deals like this just make me feel really sorry for the company being slowly bought out. That would be you Subaru.

Sources: AutoBlog: Toyota buys another chunk of FHI, Subaru, AutoBlog: Thinking Big: new law opens path for Toyota takeover of Subaru

Toyota To Set-Up Plant In Brazil Worth $1 Billion

2008-06-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

If you thought Rio De Janeiro was just a paradise to spend your accumulated vacation leaves on, think again. That paradise is about to be known as the paradise that Toyota chose to set up one of its manufacturing plant, costing a whopping $1 billion.

Yup, despite not meeting its forecasted sales quota, Toyota is still planting its seeds, or should I say plants, in different areas around the world. According to the Valor Economico, Brazil’s financial paper, the new plant will be constructed at the San Paulo state. It will be tasked to develop engines for Toyota vehicles, with a target production of 200,000 units per year. Aside from building engines, the new Toyota plant will also be responsible for developing the Vitz or Yaris, one of Toyota’s subcompact cars.

With the target date set for 2010, this new San Paulo plant will be Toyota’s second plant in Brazil. The first Toyota plant was set-up at Indaiatuba and is tasked to assemble the Corolla compact trim vehicles.

I guess this is just Toyota’s way of trying to slowly go for world domination, huh?

Source: Edmunds

Toyota Unable To Hit Sales Expectations

2008-06-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

This year hasn’t been really kind to the automotive industry. Thanks to the increase in oil prices and poor economy in some countries, dwindling sales and increased production costs have started to plague car companies. Even Toyota wasn’t spared as it is now starting to feel the aches and pains of not being able to meet its sales quota.

According to report, Toyota was aiming to sell a total of 2.64 million vehicles this year, which shows a slight increase from last year’s sale of 2.62 million vehicles. But even though sales in China and Russia have improved, the slumping U.S. economy is what’s causing Toyota to miss its forecasted sales target. Toyota was initially hoping for an increase in the sales of vehicles worldwide to reach 9.85 million vehicles by the end of the year, which constitute to a 5% increase. But given the sales slump, that goal now seems a bit far-fetched.

The only good side about this is that Toyota isn’t the only one affected. Companies such as Ford, Chrysler and GM have also been experiencing poor sales. I guess what’s important for Toyota to do now is just recover from its losses and recoup whatever they can for the year. Just to make sure that this year won’t be a total loss.

Sources: Euro Car Blog

Toyota To Unveil New Plug-In Hybrid in 2010

2008-06-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Now that is one cool looking hybrid. I have to admit, my jaw dropped when I first laid eyes on the image of this new hybrid that Toyota plans to release in 2010. The current plan is to have this new hybrid released in Europe, North America and Japan.

This new Toyota hybrid will be sporting a lithium-ion battery that was developed in partnership with Matsushita. It can be charged just by simply plugging the car into any ordinary household socket. Imagine the convenience of plugging your mobile phone or your laptop, only this time, the gadget your plugging is bigger and has four wheels.

With the release date of this car is targeted at 2010, Toyota is hoping to be able to generate overall sales of one million hybrids on a yearly basis by then. If they’re able to come up with hybrids that look like this one, I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to meet and probably even exceed that projected quota.

Sources: Euro Car Blog

Former F1 Boss Dies In A Tragic Crash

2008-06-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Toyota has just recently been struck by a tragedy when its former F1 boss, Ove Andersson, died in a car crash at a vintage car event held in South Africa. The crash, which took place at the Milligan Vintage Trial, occurred at a blind corner of the race course. Andersson, who was a Swedish national, was 70 years old at the time of his death.

Prior to his demise, Andersson worked as a consultant for Toyota. He was responsible for the company’s entry into the Formula 1 competition last 2002. He left his post as team principal in 2003 before returning to the team as a consultant. Aside from helping Toyota enter the Formula 1 racing competition, Andersson helped Toyota setup Toyota Team Europe, helping them grab four drivers’ and three manufacturers’ championships. He was also a key player to Toyota’s second place finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999. Even though he was able to accomplish a lot during his stint as Toyota F1’s head honcho, Andersson is also an accomplished driver, winning the 1967 Spanish Rally. His best season was in 1971 when he drove a rear-engine Renault Alpine A110. During the ’71 season, Ove was able to notch victories at the Monte Carlo, San Remo and Austrian Alpine rallies.

Even though Ove has moved on, his memory and his legacy will be forever etched not only in the annals of Formula 1 but also in the hearts and minds of the people he’s touched over the years.

Sources: AutoWeek

Toyota Rolls Out Next-Gen Hybrid

2008-06-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

It looks like there’s no stopping them hybrid vehicles from coming out of the woodwork. This comes as no surprise given the constant increase in the prices of oil. So what does this Toyota hybrid have that makes it stand out from its older hybrid siblings? Well, how about a hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid that can give you twice as much distance?

This new hybrid that’s making some waves right now is Toyota’s FCHV-adv. A four-door crossover vehicle, what makes this Toyota hybrid unique from the rest of the hybrid pack is the use of a fuel cell powertrain and a petrol engine. This sets it apart from the current power system used by hybrids today which uses electrical energy produced a chemical reaction resulting from the combining of hydrogen and oxygen. This new source of power enables the Toyota’s FCHV-adv to gain a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency as well as provide better braking power by using two power systems. It’s also able to allow the hybrid to run on an ice-cold environment that has a temperature of 22 degrees F. Aside from providing better fuel economy, the new hybrid is also able to give you a 516 miles cruising range on a single hydrogen tank at a maximum speed of 97 mph.

While the prototype of the Toyota’s FCHV-adv is currently available for lease to government agencies in Japan this year, Toyota has indicated that there are plans for it to be released overseas. With the rise of gas prices, this is one vehicle that Toyota should consider mass-producing to provide its customers with more vehicles that don’t consume too much fuel.

Sources: Motor Authority, Left Lane News

New Image Of Toyota/Subaru Coupe Leaked

2008-06-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

We’re all aware about the team-up between Toyota and Subaru but so far we haven’t seen anything materialize yet. Well, that’s all changed now. Winding Road magazine was able to catch a glimpse – and steal a couple of shots – of what is expected to be the new Toyota/Subaru coupe.

The image of the new Toyota/Subaru coupe was taken just outside their testing center in UK. Based on its current appearance, the car looks like your regular sedan only with a rather squished rear. However, despite its small rear, it does sport a fierce-looking front, with Toyota’s logo to appear just above the bumper and in-between the headlights. While we already have an image of the new Toyota/Subaru coupe, there is still no word on how powerful its supposed 2.0-liter engine will be. However, rumors are spreading that it will be able to produce about 180 to 220 of horsepower. Not bad for a sedan, huh? Aside from what we hope is a powerful engine, the new coupe will also be carrying a six-speed manual gearbox.

The projected price of the new Toyota/Subaru coupe once it’s released into the market is going to be at $20,000. And by the looks of the coupe, it looks like a $20,000 worth spending for.

Sources: Auto Blog, Winding Road

Night Vision Feature Helps Toyota Crown See Pedestrians

2008-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

When you thought that night vision features were relegated only to special units of the government, Toyota does the impossible by getting its very own night vision feature and incorporating into its new Toyota Crown Hybrid.

Called Night View, this feature is currently available for its Toyota Crown Hybrid. This 1280 x 480 LCD panel gives drivers a black and white view of the street at night allowing them to see the road and the pedestrians via the vehicle’s instrumental panel. Think of it as watching a TV show on your dashboard. What makes this different from the other night vision features that other auto makers have attempted to market is that the Night Vision is able to recognize people.

While the Night Vision is one example of how Toyota is aiming to prioritize road safety, this feature still needs some improvement. While its ability to recognize people makes it more advance than other night vision features, its only drawback is that it will only work if you’re driving at the speed of 15 to 60 kilometers per hour. Also rain can cause the feature to shut down on you.

But as it stands right now, the Night View is a unique safety feature that can really help drivers navigate safely at night. Now if only Toyota could equip this in all its vehicles.

Source: AutoBlog

Toyota Fails To Meet Target For Europe

2008-05-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

In business, it’s all about hitting your target. If you forecasted that your company is suppose to make 1 million in six months, you do whatever it takes to make that happen. Unfortunately for Toyota, its attempt in meeting its 5% sales target in Europe won’t be happening due to a poor turnout in Germany and the apprehension of the company to lower vehicle prices.

Even though there was a 7% rise in the overall German market, it still failed to fuel consumers to buy a Toyota vehicle, costing the company a 21% loss in terms of private sales for the month of April. The poor performance in Germany stemmed from one thing: Toyota’s refusal to lower prices. While lowering the prices of its vehicles might help them recoup, it would be difficult for the company to pull it off since materials and production costs have greatly increased. A lower return might not help Toyota get back the amount they need to purchase the materials required to produce its vehicles and at the same time meet their production costs.

So despite the losses for April this year, Toyota is hoping that the new vehicles such as the Toyota iQ and the Toyota Urban Cruiser, which will be launched by next year, could help the company forget about this dismal first quarter start and help them look forward to a brighter first quarter next year.

Sources: Motor Authority, Final Sense

Toyota To Build Vehicles Meant For Both Roads and Railways

2008-05-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

By the look of things, Toyota is looking forward to a world where your regular automobile won’t just be able to run on a paved road. If the company succeeds in pulling this off, don’t be surprised if your next Toyota vehicle will be able to travel via a railroad track as well.

To make this happen, Toyota teamed up with Hino Motors Ltd. to come up with what they plan to call a “dual mode vehicle” or DMV. This vehicle will be able to run not just on the streets but on a railroad track too. The concept is for the vehicle to have eight wheels, four for driving on a railroad track and another four when driving on the street. It will be running on a diesel engine and is made fuel efficient that it will only burn one fourth of the fuel that regular diesel vehicles would normally consume. The “dual mode vehicle” is geared to carry 25 people at the most. To show that they’re dedicated to producing this product, Hino Motors has already come up with prototypes of the vehicle for testing.

The current plan as of the moment is to have the “dual mode vehicle” prepared and produced by June so that it can be displayed on the Group of Eight Summit, which will be held in Hokkaido this July.

Sources: Forbes, Market Watch

Toyota To Focus On Selling Vehicles Outside The US

2008-05-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

So you have your own business but, unfortunately, it hasn’t been doing well lately. You need to recoup fast because any amount of delay can prove to be costly for you. So what’s a person like you to do in a situation like this? Well, if your business is slipping in your area, do what Toyota did and focus on your different markets outside your comfort zone.

