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2009 Toyota Hiace updated in the UK market!

May 29, 2009 at 10:57 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota Hiace

The Toyota Hiace in the UK is something quite different from what we get here. The 2009 Hiace gets standard air conditioning, extra sound-proofing, an extra interior light for the load area, antiglare window glass, and some random chrome detailing around the dash. Both short wheelbase and long wheelbase versions are available, with gross vehicle weight sof 2,800kg and 3,000kg respectively. The standard engine is a 2.5 litre D4-D with either 95 or 115 bhp output.

small_toyota_hiace.jpgAnd by the way, did you know that the Hiace is the top stolen vehicle in Japan?

I can see the appeal – the stolen vans can be shipped out to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, and other third world countries that have use for a van like this.

Some businessmen in these countries are usually more than happy to look for good deals on commercial vans with extraordinarily cheap prices to save on business costs. These vans that are meant as cheap goods movers are also usually not equipped with adequate anti-theft devices because of the low equipment level specified.

It wasn’t always like that though – the Hiace was only number 9 in 2005 but climbed sharply up to 5 the next year. It eventually topped the list in 2008.

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Toyota Urban Cruiser photographed next to a Toyota Land Cruiser, see the family resemblance?

May 18, 2009 at 8:59 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Toyota

Toyota Urban Cruiser

The world’s motoring press yawned when Toyota unveiled the new Toyota Urban Cruiser for the European market. The Urban Cruiser was supposed to help fill in the gap after the Toyota RAV4 grew larger.

Many expected a new model but all we got was a rehash of the Toyota ist and the Scion xD with a slightly higher ride height. And the thing is it shares half its name with the mighty Toyota Land Cruiser, a true blue offroading machine. But I suppose the word Urban changes the word completely. Here’s a new set of 3 photos of the new Urban Cruiser snapped next to its Land Cruiser big brother.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Various engines are available with the Toyota Urban Cruiser, including that new 1.33 litre Dual VVT-i unit that also features start-stop technology and puts out 129g/km. There is also a 130g/km 1.4 litre D4-D turbodiesel putting out 89 horsepower, and this particular engine is exclusively available only with all-wheel drive.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

The AWD system is called Active Torque Control can vary torque distribution from 100:0 up to 50:50 between the front and rear, so it actually runs in front wheel drive most of the time whenever the additional rear traction is not needed. This is done via an electronically controlled coupling located in front of the rear differential. There is also a LOCK button to force 50:50 mode.

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50 new Toyota Prius for the British Army

May 18, 2009 at 8:46 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Toyota

Army Toyota Prius

A total of 50 second generation Toyota Prius (not the latest one that’s just launched) will be joining the service in the UK this year! It’s not going to be in the battlefield of course, but will join the British Army’s White Fleet’s fleet of 6,600 admin cars in efforts to meet a government target that all cars procured between 2007 and 2011 produce less than 130 g/km of CO2.

The 50 units of the Prius which puts out 104g/km of CO2 will replace 50 units of the Vauxhall Vectra, which produces nearly 50% more of the emissions at 154g/km.

“Our vehicles are constantly being changed over because they have reached a certain mileage or a certain life. When we change our vehicles we are looking for value for money but also having in mind those targets the Government has set us on sustainable operations. Taking delivery of this fleet of hybrid vehicles, whose carbon emissions are below the 2011 targets set to us at HQ Land Forces by the Government, means we are ahead of schedule in terms of what the White Fleet produces,” said White Fleet’s Director of Infrastructure Mark Armstrong.

It’s quite interesting looking at a government walking the talk. When they hike up emissions taxes and this and that to force their citizens and residents to be less damaging to the environment, they do the same to set an example.

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Toyota Vios S, Vios S TRD Prototype and Vios J TRD Prototype Group Test Review

May 6, 2009 at 5:16 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Test Drive Reviews, Toyota

Vios TRD

Story by Harvinder Singh Sidhu

The Toyota Vios is doing well in placing itself among the best in terms of sales in Malaysia’s B-Segment vehicle class, even with strong opposition from the Honda City, as well as from the much cheaper Proton GEN2.

To help maintain the Vios’ strong stance in the segment especially that the new City is here, and to prove that Vios can also be used to take you from point A to point B swiftly, UMW Toyota Motor has been working around the clock to come up with an official TRD (Toyota Racing Development) performance and styling package to offer Vios drivers the option to make their city movers look a little more aggressive, and perform a little better in the engine performance and suspension departments.

The auto maker has transformed two standard Vios’ (Automatic S and manual J). Although still in the development stage, Toyota has decided to pass on both these cars to us to find out what we think. Before we move on to these upgraded rides, lets first check out the standard Toyota Vios S.

Continue reading after the jump.
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2009 Toyota Wish with Valvematic unveiled!

April 3, 2009 at 2:24 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

2009 Toyota Wish

Toyota has unveiled a redesigned version of the popular 7-seater Toyota Wish MPV. The Wish goes on sale in Japan first and will probably come to Malaysia soon.

In Japan, the Wish receives Toyota’s new Valvematic engines. Valvematic is a continuously variable valve timing and valve lift mechanism, while VVT-i which affects timing. The engines are the 2ZR-FAE for the 1.8L model and the 3ZR-FAE for the 2.0L.

The 2.0L makes an impressive 158 PS at 6,200rpm and 196Nm of torque at 4,400rpm (of course the king of the hill is still the Optima facelift’s 163 PS), while the 1.8L units either put out 144 PS and 176Nm of torque or 133 PS and 164Nm of torque. The lower figures are for models equipped with the 4WD drivetrain.

All engines are mated to the Super CVT-i transmission, and some have manual paddle shifting for 7 virtual CVT gear ratios.

2009 Toyota Wish

Fuel consumption is said to have improved and exceeds Japanese 2010 standards by 20% for the 1.8L model, and 15% for the 2.0L model. The 2.0L unit gets 15.2km/l based on the Japanese 10-15 cycle, and the 1.8L model gets 16.0km/l.

In terms of practicality, the maximum luggage capacity has had its width increased by 95mm. The slimmer seatbacks for the seats increase legroom for the rows behind it. Front diagonal visibility is better by attaching the side mirrors to the door panels and reducing the width of the A-pillars. Seat covers have been treated with an anti-mite agent, and the climate control system has the Camry’s Plasmacluster air-purifying technology. The steering wheel is both tilt and reach adjustable.

2009 Toyota Wish

The Wish also adds an improved version of VSC called S-VSC, which also uses the electric power steering system to apply appropriate steering torque to help stabilize it. High spec models get features such as keyless entry and start via a push button starter. The Wish has a parking assist system that tells you when to turn the steering wheel and when to back up during parallel parking, but doesn’t turn the wheel for you itself. There is also a 10-speaker Wish Panoramic Live Sound System for surround sound audio.

Look after the jump for a video and a fully featured photo gallery of the new Wish with lots of focus on the small details all over the interior.
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New Toyota Crown Majesta launched in Japan

March 29, 2009 at 8:45 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota Crown Majesta

Toyota has unveiled an updated Toyota Crown Majesta for the Japanese market. The vehicle has a full air suspension and there are two engine options available. The wheelbase is 75mm longer than the previous series, creates a roomy and comfortable interior, but keeps its overall length under 5 meters for better maneuverability on tight Japanese city roads.

The all-wheel drive Crown Majesta i-Four version gets the 3UZ-FE, a 4.3 litre V8 mated to a 6-speed Super ECT transmission, while the regular Type A, Type C and Type G packages in either 4-seater and 5-seater forms get the 1UR-FSE D-4S 4.6 litre V8 similiar to the one in the Lexus LS460, mated to a 8-speed Super ECT.

Toyota Crown Majesta

The new Crown Majesta debuts the Rear Center Airbag that this site talked about a few days ago. This airbag is standard on all models, both the 4-seater and the 5-seater. All variants have a total of 11 SRS airbags and the Pre-crash safety system even brings the rear reclined seats to an upright position when the system senses an imminent crash, to help reduce injuries.