Because of the rise in oil prices and various environmental concerns, sales of Toyota’s SUVs and pickups have been slipping. Instead of going for heavy-duty vehicles, people in the US have instead, decided to purchase compact and economical vehicles. This dip in sales has resulted in Toyota limiting its production in the US.

However, the demands coming from the Middle-East, Russia and China could change all that since these countries have been clamoring for more heavy-duty vehicles. Because of this, Toyota has focused on their markets abroad, with plans to distribute the Sequoia SUV in the Middle East this year and have the Sienna minivan released in China in 2010.

Even with its back up against the wall, Toyota was still able to find a way to work around the sales dip they’re currently feeling in the US. Now that’s what you call playing it smart.

Source: Motor Authority

Toyota Verso Bags The Best Small MPV Car Award

2008-05-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

Toyota managed to nab another award thanks to the performance of one of its products, The Toyota Verso. The Verso was able to win the Best Small MPV car award at this year’s Fleet World Honours.

The Verso was able to capture this award because of its ease of use, its all-around interiors and the quality of its engineering, particularly its 2.2-liter D-4D engine. The award was presented to Toyota on May 13 at the Royal Automobile Club in London. According to Toyota Fleet’s GM. Richard Balshaw, the win shows “how competitive the Verso is in this segment.” The win marked the second year that the Toyota Verso has been able to win this award.

For those unaware, the Fleet World Honours is an award giving body that recognizes companies who are able to contribute to the car and van industry. The panel responsible for picking the winners is comprised of representatives coming from the leasing industry, price guides, fleet management professionals and the editorial team of Fleet World. Companies from both motor and fleet service industries are the participants in this award.

Again, hats off to Toyota for getting this recognition. This just shows the company’s commitment in coming up with award-winning vehicles for its clients.

Sources: Easier Motoring, Van Fleetworld

Toyota To Launch A Repackaged Prius In 2009

2008-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Expect big things next year for Toyota as they plan on launching a newer and better Toyota Prius. The new car (refer to the initial design concept above) is set to appear at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Now what will make this version of the Prius beat out its predecessor? Well this 2009 version is going to be given a bigger 1.8 liter engine that will be able to give out 160 horsepower. The previous engine used by the Prius is just a 1.5 liter engine that’s capable of hitting only 135 horsepower. That’s 25 horsepower less than the new version. Aside from the additional boost in power, the fuel efficiency of the new Toyota Prius has been greatly improved by 10 percent, allowing you to get (if you decide to get one for yourself) 50 to 55 miles per gallon. With the rise in fuel prices, that’s a lot of savings right there, folks. Another fine addition to the Prius’ parts is Toyota’s plan of using a nickel metal hydride battery with a plug-in. Now how cool is that?

On top of the improved engine and battery, the 2009 Toyota Prius will also be given a bigger body, bordering on a wagon-like appearance. But in case you’re the type who prefers cars that are a bit more compact than the wagon version of the Prius, rumors are spreading that Toyota will also be launching a smaller version of the hybrid. While these plans could change given that 2009 is still a number of months away, the recent specs given out by Toyota just makes you wonder as to how this new Prius will turn out once it starts to hit the market.

Sources: Engadget, Autobloggreen

Toyota Predicts Its Own Downfall

2008-05-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

After all the hype of beating General Motors as the top dog in the car manufacturing industry, it looks like that Toyota’s stay at the top is going to be short-lived. Oh, and are you’re wondering who had the audacity to make that type of declaration? Oh, none other but Toyota.

Yes, you read that right. Toyota forecasted its own downfall. Now why would they even want to do something like that? Well, it’s not like they’re intentionally sabotaging themselves. They’re just facing facts. And the fact is, in the fourth quarter of 2007, their sales dipped considerably by 28%. And basing it on last year’s sales plunge, Toyota is expecting that this year, sales would plummet by 27%. While Toyota is hoping that this doesn’t happen, with the United States economic woes, the increase in the value of yen and the increase in the prices of raw materials, this decline in sales is something that seems to be unavoidable.

Given the inevitability of this year’s sales plunge, this would mark the first time in nine years that Toyota was able to experience a back-to-back sales dip. While it may come off as something historical, I’m guessing that they would rather settle for a more positive distinction than this.

Sources: AutoBlog, Yahoo News

Toyota To Develop Its First Passenger Jet

2008-05-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine flying in an airplane developed by an automobile manufacturer? Well, you don’t have too anymore. As if manufacturing cars wasn’t enough for this automotive mogul, Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has decided to spread its wings and delve into the world of aviation by developing and marketing its very own passenger jet.

While the attempt may be bit Herculean for a company that specializes in the production of cars, it’s actually not that impossible and far-fetched. To successfully pull it off, Toyota has recently invested in Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a total of 10 billion yen in shares. It’s through this partnership that Toyota is hoping to achieve its dreams of producing its first passenger jet.

First announced in March 28 of this year, the launching of what could also be Japan’s first passenger jet (I honestly can’t believe they haven’t been to create one despite having advanced technology) is currently set to be done on 2013. The jet, which will be christened the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (whatever happened to Toyota’s name?), is set to go against planes coming from Canada and Brazil. Toyota’s attempt to succeed in the field of aviation comes after its competitor, Honda Motor Co., started to take a dip into the aviation industry.

With its current success in overcoming General Motors in terms of automotive sales during the first quarter of the year, don’t be surprised if Toyota is able to pull this one off. They’ve already invested a lot of their money in this project. The fact that they already invested so much for this project makes me doubt that they’ll be backing off from this deal anytime in the near future.

Source: AFP

Scam Makes Use Of Toyota’s Name To Make A Quick Buck

2008-05-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently, even Toyota isn’t safe from people who want to make an easy buck. According to an entry in Toyota’s Open Road Blog, the car company has found out that its name has been involved in a number of scams.

The scammers, who have yet to be caught, have been sending out correspondences that bear fake Toyota letterheads and a forged Toyota check. According to Toyota, the scam comes in two forms. The first one notifies the potential victim that he or she is part of a mystery shopper program while the other scam tells the victim that he or she has won a large amount of money or a new Toyota vehicle. The reason for conducting this sham is to get the personal information of the victim and then get into their bank accounts or for purposes of identity theft.

Toyota has now reported these scams to the authorities and has now tasked federal law enforcement officials to conduct an investigation. So if you manage to get a letter similar to the scams mentioned above, don’t give out any of your personal information. And if you feel wary about any correspondence received from any company, not just Toyota, make sure you get in touch with them so you can validate its legitimacy.

Sources: Toyota Open Road Blog, U.S. News, Strictly Auto Parts

Toyota Tops The Sales Charts

2008-04-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

So who’s the top dog now, huh? It’s Toyota that’s who. Ok, I was trying to be a little bit “street” back there. I don’t think it worked but as you can see, I have a valid reason for doing it. That’s because from January to March, Toyota has earned the top spot in terms of automobile global sales. Word.

Based on the numbers provided, Toyota was able to sell a total of 2.41 million vehicles, inching out General Motors who only got to sell 2.25 million vehicles. Toyota was able to secure the top spot because the first quarter sales of General Motors went down by 1% while the Toyota first quarter sales went up by 2.7%. Aside from the drop in GM sales, the strong demand from its European market also helped the Japanese automaker beat its long time rival. Another cause for Toyota’s rise and GM’s downfall is the 10% drop in sales experienced in the United States. What covered for the decline was the 8% sales increase outside the US. But it still wasn’t enough for GM to bring down Toyota.

This is a sweet victory for Toyota since they nearly had it won last year but GM edged them out. So based on the results of Toyota’s sales for the first three months, Toyota now holds the distinction of being the number one automaker in terms of vehicle production and at the same time the global leader in automotive sales. Way to go guys. This win just gave Toyota the “street cred” it needed to show that it can really run with the big boys in the neighborhood.

Sources: Freep, The Truth About Cars, Toyota-Chicago

Toyota Gives A $400,000 Grant To UCSB

2008-04-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

When you’ve made it big in whatever you‘re doing (as a doctor, actor, athlete or whatever you’re job is right now), it’s always best to give back. Not only is it good karma but it’s a way of letting those you’re helping know that you care and that no matter where you are in life right now, you’ll always be there to lend a hand. That’s what Toyota did for UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.

As a way of supporting the school, Toyota has pledged $400,000 to UCSB Bren School to help in funding the academic fees and book fees of new students, set-up special internship programs for environmental studies that will be made part of the Toyota International Teacher Program and to help in establishing the schools professor-in residence program.

This isn’t the first time that Toyota has helped the UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. The two parties have joined forces since 2001, with Toyota taking in two graduates from the school as full-time hires. Aside from that, Toyota has also established internships for 14 students and founded the Toyota International Teacher Program.

So to those who have been able to achieve their dreams and have made it in life, don’t hesitate to do what Toyota did and give back to your community. It doesn’t have to be a monetary contribution. Whatever type of help you give will do and it will surely be appreciated by the party you end up helping.

Source: Santa Barbara Independent

Toyota and Subaru’s Joint Venture In Developing New Concept Car

2008-04-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

In what was thought to be an unprecedented move, Toyota and Subaru have teamed up to develop a new sports car inspired by the AE86 Toyota Corolla GT coupe that was popular in the 1980s. This new Toyota-Subaru sports car is set to be released in 2010. While the car doesn’t have an official name, is still in drawing board and is touted to be “top secret”, what has been confirmed is that the Toyota-Subaru sports car will come out in two variants (just like comic books and action figures nowadays): one coming from Toyota and one coming from Subaru.

But despite being developed separately by each company, both versions of the concept car will carry a Subaru engine. This marks the first time that a Toyota car will be powered by a Subaru engine. The concept car will come in two trims with a different set of engines. The standard trim will carry a 2.0-litre flat-four engine capable of producing 175 horsepower, while the turbocharged trim will be given a 2.5-litre engine.

Regarding how much the car will be sold upon its release, rumors are circulating that the standard trim of the Toyota-Subaru concept could be priced at £10,000 in Japan and £20,000 in the UK while the turbocharged trim will have a price tag of £25,000.

2010 may still be two years from now but based on what I’m seeing right now, this new Toyota-Subaru sports coupe looks very, very promising indeed.