The Pre-crash safety system uses a millimeter-wave radar to detect possible front-side collisions such as at intersections, and a stereo camera can detect pedestrians in front of the vehicle, with a warning displayed to the driver when necessary. There is also a Night View system that uses a near-infrared camera to show the driver objects in the dark at night.

Toyota Crown Majesta

One thing that’s quite interesting is how the Super ECT and ESP system of the gearbox and car actually uses GPS navigation data to modify its gear change patterns. This is easy to do considering how developed Japanese GPS maps are, and the fact that the Crown Majesta is supposed to be sold in Japan only.

The Super ECT uses GPS to know when you are merging onto a highway, exiting a highway or approaching a toll booth. It then controls gear-change timing and engine braking appropriately for a smoother acceleration and deceleration. The system also knows the location of stop signs and junctions, and activates a brake-assist function if it knows the driver is late in decelerating.

Look after the jump for more details on the new Crown Majesta.
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Another first for Toyota: a rear center airbag!

March 26, 2009 at 4:36 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Technology, Toyota

Toyota Rear Center Airbag

In a car crash we have side airbags for side impacts but in cases where there are two or more passengers in the rear, they can end up hitting each other. Toyota’s solution for this is a new rear-seat center airbag which deploys between the rear passenger seats. It is fitted in a fixed rear-seat center console, and will debut in a production Toyota soon. Another first in the world of airbags for Toyota recently was the Toyota iQ’s rear curtain airbag, necessary because the rear passengers are so near the rear window.

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Toyota rumored to produce a hybrid coupe

March 20, 2009 at 9:26 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Rumours, Toyota

Words are being exchanged in the motoring fraternity that Japanese-based auto maker, Toyota is planning to produce a hybrid coupe, which will share the same powertrain as the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle. The hybrid is said to carry over certain design cues from the Toyota FT-HS Concept which was previewed at Detroit 2007.

According to Auto Express, Toyota will dub the hybrid coupe as the MR2, and that the environmentally friendly compact coupe will feature a rear wheel drive setup with a paddle shift transmission. The British-based magazine also revealed that Toyota’s executive vice president Masatami Takimoto mentioned that the auto maker understands that people in the U.K and Europe are very fond of the MR2, and the company is developing small hybrid sports car.

The coupe is expected to also offer excellent handling characteristics with improved aerodynamic efficiency and if it goes into production, we can expect a price point that would hover over the GBP 20,000 figure. It is also speculated that the hybrid coupe would be able to hit the 100 km/h mark in 7 seconds, while returning an impressive 60 miles to the gallon. Stay tuned as we will bring you the latest updates!

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Rendering Speculation: Toyota iQ Roadster

March 11, 2009 at 12:58 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Rumours, Toyota

Japanese-based Motor Magazine has released a speculative rendering that depicts a 2-seater convertible with a set of roll-over bars that is based on the iQ and that features Daihatsu Copen-like looks. Apparently, according to the magazine, Toyota is planning to unveil a new roadster version of its Toyota iQ super mini in a concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show which is set to kick start on October 23rd till November 8th this year.

Power plant options which are expected to be used include the same ones found in the iQ, which was recently awarded a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. These include a 1.0 litre and a 1.33 litre petrol powered units as well as a 1.4 litre diesel. Nothing is confirmed so far, but hopefully we can get more information regarding this mini roadster before the motor show.

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Toyota TRD Vios test drive at the Sepang F1 circuit

March 4, 2009 at 8:06 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Local News, Toyota

Toyota TRD Vios

Story by Harvinder Sidhu

Toyota recently let us sample some cars from its Toyota TRD Vios Project where the company fitted their Toyota VIos sedan with a few TRD Sportivo accessories to spice it up a little. TRD Sportivo is essentially a fully factory warranty compliant set of accessories and are not the same as TRD accessories.