Sources: The Truth About Cars, Top Speed

Toyota Tundra and Sequioa Production Cut Down

2008-04-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Weeks ago, Toyota announced that it will be decreasing the production of its Tundra and Sequioa vehicles. Now, before you start rioting about lay-offs and closure of plants, just calm down and breathe. Toyota doesn’t have any plans of doing any of these.

The reason why Toyota has pushed through with limiting the production of both vehicles is that they feel the demand for it will drop slightly due to the increase in fuel and the economic problems currently being faced by the US. So instead of flooding the market with these vehicles and watch them rot in the showrooms, Toyota has decided to cut down production for now.

So, like I mentioned above, no need to panic. The only time Toyota will end up laying-off people and closing down plants is when their sales drop and they go bankrupt. But since none of that will be happening anytime soon, both jobs and plants are safe.

Sources: Daily Journal, Automotive.com, Autospectator

Toyota To Sponsor Skagit Speedway

2008-04-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Toyota is set to get more exposure as it has agreed to sponsor this years Skagit Speedway. As part of the sponsorship, Toyota will be promoting their new Toyota Tundra pick-up truck. The Toyota Tundra holds the distinction of bring designed and produced solely in the United States. The production was done at Toyota’s 100-acre plant in San Antonio. The truck, which won the 2008 Motor Trend Truck of the Year award, will be on display at the Skagit Speedway.

Steve Beitler, owner of the Skagit Speedway, has expressed his excitement over this partnership. He mentioned that the sponsorship will cover all four divisions of the Skagit Speedway from the 410, 360 and sportsman sprints and the outlaw hornets.

The Skagit Speedway will kick things off on April 12 at the 2008 Foothills Toyota Tundra Racing Series at 1pm. The regular season on the other hand will start on the same date but at 7pm.

So to all you racing fans, here your chance to catch a good racing show and at the same time see the Truck of the Year on display.

Source: HeraldNet

Company’s Global Growth Toyota’s Fault

2008-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

According to Toyota’s President Katsuaki Watanabe, the rapid growth of their company worldwide and its subsequent decline in terms of quality is their fault. Wow, when your company’s president starts to take flak for the deterioration in the quality of the products produced, then the problems your office is running into must be really big.

During his speech at the Japan National Press Club, Watanabe explained that Toyota has encountered some quality issues with the production of their vehicles and that these could be due to various reasons ranging from design, production, suppliers, maintenance, time constraints and lack of experts. As a result of these problems, Watanabe has given instructions to delay the release of some of their products for six-months in order to be able to address these issues. He has even called news conferences to apologize about the deterioration of quality, which started as far back as 2006 when the recall of Toyota vehicles started to increase. This comes after Toyota was able to bump of General Motors as the no. 1 automaker in global vehicle production. Based on the numbers the company recorded, 9,497,754 were produced in 2007, which is equivalent to a 5.3% increase from 2006. Their rival, General Motors managed to produce 9,284,000 vehicles in 2007. However, GM still holds the record for being the top car company in terms of sales, selling a whopping 9,369,524 vehicles. This record has been theirs for the past 77 years. But of course, Watanabe is quick to point out that the increase in production is not an excuse for the dip in quality.

''The fact that Toyota is growing globally suddenly shouldn't be used as an excuse,'' he said.

Another concern of Toyota is the decline in US auto sales. Despite putting up a good front during his speech and brushing aside this concern, I’m sure that Watanabe has this running at the back of his mind. Again, despite all this, Watanabe is keeping a positive attitude.

''I feel U.S. economic fundamentals are strong,'' said Watanabe.

Let’s all hope that he’s right since Toyota is bent on gaining a 1 percent increase from their 2007s sales (about 2.64 million vehicles) in the US alone. If he isn’t then don’t be surprised to see him apologizing again.

Source: Forbes Autos

Press Says Toyota Got Support From The Government For It’s Prius

2008-04-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Jim Press has gone to the press (bad pun, I know) stating that Toyota got some help from the Japanese government in funding the production of their Prius. Of course, Toyota has retaliated by stating that Press is a liar (although in a nice, gentlemanly way).

“I can say 100 percent that Toyota received absolutely no support — no money, no grants — from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius,” said Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco.

It’s been said that the Japanese government has a penchant for helping out Japanese companies that have close ties with them by providing them with money to fund some of their projects. However, there hasn’t been any evidence that could prove Toyota is included in this type of dealings.

Jim Press, who joined Chrysler last September, has worked for Toyota for 37 years. During those years, he helped oversee the development of the Prius. It has since become a hit due largely to its fuel efficiency.

What Jim Press is planning to get out of this is beyond me. But I think he’d be better off fixing the problems Chrysler is currently facing, rather than create some problems for another company.

Sources: The Truth About Cars, Associated Press

Toyota To Expand Engine Plants In Japan To Five

2008-03-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Corp. has given no indications that it will stop expanding as it gears up for the construction of another factory in Northern Japan. Based on what Nikkei gathered, the plantation will be responsible for the development of small displacement engines for the company’s sub-compact cars to be released in 2010.

The factory, which will open in Miyagi Prefecture, will be tasked to produce about 200,000 units annually. Toyota has shelled out 20-30 billion yen (an equivalent of 200.9 to 301.4 US million dollars) just to put the development of the factory to action. The factory will be the company’s first in Japan’s northern region of Tohoku. Toyota is eyeing to have it built alongside their other factory, the Toyota Motor Tohoku Corp., near the town of Taiwa. The Toyota Motor Tohoku Corp. factory is currently responsible for the production of brake parts and other car parts. It is expected that the production of 1.5-liter-class engines will be added to its list of responsibilities for the use of sedans and other subcompact cars.

Once the new plant in Miyagi Prefecture is developed, the yearly production of Toyota will increase to 400,000 units per year. This will give the company its third highest producing factory next to the factories set-up in Chubu and Kyushu. Aside from increasing production, it will also help Toyota reduce cost since the company will not have to rely on the transportation of engines from the Chubu factory. It will also enable Toyota to keep up with the engine demands of its facilities abroad.

Given the company’s plan to produce 9.95 million vehicles worldwide, having another plant doesn’t seem a bad idea. It may prove costly for Toyota at first but the benefits of having an extra factory definitely outweighs the cost that the company will initially shell out to produce one.

Sources: Trading Markets, The Daily Star, Quote.com

Toyota To Infiltrate South Korea

2008-03-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

After allowing Toyota to enter the country last 1999, South Korea will now finally be able to enjoy an influx of new Toyota models into their country, right after it got its first taste when the Lexus luxury line was introduced in 2001. What took Toyota so long to this is beyond me, but I guess the growing market of importing cars finally made them do it.

According to reports, Toyota is planning to introduce the Toyota brand to South Korea by way of its local distributor Toyota Motor Korea Co., Ltd. (TMKR) in 2009. This was done to capitalize on the growing market of import cars in the country and to compete against the German company BMW AG. Toyota will be releasing three models, which includes the Toyota Prius hybrid, the company’s gasoline and electric vehicle. The goal of the company is to be able to sell at least 500 vehicles a month and then slowly increase it to 1,000 vehicles a month. To accomplish this, Toyota will be opening five dealerships in South Korea, including Seoul.

Aside from expanding its market and vying for the spot of being the top foreign car company in South Korea, the influx of new Toyota models is the company’s way of increasing environmental awareness and to introduce traffic safety activities to the country. I guess you can call it the company’s way of doing good while doing good business.

Sources: Trading Markets, Market Watch, Njection, Google Images

New Toyota Sienna Ad Brings Out The Devil In You

2008-03-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just came across this sexy new ad for the Toyota Sienna. The ad starts with a sexy bikini-clad girl on the beach walking lazily towards the new Toyota Sienna. Upon reaching the car, she places her hands on it and goes around the car’s front while rubbing her fingertips seductively on the hood and grille of the car. The ad then cuts to another scene that shows how our sexy lady friend “lovingly” places her hands inside her partner’s pockets to get the car key and open the car’s doors, which then triggers the narrator to mention the Toyota Sienna’s five-star safety rating. The last scene shows the girl going around the car again as she continues to rub her fingertips on its surface and act like a tigress in heat that happens to like what she got as a present.

I have to admit, it’s a pretty sexy ad. While I couldn’t exactly get what the narrator meant when he said that “Somewhere between luxury and soccer practice lies Sienna,” (does that mean Sienna is like this sexy and filthy rich mom who happens to love taking her kids to soccer practice?), I still like how the ad came out as being sexy and seductive without being filthy. I mean if we wanted filthy, all we need to do is surf the Internet to get that right?

Now if only I can get that girl to check me out the same way she did the Toyota Sienna and have her seductively run her hands over me too. Now, that would definitely be sexy and seductive. And probably a little filthy too.

Sources: Kicking Tires, Cars.com Video Gallery

Toyota Gives Tacoma Pickup Owners A 15-year Extended Warranty

2008-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

It seems that Toyota thinks that it’s Christmas already and wants to play Santa Claus. Either that or they must be using a different type of calendar. But regardless of what’s causing Toyota to be merry and jolly this March, the company has decided to make this the month of giving by extending the warranty of the Tacoma pickup trucks produced from 1995 to 2000 to fifteen years.

Over the years, Tacoma pickup owners have been experiencing some rust problems with the frames of their truck, particularly those living in the United States. Since the US relies on the use of salt to make ice on the road melt, the frames of Tacoma pickup trucks have started to rust and deteriorate. So to make up for this, Toyota has agreed to the warranty extension of about 813,000 Tacoma pickup trucks. Instead of pulling the vehicles out, Toyota will allow its owners to have their trucks inspected at a Toyota dealership. Toyota has agreed that even if the truck is a second-hand one or a third-hand one, its current owners can still have it inspected. Once its determined that rust is the source of the damage, Toyota will either have the truck repaired or buy back the truck regardless of its condition. Should the inspection prove that rust isn’t the source of damage, the warranty will remain valid and can still be used in the future.

The start of the warranty extension will begin in the middle of March. Toyota will start notifying Tacoma pickup owners of this program through letter. That’s a pretty nice gesture coming from a multi-national company don’t you think? It shows the type of commitment they have for their clients. Excellent work guys, our hats off to you.

Sources: Auto Blog, Toyota Open Road Blog

Toyota Disses Lithium-Ion Batteries

2008-03-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Lithium-ion what? That’s what Toyota is thinking right now as it tries to look for a power source for its cars that would rival or be considered an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries that other car manufacturers are using for their hybrid cars. Think of it as taking a step forward. As if having cars powered by lithium-ion isn’t a step forward, right?

Based on the report gathered by Automotive News Europe, what Toyota apparently has in mind is to make use of air-zinc batteries. While no confirmation has been made as to whether the company will indeed push through with using air-zinc batteries for their vehicles, it’s pretty safe to say that Toyota is dead set on developing something newer and more advanced than what the current hybrids are using today. The company even has plans to set-up a division this coming June that will be tasked to handle the creation of this new power source.

Toyota is aiming to get this done before their Global Vision 2020 plan is launched 12 years from now. Based on the plan, Toyota is planning to develop a hybrid vehicle for each automobile line they have. The company is hoping that they’ll be able to unveil the new power source and have it ready for commercial use by then. While waiting for their people to come up with something tech worthy, Toyota will be passing the time by marketing and selling their lithium-ion powered rides, which will hit the roads starting 2010.

Like what Neil Armstrong said when he first landed on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Toyota is hoping to make the same leap with their new power source very soon.

Sources: Engadget, Auto Blog, Auto News, Wikipedia

Toyota Stock Chokes Due To Increased Value of Yen

2008-03-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

February hasn’t been a good month for automobile companies. With the dwindling sales these companies experienced this month, you just have to hope that they’ll be able to recoup next month. But aside from slow sales, Toyota also experienced their stock drop in the Japanese stock market.

Toyota topped the list of companies whose stock dropped in the Japanese stock market. The company lost a percentage of 2.5, which is an equivalent of about 5,910 yen. This makes it the largest decline this week. Toyota’s slump was brought about by the three-week rise in the value of the Japanese yen against the US dollars. While the increase in value seems like good news for the Japanese currency, it unwittingly contributed to the decrease in the value of sales abroad. Based on reports, for every 1 yen increase earned by the Japanese yen against the US dollar, Toyota stands to lose a grand total of 35 billion yen or $330 million of its annual profit.

Despite Toyota’s loses, the Japanese yen has done considerably well against the weakened US dollar by reaching high marks of 107.06 against its previous 105.96 mark. I’m just hoping that this decline currently being experienced by Toyota will just be for this month and won’t spill over next month. I shudder to think what will happen if the company’s stock next month continues to drop.

Source: Bloomberg

Toyota’s Middlemen Business Practice Uncovered

2008-03-03T23:58:00.000-08:00

Toyota has its back to the wall as the company received a lawsuit from its dealers regarding one of their business practices involving the use of independent distributors as a medium to sell their cars. Looks like Toyota was caught with their pants down on this one.

While the lawsuit poses a threat to the overall image that the company is trying to convey to the public, it’s not a surprise that it finally caught up with them, given the fact that they’ve been using independent distributors for the longest time. This type of business started in the 1960’s when Toyota first entered the automotive market in the US. To be able to expand their market, Toyota relied on local businessmen to help them find dealers and work out any political obstacles that may hamper their business dealings. While Toyota focused on the West Coast and New York area, these local businessmen tackled the other areas in the country. According to the information provided by Automotive News, aside from entrusting them with a vast area of responsibility, Toyota also authorized them to set prices, determine product mix, dictate trim packages and develop marketing plans. This pretty much made them their own bosses. Toyota tried to eventually buy out these distributors once it was able to establish itself. The company was successful in buying out most, except for two well-established and powerful distributors: Southeast Toyota in Florida and Gulf States Toyota in Houston. Southeast Toyota operates in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina and controls 20% of sales nationwide while Gulf States Toyota covers the areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.

Despite the lawsuit, Toyota is intent on backing their distributors and this business process they’ve been practicing. How long their stance will last remains to be seen as this embarrassing lawsuit progresses and escalates.

Source: CNN Money.com

Toyota iQ: Cute Little Bugger

2008-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Toyota just came up with its own “mini-me” vehicle proving that big things can actually come in small packages.

Dubbed the “Toyota iQ”, the small hatchback vehicle measures a miniscule 2.98 meters long. At a glance you’d think that this car was created with the intention of seating Frodo and his merry band of hobbits. But upon further scrutiny, it’s actually a car meant for the likes of Aragorn, Gandalf and Faramir. Well, not them exactly but you get my point. According to Toyota, the iQ is capable of seating three adults plus your choice of a child or a luggage. This was accomplished due to the six-space saving system integrated by Toyota into the iQ. Despite its small size, the iQ sports a set of 17-inch tires both for its front and rear. While it has not been confirmed what type of engine the Toyota iQ will use, some have speculated that it would probably run using a 1.0-liter engine.

Developed by ED2, Toyota’s advanced European Design studio located in France, the Toyota iQ is Toyota’s way of providing a compact yet stylish urban car. Even though production of this mini-car will start by the end of this year, it will probably not reach US soil. That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing this “little tyke” run with the big boys.

Sources: Kicking Tires, World Car Fans, Autoblog Green

Toyota’s Scion Brand To Hard Sell xB RS 5.0

2008-02-25T23:17:00.000-08:00

Toyota is really going to have to bust its tails in order to work on reviving the declining sales experienced by the Scion xB RS 5.0, which comes in only one color: Gold Rush Mica.

Recent reports from Autodata, Woodcliffe Lake, New Jersey, has surfaced indicating that the sales for the vehicle declined to 130,181 last year. That’s equivalent to a drop of 24.8%. That comes after the Scion brand experienced an increase in sales of up to 43% from 2004 to 2006, which translated to sales of 99,259 to 173,034 units.

The decline in sales can be attributed not only to its direct competitors like the Honda Fit or the Mini but also to its indirect competitor, the Toyota Yaris. The Yaris pretty much has the same target audience, which is the Gen Y generation, the same market that Scion is targeting. According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, Toyota allotted $28 million each on ads for both the Yaris and Scion. But despite that, it seems that the Yaris is slowly beating its cousin in claiming the Gen Y market.

But Toyota hasn’t counted the Scion out just yet. To counter the decline in sales, Toyota will launch a two-week marketing campaign that will have teams comprising of three members dispatched in 10 cities to heavily promote the xB RS 5.0. Each team will have a driver and two “musclemen” driving in campaign-branded vehicles, giving out Scion-branded skullcaps that are wrapped in gold bar-like packages. Aside from the skullcaps, the package will also have a card indicating the URL for the limited xB’s microsite and a pass code. The site will contain screensavers, messaging icons and desktop backgrounds of the limited edition xB that they can use and download.

Founded in 2003, Scion is an extension of Toyota Motor Corp. that targets young automotive buyers.

Sources: Computerworld, Toyota, CJTRT

Toyota Financial Services Gets A New Ethernet VLAN Solution

2008-02-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

"Business has just picked up!" That’s one of the few catchphrases popularized and used by Jim Ross, WWE’s well-known commentator, when a popular WWE wrestler like Steve Austin or Triple H enters the “squared circle.” And now thanks to Toyota Financial Services’ attempt to improve their back-end IT infrastructure, business for them may indeed just pick up.

Toyota Financial Services, a division of Toyota’s Australia branch, is responsible for providing vehicle finance solutions for its Australian customers. It has $4.3 billion of net receivables with headquarters at Sydney, Woolaware Bay, Townsville, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Since they handle a critical responsibility, the company felt the need to further improve their current infrastructure to provide better service to their clients. To do this, they decided to tap Uecomm, an IT solution provider also holding office in Australia, and make use of their Ethernet VLAN solution. With this program, Toyota Financial Services will be able to help provide support to their company’s back-end IT suite, Internet and VoIP technology.

"The new solution has really given us bang for our buck," said Mark Gosling, Toyota Financial Services’ IT Manager, "And the simplicity of the outcome means we can confidently focus on internal IT matters and not be concerned about the network connectivity and it's day-to-day performance."

With their new Ethernet VLAN solution set up across their networks, the company will now be able to back up the main infrastructure of their site, minimize outages and provide continuous bandwidth connectivity for their business needs and also for their disaster recovery site.

Hopefully, this upgrade will help Toyota Financial Services to continuously provide better service and meet the needs of their clients.

Sources: Computerworld, Toyota, CJTRT

Toyota Boshoku Slowly Establishing Itself In The US; Manufacturing Plant In The Works

2008-02-18T21:28:00.001-08:00

Toyota Boshoku, an affiliate of the Toyota Group of Companies that handles the manufacturing of automotive interior and components, has slowly established itself in North and South America. In its attempt to continue its hold in the market and at the same time increase the awareness of their existence, Toyota Boshoku has decided to set-up another manufacturing plant, this time in Itawamba County, Mississippi.

The 386,000 square-foot-plant, worth approximately $80 million, will work indirectly with the assembly plant of the Toyota Highlander located at Blue Springs, another county also found in Mississippi. The plant will be responsible in designing seats, door panels and carpet for the Toyota Highlander. The plan is to have the plant situated 40 acres south of US Highway 78, near the Fawn Grove Road exit and Dorsey community.

The manufacturing plant will have an initial number of 500 employees working in it. The first hires will make up five to eight percent of the work force and will be tasked as maintenance, tool and die workers. An additional 500 workers could be added during its second phase of expansion and will be assigned as production workers. As for the wages of their workforce, Toyota Boshoku will abide by the standard set by the county and pay them the sum of $10 per hour, excluding benefits.

The plant that will be constructed in Itawamba County will be Toyota Boshoku’s 20th plant in North America. The company holds office at Erlanger, Kentucky and also has a development center established in Michigan.

Sources: Biz Journal, MEDC, Daily Journal, Wikipedia

Will The Celica Make A Comeback?

2008-02-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

Speculations continue to grow as to whether Toyota has any plans of reviving its Celica brand. But based on current industry rumors, the possibility of the brand returning in 2009 seems pretty high.

The Toyota Celica, derived from the Latin word “coelica” which means “heavenly” or “celestial” was first produced during the 1970s. Throughout its existence, the Celica carried a four-cylinder engine and was equipped with special features such as a having a Rear-Wheel Drive, a Front-Wheel Drive and Variable Valve Timing systems. The Celica was available as a convertible, notchback and liftback coupes. A four-wheel drive turbocharged model was even produced. Production of the Celica came to a halt in 2006.