There are a few cars which we tested but they mainly fall into two levels of spec – the TRD Sportivo car which is what we’ll see introduced on the road soon and a more track-oriented setup that is much nearer to the Vios One Make Race car. The TRD Sportivo Vios comes with Tein shock absorbers and springs made to TRD specs. The TRD Sportivo springs lower the car 10mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. There is also a TRD exhaust and a TRD radiator cap which is supposed to have a higher rating of 1.3 bar.

Slalom Test – Brown-green Vios with auto transmission

Toyota TRD Vios

After the briefing, I got behind the wheel of a standard automatic Toyota Vios, which was slightly upgraded with a TRD Sportivo kit and treated to a ‘chameleon’ body colour to kick start the first test event of the day; the slalom test. In this segment, I had to maneuver the Vios through cones which were aligned to make up an extremely short track. Basically this was to put the Vios’ handling in extremely tight cornering conditions to the test.

Reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h, I managed to steer the car through a sharp right-left chicane, then a tight left hairpin which led to a “round-a-bout” and lastly, to steer the Vios through a set of cones adjacently aligned to each. As I got into the car and adjusted my seating position which proved to be a little awkward since the steering wheel cannot be tilted upwards enough to my desired height, I thought to my self “hmmm, maybe doing this with a Vios is a bad idea”, but as soon as I started first lap, out of three, I quickly realized at the Vios has some decent stuff going for it in terms of its handling, as long as the 1.5 litre VVT-i engine does not overpower it, which it definitely did not. I was going flat out through the chicane and just had to lift off at the hairpin.

At the “round-a-about” I just had to modulate the throttle and through the adjacent cones, I just had to position my car correctly and apply just enough steering input. The handling wasn’t bad at all! I felt little body roll and controllable under steer however thanks to an upgraded suspension. The only slight difficulty I had was through the adjacent cones however the cones were really close to each other, so I gave the Vios the benefit of doubt.

Track Drive – Brown green Vios with auto transmission

Toyota TRD Vios

The second session was the track drive! Of course this was the event which I was looking forward to the whole day! In the track drive session, which utilized the north track of the Sepang F1 Circuit (main straight, through Turn 1 to Turn 6), I managed to test a Vios with automatic transmission and another with the manual option. First up automatic. Sepang features a very wide track design, so, I was able to push the Vios closer to its limits.

After three laps my conclusion was; good handling! I was actually having fun with the Vios on track. I felt very much in control of the vehicle and it behaved rather well. Although there was not much ‘go’ on the main straight, cornering was rather fun. I was looking forward to test the model fitted with the 5 speed manual.

Track Drive – White Vios with manual transmission

Toyota TRD Vios

After a gradual excitement build-up, I was a little disappointed with my manual Vios’ driving experience. Of course working with a manual transmission on track offers a more exciting drive, but the thing which I got disappointed with, was the gear lever!

The gear lever did not give a slick and precise feel to it, just a lot of free play. The feel was ‘rubbery’ and it did not give a sporty feel. However if we expect Toyota to fulfill every inch of our needs (mine actually), expect a bump on the price tag.

Taxi Ride with Toyota Vios One Make Series race car

Toyota TRD Vios

As the event was coming to a close, we were treated to a taxi ride by a professional race car driver who races in the Toyota Vios One Make Series in Thailand, with of course, his race-prepped Vios. This racing Vios is pretty much a standard model, but features TRD upgrades such as a revised suspension, sports exhaust, a radiator cap with 1.3 bar of pressure resistance, sports air filter and reworked clutch plates. It also has a ‘bare’ interior with FIA spec bucket seats and a full roll cage.

If you ever intend to see a Vios being driven to its limits, you definitely have to get a driver from the Toyota Vios One Make Series to show it to you! The driver was using minimal braking around the corners and really pushed the Vios to the extreme edge. I was really impressed by the car’s handling dynamics and of course of driver’s skill as well.

To be honest I am not a fan of the exterior design of the Vios, but looks can be deceiving and trust me, I was deceived. Although I don’t think the car’s handling will be as good when it is fitted with a much more powerful engine, it definitely has its charms.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the TRD Vios.
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