In the event that Toyota does decide to bring back the Celica, initial reports indicate that the vehicle will come out in two different models: a Celica GT and a Celica GT-4. Toyota’s plan is to provide the Celica GT with a 2.0-liter boxer engine and will be equipped with a rear-wheel-drive feature as well. The Celica GT-4 on the other hand will be given a 2.0-liter box engine, which is similar to that of the Impreza Sti, allowing the car to run at 300 miles per hour. The Celica GT-4 will also be equipped with Subaru’s four-wheel-drive feature including in-wheel electric motors to give more power to its wheels.

The Toyota Celica is expected to come out with two different body styles: a true coupe and a three-door hatchback. Plans to have a five-door hatchback will not push through as this would end up competing against the Subaru Impreza hatchback. The creation and development of the new Celica is rumored to be handled by Subaru using their Gunma Plant.

Here’s hoping that this revival pushes through and leads to more sales and revenue for the company.

Sources: Trend News, Wikipedia

Toyota Quarterly Profit Rises to 7.5 Percent

2008-02-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

Toyota Motor Corp. showed that they’re definitely a force to be reckoned with by yielding an amazing 7.5 percent increase in their quarterly profits. Despite the slump the company encountered in the US and Japan, what contributed to their rise was the growth shown by its markets outside the US, particularly its Chinese, Middle East and Russian markets.

Toyota, valued at around $196 billion, was able to take home 458.67 billion yen for its October to December net profit from six brokerages according to Reuters Estimates. The revenue generated by the company is equivalent to about $4.30 billion. Toyota’s third quarter operating profit, not including its Chinese joint ventures, increased by 4.7 percent giving them approximately 601.56 billion yen in returns. The initial forecast by the company for its full year, which culminates this March 31, called for them to pull in a net profit of 1.7 trillion yen and an operating profit of 2.3 trillion yen.

Even though the year for the company hasn’t ended, the decrease in falling house prices, slow economy and credit woes contributed to Toyota’s US market inability to generate that much needed profit in the west. Its rivals, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have also experienced the same type of losses in the US market. Even shares in Japan have dipped considerably due to the Japanese investors’ refusal to take part with companies that are also being invested in the US. This has caused Toyota to lose 25 percent of shares in their native land.

Despite the losses in the US and its failure to attract and entice Japanese investors, Toyota’s increase generated by its outside market could still help the company achieve their forecasted earnings.

Source: Reuters

Toyota Motor’s “Mitey” Seat Fabric

2008-02-06T00:44:00.000-08:00

Toyota Motor Corp (TMC) has just come up with a way to get ride of those pesky mite allergens that spread in their car’s seats. Please welcome the Anti-mite Allergen Seat Fabric.

Based on its name, the seat fabric works by containing the mite allergen movement in the car seat and prevent it from being active. For those unaware what Mite Allergens are, it is a type of allergen which originates from dead mites and their droppings and accumulates in a vehicle’s seats. These allergens normally come from a passenger’s clothes, are airborne and are able to move around the vehicle’s interiors due largely in part to the movement of the passengers. The Anti-mite Allergen Seat Fabric works by enveloping an estimated 98% of all the mite allergens that settles down on the treated surface contained in the car seat. The agent used to suppress these mite allergens does not have any harmful effects to the seat’s fabric and texture.

Aside from the Anti-mite Allergen Seat Fabric, TMC is also developing different technological products to improve the comfort level of their vehicles. One of the new products currently being worked on is the Fraichir seats. It is a set of seats made of fibers and covered with a type protein taken from natural silk called sericin, which reduces skin irritation. It also has developed an air conditioner which equipped with pollen reduction feature and is also equipped with the Plasmacluster Ions technology. This technology stops the movements of mold bacteria in the air. The company has also been able to design the world’s first in-car oxygen-level conditioner which is able to maintain an appropriate level of oxygen in the vehicle’s interiors.

Toyota is working on making sure that the Anti-mite Allergen Seat Fabric, along with the other advancements it has made, will be offered in all vehicle models scheduled to be launched in Japan in the future.

Sources: Auto News 24H, Japan Today, Japanese Sports Cars

Plans For An Eight Toyota Assembly Plant In China In The Works

2008-02-06T00:37:00.000-08:00

By the look of things, it seems that Toyota has a lot of money to spend this year and they’re not thinking of setting any of it aside. According to reports, Toyota Motor Corp is currently planning to set-up another assembly plant in Asia. And the company has set their eyes on China.

Toyota is taking the construction of their eight assembly plant highly into consideration since the installation and development of this plant will help in increasing the production of their vehicles. Based on their forecast, the assembly plant will be able to help in raising their production to an outstanding one million units each year.

The current plan is for the assembly plant to be constructed in Changchun, located in the Jilin Province. To be able to accomplish this, Toyota Motor Corp has aligned itself with FAW Group Corp, China’s top automaker. Another part of Toyota’s plan for this new assembly plant is to have their Corolla subcompact vehicle assembled here. If the creation of the plant is to push through, Toyota Motor Corp will need to shell out an estimated amount of 50 billion yen. Personally, I don’t think they would mind spending this much as long as the plant gives them a huge return of investment after a couple of years.

Although Toyota already has already established a small plant in Changchun that handles the assembly of its Prius hybrid and its other models, the proposed assembly plant to be set up in the same location will be their first plant to carry painting and press equipments. Toyota is planning on working on the construction of the assembly plant during the early part of 2010. Now that’s something to look forward to in two years. For Toyota’s sake, let’s hope that this project works and won’t end up being a bust.

Sources: CNN Money

Joe Gibbs Racing Performs At NASCAR Thanks To Toyota

2008-02-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota have a lot to smile about these days. With the off-season switch made by Joe Gibbs Racing from using Chevrolet cars to Toyota, it seems they’ve been doing pretty well on the race track. The team set the pace during the pre-season testing conducted at Daytona and Las Vegas and have shown no signs of letting up, thanks in part to their Thursday performance during the opening round of a two-day test at the California Speedway.

Joe Gibbs racer Denny Hamlin, who was driving a Toyota Camry, topped the race by registering a speed of 182.523 miles per hour using the team’s car No.11B. Hamlin was also able to register the speed of 181.800 miles per hour using the team’s other car No. 11A. His teammate Kyle Busch, another of Joe Gibbs top racers, placed in fourth and registered a speed of 181.470 miles per hour using car No. 18 and then was also able to land at seventh place using car No. 18B with a recorded speed of 180.582 miles per hour.

Hamlin indicated that he wasn’t worried at all when his team made the switch from using Chevrolet cars to Toyotas. “We definitely didn't think going into this year that we were going to have growing pains by switching manufacturers,” the Virginia native said. “Had we had the old car where we really don't know the aero advantages, yeah, we definitely would have been a little bit more concerned. But we know we've got basically the same body as what we had last year.”

It’s a sure bet that people of Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota have a huge smile on their faces as a result of the team and the car’s performance during the testing. You can also be sure that if this continues for the rest of the year, this would definitely be the start of a beautiful relationship between Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota.

Sources: Speed TV

Gauges for Fuel Efficiency to be set by Toyota on U.S. Vehicles

2008-01-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

As Toyota Motor Corp. goes on improving its models and producing more efficient vehicles, it now plans to provide gauges to its other vehicles. The gauges will show the efficient fuel consumption that will be standard equipment for Toyota cars as well as trucks.
In addition to Toyota’s gasoline-electric vehicles, additional models will have gauges including new and redesigned models of Lexus, Scion and of course Toyota. The revamped 4Runner sports utility vehicle will be initially provided with the gauges and is due on August 2009.

With the use of measures in fuel economy, drivers can save fuel to an estimated five to ten percent. Also, owners of hybrid vehicles use the practical information attain efficient fuel consumption through the changes they made on the way they drive and lessening the speeding up aggressively.

Toyota gained many achievements in many areas and is rated by the U.S. administration as the most fuel-efficient car manufacturer. The Prius, in particular, is company’s best-selling hybrid vehicle and obtains a boost on its sales. This makes Toyota’s Japan-based company, the Toyota City, increase the average fuel economy of the automakers models for 2007. Compared in the previous year, the average fuel economy is 28.4 mpg but gets to achieves 29 mpg. This was based from the Environmental Protection Agency that mainly concerns on the environmental quality, safety, protection.

Toyota Activities Concern More on Environment

2008-01-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

Toyota welcomes 2008 with a brighter look and insistence to be more environmental friendly. The speech given by Katsuaki Watanabe, the Toyota president, includes some of the company’s resolutions as well as projects for this year. Three different areas of sustainability are to be pursued namely the research and development, manufacturing and the social contribution. All these areas will be given concentration while dealing with environmental matters.

Having a quantitative growth indicates that there is an improvement in quality. This is what the Toyota president believes, thus, making the company understands to attain balanced accomplishments both in environmental preservation and corporate field.

To view the further details, visit theautochannel.

Toyota Includes a New Diesel Option for Auris SR180

2007-12-26T22:06:00.001-08:00

Toyota owners and buyers will have the latest awaited alternative for the Auris SR180 as the new busy year arrives. High-skilled professionals tuned up the performance of the SR180 to give a more dynamic output and superior driving action.

The Toyota Auris SR180 is offered in a 2.2L diesel that produces 175hp. With just a period of less than 9 seconds, the model is able to get 62mph thru 295lb-ft of torque. In addition, the SR180 receives a six speed manual transmission as well as a suspension.

More Production for Toyota in 2008

2007-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

The year 2008 will be a flourishing period for Toyota Motor Corp. with the grand production of units reaching to nearly 10 million. The increase of vehicle production is a great move for the company as positive sales output was projected in different rising markets including in China and the Middle East.

The increased number of production exceeds the estimated output this year with over 500,000 units. This is based from the report stated on the Nikkei newspaper.

With the continuous feat, it could make Toyota the top automaker in the world based on the number of vehicles produced.

November’s Top-selling US auto brand is Toyota

2007-12-12T00:56:00.001-08:00

Despite several issues that the company needed to tackle with in the preceding months, Toyota still managed to get the highest position, being the top selling automobile brand in the industry. Based from the report given by AUTODATA CORP., a research firm in the US, Toyota achieved an increased market share by 0.8 percent. This made the automaker as the sales leader, beating other large auto companies.

South Korea – Toyota’s Possible Market in 2009

2007-12-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Korean market will potentially be considered by Toyota Motor Corp. in 2009. The company will introduce its brand in South Korea since the locality shows a rapid-growing import automobile market. This was based from the report by the industrial daily Nikkan Kogyo.

Hybrid cars are expected to be focused by the automaker like the Toyota Prius which will at first be sold by way of several dealerships. It will be operated by the group trading firm, the Toyota Tsusho Corp T.

In 2001, Toyota introduced the high-end Lexus brand in South Korea. Though another local automaker dominated the area, Toyota still managed to improve the sales for the Lexus. In 2006, it raised 13 percent to 6,581 cars and grew 18 percent in the first 10 months of 2007.

A New Driving Simulator Constructed by Toyota

2007-11-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

A huge driving simulator, 15-foot high and 23-foot wide, was created by Toyota to effectively analyze the driving characteristics of drivers as well as examining how drowsiness and intoxication greatly influence driving.

Inside the dome are computer graphic imageries including, street signs, stores, pedestrians and the distant Mount Fuji. The images go with the movement of the simulated driving to make a real-life road situation. The simulator tilts forward whenever the driver steps on the brakes and leans to the left as the driver makes a left turn.

The impact incidents are not integrated in the computer graphics. Instead, the images will just disappear when a driver hits a computerized pedestrian.
The use of the driving sim is an effective and safe way of testing the car’s safety features since it causes no danger to the driver, as said by the Toyota Motor Corp. officials.

The Return of the Toyota Celica

2007-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Toyota Celica will join again the Toyota vehicle line up, making its comeback in 2009 as stated by the automaker’s German Chief, Markus Schrick. The production of the model was halted two years ago after the drop of sales.

There are no further details given about the Celica but considering the new model to be built on a rear-wheel drive platform.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

2007-11-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

Time to take a break and enjoy some foodstuff. Need to hurry for the Thanksgiving Day!

Toyota to Increase Sales in the Chinese Market by 46%

2007-11-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Toyota Motor Corp. has revealed plans to increase its Chinese sales up to 700,000 cars next year, up to 46 per cent on the year.

According to Toyota Motor Corp. Senior Managing Director Akira Sasaki, the company will produce several new models to increase its business and marketing network to benefit from China’s increasing automobile market.

The main production line in will be joined in by the Yariz Sedan in China. It will be manufactured by Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co. plant in collaboration with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. starting mid 2008. New VIOS compact sedan will also be produced at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., a cooperative undertaking with FAW Group Corp.

News via tradingmarkets.

Toyota Shows the 2008 Sequoia at LA Auto Show

2007-11-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

In the LA Auto Show this year, Toyota’s 2008 Sequoia made its first appearance in front of high-ups and big audience. As it took its time to the spotlight, the Tundra essence was manifested into a sport utility vehicle structure.

Sequoia will be offered to a six-speed transmission and 5.7L V8 engine with 381 hp which then provides another option for customers. The model fits for dynamic activities especially for families engaged more on energetic routine. Aside from improved handling and stability, the independent rear and front suspensions makes the model comfortable to drive and ride with even on long destinations. An extra storage space is likewise provided in the third row and rear seats.

The new Toyota model is teeming with up-to-date features including the JBL synthesis sound system together with XM satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, rear DVD player and likewise ports intended for MP3 player to cater an alternative of playing the occupants preferred sounds.

To view the press release, visit autoblog.com.

The All-New Feature-Packed 2009 Toyota Corolla

2007-11-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

With similarities to its previous model, the new 2009 Toyota Corolla remained loyal to the brand’s function as a subcompact sedan. The main difference though is that it presents an innovative new body with slanted, curved and elegant shape, increased interior space, more powerful yet economical engine and finally the latest chassis and suspension.

The latest Corolla comes in five different models which are the Toyota Corolla Standard, Limited Edition, XLE, sporty S, and the pumped up XRS.

Developed by Toyota Design in cooperation with the Toyota styling studios in Turin, Italy, the new Corolla’s broad, low down form was inspired by the designer’s quest for a lower and sportier shape than the previous designs of Corolla. The resulting design is that the bottom of the A-pillar was moved forward while the bottom of the C- pillar was moved behind to raise the angle of the window pane and improve the car’s aerodynamics.

The stock body kit on the S and XRS model which includes a front underbody spoiler, rocker moldings, upper and lower rear spoilers, fog lamps, and engine undercover to provide better air management under the car, are all intended to aid in aerodynamics and give the Corolla a sporty look.

The 2009 Toyota Corolla’s interior is pretty distinctive and comfortable while having the same headroom, leg space and shoulder room as the earlier model but it also feels more spacious because of the unique engineering effort to improve comfort, functionality and space.

Jim Lentz as Toyota Motor Sales’ President

2007-11-08T19:57:00.001-08:00

Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales’ executive vice president, was promoted to president for the company’s sales in the U.S. Before the appointed executive vice president position in June 2006, Lentz had been the TMS’ general manager for Toyota division. Among his tasks were administering the entire marketing activities, logistics and sales for Scion, Toyota and Central Atlantic Toyota distributors.

Another Toyota officer, Dian Ogilvie, was likewise promoted as the secretary and senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America. The company handles the sales, manufacturing and engineering operations in the area.

The Toyota RiN Concept Vehicle

2007-11-06T01:58:00.001-08:00

One of the latest concept vehicles unveiled this year at the Tokyo Motor Show is Toyota’s own concept car, the Toyota RiN. The idea of creating the vehicle concentrated more on the comfort of occupants and enhancement of harmony between nature and man.

Exceptional features and appearance are evidently seen from the RiN’s interior to the exterior portion. Both sections utilize the motif of the tall-growing and deep-rooted Japanese Yakusugi tree. The theme and design conveys the vehicle in harmony with nature as well as healthy mind and body.

Inside the RiN has a contrast color scheme of beige and deep green. The heated seats are employed in the cabin, aiding to provide a better back posture. Since the concept is in accordance with nature, the surfaces make use of green glass. There is also a pinpoint humidifier and oxygen level conditioner.

The external of the concept vehicle is a box-shape body that employs sliding doors. The windows are lowered so as to provide an ideal and nearer view of the surroundings especially at the ground level.

Toyota Takes Used-Car Business

2007-10-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Entering the used-car business is yet another excellent break for Toyota. The Japanese automaker launches its used car program titled “Toyota You Trust.” This industry likewise attracts other automakers, making them create their own used car programs including Hyundai’s “Hyundai Advantage”, Honda’s “Auto Terrace” and Ford’s “Ford Assured.”

Toyota focuses on this venture and draw main dealerships. About four to five dealers were identified by the company to invest and build operations for second-hand cars.

Invincible Land Cruiser – Adding to Toyota’s Land Cruiser Line Up

2007-10-27T02:06:00.001-07:00

This autumn, Toyota will include the new Invincible Land Cruiser to its model range. In replacement to LC5 Land Cruiser, the latest Invincible receives upgrades and indispensable features. These consist of rear parking monitor and Bluetooth phone connection among others.

Both the interior and exterior of Invincible are geared up with distinct components. A multi-function steering wheel is incorporated with an innovative style that makes the model more noticeable. The Land Cruiser uses 17-inch alloy wheels, cool headlamps and exceptional front grille.

Prices for the new Land Cruiser start from £37,795.

Toyota Models, Still Named "Most Reliable"

2007-10-25T18:32:00.001-07:00

Toyota still maintains the good reputation of its vehicles, exceeding other automakers’ models. Although Consumer Reports no longer advocates V6 Camry, Lexus GS AWD and V8 Tundra 4WD, various models of Toyota were recognized as "Most Reliable" vehicles. Scion, Lexus and Toyota attained very high ranks aside from other Toyota models, making the automaker rank in the third place for the most reliable makes in the industry.

A New Factory for Toyota Supplier

2007-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Toyota Boshoku, one of the oldest suppliers of Toyota, will construct a $47 million plant employing 275 workers. The factory will be built in southwest Indiana in 2009 beside the Toyota truck compound near to Evansville. The Toyota truck complex has 4,800 employees.

The Boshoku’s tax credits will reach $1.8 million and are ranged from the number of employments the company can generate. Toyota Boshoku America’s head, Nate Furuta, was once an executive of Toyota.

For more information about this news, visit indystar.

Toyota Sienna – Two Millionth Toyota Certified Used Vehicle Sold

2007-10-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Toyota sold the two millionth Toyota Certified Used Vehicle to Mr. Brian Kabat. The buyer of the used vehicle, 2004 Toyota Sienna, is from Bellevue, Washington. Mr. Kabat was able to agree on buying the model after his grandchildren expressed their liking for the features installed in the Sienna. The luxury features added to the cost of the used vehicle made Mr. Kabat hesitant at first, but later on decided to buy the Sienna.

The amount paid by Mr. Kabat for the Sienna was returned by Toyota as the company celebrated its 2,000,000th auction for the used vehicle. Likewise, the $36,648, same amount paid back to Sienna’s buyer, was given by Toyota to Bellevue's Youth Eastside Service (YES) agency plus another $5,000 allocated by the automaker for Bellevue's Newport High School Band. Toyota will give these donations in a ceremony which will happen at the Bellevue dealership.

Norm Olson, the manager for the sales operation of Toyota Certified Used Vehicles, will give the checks. The principal of Bellevue dealership, Bruce Broadus, chose the YES agency. The objective of YES is to aid children and families in dealing and surpassing the problems like domestic violence and drug abuse.

To receive the donation for YES agency, Patti Skelton-McGougan which is the executive director, will represent the organization. On the other hand, Patty Siegwarth, Newport High School principal will receive Toyota’s donation together with the band directors, Ed George and Matt Eisenhauaer.

Top 30 Best-Selling Passenger Cars Include Scores of Toyota Vehicles

2007-10-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Corp. once again proves to be Asia’s leading car manufacturer. Its vehicles comprise more than half of the top 30 passenger vehicles sold in Japan. The increased number of Toyota cars making in the top 30 was greatly dragged by redesigned and improved models. According to Japan Automobile Dealers Association, 18 models of Toyota made it to the top 30 passenger vehicles unlike last year with only 16 models hitting the list.

Taking the first place is Toyota Corolla while Vitz got the second position. Toyota introduced eight updated and latest models for this year. And because of the overall performance and innovative designs, two of Toyota’s new models ranked within the top 30. These are Voxy minivans as well as Noah. The sales for the two models which were given on June 27 raised 12 percent from the previous year.

The top 30 passenger vehicles were summarized after six months and concluded on September 30.

Additionally, making it to the list is Japan’s bestselling car, the Wagon R minicar. It was manufactured by Suzuki Motor Corp. Minicars hit the taste of customers in Japan. The company sold 106,911 good quality Wagon R minicars for six months.

Also making it to the top 30 are three models coming from Honda Motor, Japan’s second biggest automaker. The company planned to make a new version for the Fit compact shortly this month. The model is Honda’s best-selling vehicle in Japan and got the third position in the top 30 passenger cars. The third largest carmaker, Nissan got five models in the list.

The table for the 10 best-selling cars in Japan can be viewed via bloomberg. The list excludes minicars for the month of September.

Committed to be the biggest automaker worldwide, Toyota launched a new model in Japan, the Lexus IS-F luxury sports car. The company introduced the new vehicle since it aspires to boost sales of the Toyota brand.

Toyota Reports September 2007 U.S.Sales

2007-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Toyota’s September sales include the production of 213,043 units and totals to 2,001,646 vehicles for the Calendar-year-to-date (CYTD) summary. This shows a 3.8 percent increase compared to the sales last year.

Making a good record for the September sales is the Camry Hybrid. The model rises eight percent in 4,196 units that makes it lead the sales for passenger vehicles. Also making greatest sales is the middle sized Prius hybrid attaining an increase of 23.8 percent in 12,494 units. Toyota Corolla obtained 29,550 vehicles for September sales.

Toyota’s Tundra significantly made an increase in light trucks division. It made an increase of 61.4 percent for the September sales in 19, 571 units. A total of 8,173 units were sold for Toyota’s two models, the Highlander as well as the Highlander Hybrid. An impressing increase of sales for RAV4 also adds to the sales for September rising to 29.8 percent in 14,412 units.

Achieving sales of 13,239 units is Scion while the sports vehicle, tC, sold 5,694 vehicles. Additionally, xB contribute the sales for September with 4,842 units.

In the Lexus division, the passenger vehicles made an increase of 10.6 percent in 15,131 units. This was highlighted by ES 350 attaining 6,491 vehicles which is up 15.4 percent. The joint sales for the latest LS 460 plus LS 600h L vehicles reached 2,918 units, enough to attain 237.9 percent of increase for the September sales. The 196 units of the merged sales are from LS 600h L.

For the hybrids, a 44 percent increase is gained totaling to 208,187 vehicles based from hybrids’ calendar-year-to-date sales.

For more information and distribution of Toyota’s September sales, visit the auto channel.

Toyota’s Total Productive Maintenance

2007-09-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

To improve the equipment reliability and efficiency, Toyota made a design that involves the participation of employees as well as collection of data for analysis and trend establishment. Different activities will be conducted based from the knowledge of team members. Training will also be made that would present open communication in the engineering and operating fields.

The adequate data collected in the trend and pattern of equipment’s performance will then identifies the proper standards and procedures needed for preventive maintenance. It will also be a helpful factor in determining the possible expenses of preventive maintenance and repairs likewise as a trace for failures.

Toyota Opens a Good Chance to Minorities

2007-09-21T02:21:00.001-07:00

Toyota has been actively engaged in many activities especially in the automotive industry. The company is looking for industries that are officially stated as business enterprises owned by minority people which are recognized by NMSDC or National Minority Supplier Development Council. The NMSDC identifies a minority as a Native American, African-American, Hispanic-American as well as Asian-American. The needed requirement is that a certain business or company be 51% owned, handled and directed by one or more minority individuals.

Any gender has a good chance and deserves to have an equal opportunity, thus, even women-owned businesses are supported to deal with Toyota.

According to John Munson Jr., assistant manager of purchasing and supplier diversity for TEMA's Toyota Operations Center, Toyota is promoting MBE certification in Mississippi because the number of certified MBEs wasn't as "plentiful as they like."

Carlas Smith, the president of AMMBC's interim, said that when the committe began working in Mississippi together with Toyota to look for MBEs , the state only had 10. However, after an educational tour conducted in five cites in the summer period, Carlas Smith with the rest of the council has found about 600 MBEs although a lot were not certified. Smith added that a greater number are located in south and central part of Mississippi.

"Toyota is committed to diversity. We are dedicated to make sure that everyone understands and is ready to go. Because when we go, they can be considered and they are ready," said Jamie Todd, TEMA's assistant general manager of indirect, strategy and systems in the purchasing division.

Autumn Traffic Safety Campaign to be conducted by Toyota

2007-09-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Corporation will conduct the Autumn Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign as an answer to Japan's autumn Nationwide Traffic Safety Campaign which runs from September 21 to 30. The Toyota Campaign will also last in a month from September 21 to October 31. A total of 429 companies will join the operation which includes vehicle dealers, logistics systems and forklift dealers, parts distributors and rental/lease dealers.

The autumn campaign’s main themes for this year are "traffic safety for the elderly" which is carried over from the spring campaign, and "the use of rear-seat seatbelts" that aims in raising drivers' awareness in safe driving practices. The use of rear-seatbelts is now obligatory.

Included in the Toyota campaign is the distribution of approximately 800,000 copies of an educational leaflet, created in connection with the main themes, to customers visiting vehicle dealers and other locations nationwide.

Toyota Hints for a New Sports Car

2007-09-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

New sports car might be in the works of Toyota Motor Corp. after the retirement of the MR2 two-seater.

A slide show was presented showing a Lexus sports car along with two other sporty concept cars. One car bears the Toyota logo on the hood.

Kazuo Okamoto, executive vice president for R&D said that the plans were not yet concrete. However, he commented that Toyota must launch more “appealing products” that are “fun to drive.” The company’s strategy will involve the “development of a new sports model.”

“We used to have a lot of sports cars, but not anymore. So now we want to try it again,” Okamoto added.

Toyota Goes to Electric Motors

2007-09-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Corp. and other big car manufacturers already have electric power steering on some models, with more in the works, and they produce fuel efficiency gains of up to 8 percent. Switching to electric motors is now being done by automakers because fuel efficiency becomes dominant that comes with high gas prices and pending government regulations.

Toyota has incorporated other models with electric power steering. This can be seen from top-line Lexuses to the trendy new Camry as well as on cool Scion small cars. Moreover, electric system does not only provide a lot of savings on fuel. Electric power steering has been connected to sensors so a car parallel parks it, such as the system used on some Lexus models.

Because there is no power steering fluid to monitor, there will be fewer moving parts, no belt to check, and maintenance costs are lower. Steering fixed, sportier setting for winding roads.

EDF Joins Toyota to Develop Recharging Points for Hybrids

2007-09-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

Toyota plans to launch plug-in cars in a few years. An earlier preparation is being prepared by the company. Toyota Motor Corp. and Electricite de France SA will team up to develop recharging points for plug-in hybrid electric cars. The two companies’ remarkable move is vital to the future commercial viability of plug-in cars, which will depend in large part on wide availability of recharging points. Such facilities are only offered presently to some cities.

At first, the EDF's deal with Toyota is expected to cover France but could be extended to other countries.

Toyota – Reduces Emissions, Improves Market Share

2007-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

There are many organizations that have been voicing out about the threats of pollution to the environment. Even car manufacturers themselves are often looked to for solutions to environmental problems.

Toyota Motor Corp. shows that automakers can reduce their impact on global warming without sacrificing sales or competitiveness. Environmental Defense, a nonprofit environmental group, said in a report that Toyota Motor Corp. reduced its vehicles’ rates of carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2005, while gaining market share in the United States. This is achieved by improving fuel efficiency across their lineup.

Toyota, which has heavily marketed its hybrid vehicles, noticed its carbon dioxide emissions reduce by 3 percent during the span whereas its market share increased 7 percent. Its fuel economy levels for passenger cars increased by 13.6 percent, helped by the sales of two well-known Toyota models, Prius and Corolla.

A 10.4 million Target by Toyota in 2009

2007-08-24T02:39:00.001-07:00

Known for its automobiles, Toyota Motor Corp wants to sell around 10.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2009. The target is up 18 percent from last year as it grabs market share in North America and taps growing demand in China and other emerging economies.

Aiming to sell the 10.4 million vehicles is expected to strengthen Toyota's position as the world's biggest car maker. According to Automotive News, Toyota surpassed General Motors Corp to obtain the top spot in 2006.

A Model of Continuous Improvement

2007-08-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

All-wheel-drive Highlander is the same as the old Hybrid's. The gasoline/electric powertrain is mostly unchanged and all-wheel drive is now standard. Still, there are enhancements established in the new Highlander hybrid. An EV mode is designed to keep the Hybrid in electric-only mode longer at low speeds. The EPA combined fuel economy rating of 26 mpg--7 mpg and an ECON button is installed to smoothen out the electronic throttle for improved fuel economy.

Toyota Builds a Safer and Cleaner Ride

2007-08-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Toyota contributes the push for a cleaner and greener car fleet. The two models, 1.5-litre Corolla station wagon and the 3.5-litre V6 Highlander, emit 135grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer and 259g/km respectively. The Corolla is among the top 15 cleanest vehicles on local roads.

The company also designed many enhancements to their vehicles including safety features like multiple airbags, three-point seat belts for all seats, and pre-tensioners and force limiters for the front seat belts. Active headrests on the front seats help reduce whiplash injuries in the event of a rear collision.

A Redesigned Highlander Model for 2008

2007-08-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

Toyota constantly manufactures efficient vehicles to meet customers’ needs. The company has introduced a redesigned Highlander for the 2008 model year. The new model is bigger than the previous one. New features are established including updated styling and more powerful V6 engine. But still, the Highlander remains significant to individuals and families because it is an easy-to-drive vehicle that can carry a fair amount of cargo, handle occasional snow and ice during the winter months and still turn in respectable fuel economy.

Toyota Highlander Still Keeps Appealing

2007-08-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Using the Toyota Highlander, a fully independent suspension delivers an agreeable combination of comfort and control, giving a quality ride over handling. Drivers aiming for a slightly more precise cornering attitude will want to check the Sport version, which has modestly firmer suspension tuning. Even with its soft setup and aging platform, the first generator Highlander still comes across as quickly for a crossover SUV since it weighs less than many of its other challengers.

'Toyota Prius is the new Model T'

2007-07-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

The North America chief of automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that on the heels of recent fuel price hike in the pumps, vehicles powered by gasoline-electric hybrid engines will dominate US roads. And the Toyota Prius is at a vantage point to lead the industry's shift toward more fuel efficient cars.

“Eventually, everything will be a hybrid,” said Jim Press, president of Toyota-North America, in an interview with Bloomberg News in New York. Hybrids have been driving Toyota's growth in the US, he said, with the Toyota Prius leading automaker's vehicle sales.

“The Prius is the forerunner,” Press added. “It's going to be like the Model T when you look back,” he said, referring to the ubiquitous, low-cost Ford Motor Co. vehicle produced more than 80 years ago. Rising gasoline prices have also driven consumers into newer types of vehicles, such as crossover sport utilities, and away from large SUVs, said Press. “You don't buy a car for image any longer that's a big gas guzzler,” he said.

The Toyota chief added they were expecting at least 175,000 Prius hybrids to be sold in North America this year, up from about 109,000 sold in 2006. Hybrids reduce fuel use and emissions by combining a gasoline engine, an electric motor with a battery pack and brakes that capture energy from stopping.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the US rose 28 percent this year to $2.98, according to the American Automobile Association. This is the third straight summer that US gasoline prices have topped $3.

Toyota Auris put to test at Mobility Roadshow

2007-07-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

The new Toyota Auris will make its first Mobility Roadshow appearance this year, heading a comprehensive Toyota lineup on display and in action on the track. Taking place from July 19 to 21 at Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire, it is the world’s largest annual national motor show earmarked for disabled people.

Toyota has supported the roadshow for the past seven years. The Japanese automaker is among the few car manufacturers offering original equipment mobility products designed for the disabled. This year highlights the passenger swivel seat for the five-door Toyota Auris.

Toyota will likewise be hosting an extensive static display where visitors can take a closer look at the vehicles and obtain more information from our show team. Toyota track cars will be equipped with the latest driver assist items prepared by Toyota’s established mobility program partner, Autoadapt, with display models fitted with a range of wheelchair storage and other mobility products.

Another fuel-efficient Toyota?

2007-07-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

With fuel prices at a premium these days, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. revisits the Flexible Saloon Concept that it first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show back in 2005. Folk at Toyota still refer to the car as a saloon, which is typically a European term for a sedan, but its body shape depicts a cross between a wagon and a small sports utility vehicle, while its engine is reportedly following the specs of the midsize sedan called Toyota Camry.

Production rumors have been relatively quiet since the introduction. Until now. Toyota is once again revisiting the Flexible Saloon Concept, according to Winding Road, possibly ramping up for a production run starting this September. Several of the original concept's features may make it into the production model, including ambient interior lighting and electrically folding rear seats. Engine choices will be nearly identical to the Camry: a 2.4L four-cylinder good for 158hp and a 3.5L V6 developing 268hp. There's also word of a 147hp 2.4L four-banging hybrid.

1st half figures show Toyota overrunning GM

2007-07-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. surges past General Motors in global vehicle sales ranking for the first half of the year, and is likewise set to overtake Ford to become No. 2 in the US auto market, Bloomberg reports.

May figures show Toyota selling a record 245,739 cars and light trucks in the US, 200 units fewer than Ford. In the first half, Ford held a 39,558-vehicle lead, about a 10th of its 319,208-unit advantage a year earlier.

“Gas prices are tied to Japanese car sales in the US, so high prices in May boosted sales, particularly of small cars,” said Takashi Aoki of Mizuho Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, echoing observations of industry analysts that Toyota has been helped by demand for its fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius because of rising gasoline prices.

Gas prices exceeds $3 a gallon in the US pumps for a third straight year. The average price is $2.953 nationwide, compared with $2.926 a year earlier, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Toyota Prius sales rose 83 percent to 17,756. Toyota also posted gains of 33 percent for the Yaris small car and 11 percent for the midsize Camry sedan.

Sales of the redesigned Tundra large pickup more than doubled to a record 21,727, as Toyota on June 15 boosted incentives on the truck to as much as $3,500 or no-interest loans for as long as 60 months, citing competing offers.

TMC readies to step up Toyota hybrid manufacture

2007-06-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. have increased their cross-shareholdings on Monday, a move that industry analysts said is a calculated step likely to solidify Toyota's place in the growing hybrid vehicles market.

Toyota now owns 20.7 million shares in the Japanese electronics firm, or an 0.84 percent stake, as of the end of last business year on March 31, a securities filing by the automotive giant said. The Japanese automaker refused to answer when it bought or how much it paid for the shares that as of March this year are valued at 49.16 billion yen.

Toyota and Matsushita “have been buying each others' shares in chunks of tens of billions of yen,” a Matsushita spokesman said, without specifying a time frame. It held 0.57 percent of Toyota as of March 31 last year. Matsushita, a maker of Panasonic brand electronics, has yet to submit its securities filing from 2006 to 2007.

Matsushita is known to have produced the batteries installed on Toyota hybrids. Other Japanese automakers like Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. likewise entered into similar tie-ups to develop next-generation batteries, whose application is expected to grow with the increase of hybrid and other electric cars.

Toyota Prius success calling for another hybrid

2007-06-26T01:50:00.001-07:00

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. is set to release a new hybrid car by 2009, the Associated Press reported. Quoting a Nikkei business daily news item, AP said the new hybrid Toyota is expected to sell up to 100,000 units, following a pace set by the popular Toyota Prius.

The report added that Toyota is planning to be the chief automaker that produces hybrid vehicles, and has increased global yearly sales target for hybrid cars to 1 million units by the early 2010s, expecting the new hybrid on pipeline to be the driving force.

As of 2007, Toyota uses the hybrid technology in seven models, including the Harrier and Estima. An estimated 310,000 hybrid Toyota models were sold in 2006, with the Prius accounting for more than half of the total sales.

Developments on the purported Toyota hybrid remain unclear it was said that the Miyata plant of Toyota in the Fukuoka Prefecture has already started the manufacture of the hybrid Toyota.

The report added that the Toyota hybrid in development has a larger size and an engine displacement of 2-3 liters, compared with the smaller, 1.5 liter Toyota Prius, specs that aim to provide better ride quality.

TMC president is first Toyota scion to study in US

2007-06-25T23:10:00.001-07:00

Incoming Toyota president Akio Toyoda

Akio Toyoda, a member of the Toyota Motor Corp. founding family, was named Friday as the Japanese automaker's new president. The 51-year-old Akio was formerly TMC's executive vice president in charge of purchasing, and the highest ranking Toyota scion before assuming the presidency.

Akio brings to the position a firsthand appreciation for the US market. He is the first Toyota president to have gone to school in America and worked closely with the company's North American partners. In 2004, his cousin Shuhei Toyoda, who headed the company's European operations, retired from the Toyota board and the family started the grooming of Akio to take on the presidency of Toyota.

Akio is son to TMC honorary chairman Shoichiro Toyoda and grandson to the company's founder. Although Toyota is a public corporation, about 47 percent of the company's voting stock has been traditionally owned by a trust controlled by the Toyoda family. Toyoda family members dominate the board of directors.

Wall Street report draws flak from Toyota

2007-06-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

On the heels of a Wall Street report that Toyota Motor Corp. will scale down production in the US, a top executive of the Japanese automaker said on Friday that TMC remains bullish on the North American market and will keep strengthening its manufacturing capacity in the region to meet the growing demand.

“There has been no change in our plans for our growth strategy,” TMC North America president Jim Press told reporters. He dismissed the Wall Street report as “idle speculation.” He cited a factory in Texas that began to step up the manufacture of its Tundra pickup truck last November, and the Japanese automaker's eighth North American car plant overall slated to open in 2010, adding 600,000 units of annual output capacity in the region.

“That is pretty good evidence of our confidence in the market, and we will continue to build our vehicles where we sell them,” Press said.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that TMC was planning to scale back plant construction in the US to save costs and avoid the risk of oversupply. It added that Toyota was also aware of the bigger profits it could reap by exporting its products from Japan due to the soft yen.

Next-generation Toyota engine on pipeline

2007-06-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motors Corp. sets out to revamp its car lineup with the disclosure Wednesday of a “next-generation” engine system. Fitted with an advanced valve mechanism called “Valvematic,” the new Toyota engine is reportedly capable of improving the fuel efficiency of petrol-powered vehicles by about 5 percent to 10 percent. The engine also reduces carbon dioxide emissions, boosts engine power by at least 10 percent and enhances acceleration responsiveness, Toyota said.

The new Toyota engine system is engineered to adjust the volume of air taken in by continuously controlling the intake valve lift volume and the timing of the valve's opening and closing, Toyota said. The automaker added that it plans to introduce the system starting with a new 2L-engine vehicle model. It did not say when. The company was earlier reported to be preparing for a complete reconstruction of its gasoline engine and transmission lineup by 2010 to reduce emissions.

Wall Street jitters stir Asian stocks

2007-06-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Asian stocks fell Thursday on the heels of concerns over the prospects of slowing global growth, while the automotive sector led by Toyota stood its ground in the afternoon trading and made modest gains. Picking up from overnight stocks weakness on Wall Street, Asian markets were lower across the region with one notable exception: China.

The Toyota index, meanwhile, trimmed down morning losses by the close of the trading. The automotive sector was pressured in the early trading after the Nikkei business daily reported that Nippon Steel Corp. and Toyota Motor have agreed to price increases of more than 10 percent for steel materials used in the production of auto parts. By the close, shares of Toyota rebounded from a 1.1 percent decline to climb 0.1 percent.

Ford outnumbers Toyota in vehicle quality ranking

2007-06-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Ford Mustang, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan, and MX-5 Miata (from Mazda, a company 33 percent-owned by Ford) lead the Detroit-based auto manufacturer's push to unseat Toyota at the vehicle quality rankings. JD Power and Associates, a global marketing information services firm headquartered at Westlake Village in California, released yesterday its 2007 Initial Quality Study on the automotive market. Ford took the top spot in five of the 19 segments, making the company with the most number of models among the automakers surveyed. Toyota, which grabbed the top spot in 11 segments last year, captured only three this year through the 4Runner, Sequoia and Tacoma. Porsche still remains the leader in overall rankings.

May sales all-time best for Toyota

2007-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Torrance, California—Toyota Motor Sales recorded a 9.7 percent sales increase on its year-ago figures for the month of May. Toyota sales were up to 269,023, a new all-time sales record for the Japanese automaker. It even bested the 242,675 units sold in March 2007, the report added.

“As fuel prices and consumer confidence rose, the industry saw a move to passenger cars, with retail business posting sharp gains over a very challenging April,” said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president.

“Despite the industry's shift toward passenger cars, Toyota's all-new Tundra hit an all-time high in May. As for hybrids, the market's appetite continues unabated, with Prius also establishing an all-time record.”