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Toyota and BMW discussing broad partnership on environmental vehicles, primarily for Europe

November 29, 2011 at 11:06 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News, Toyota

In this day and age, it’s making more sense to expand your horizons by working with others. Toyota, it seems, is certainly of this belief – word has it that the Japanese automaker is discussing a broad partnership in environmental vehicles with BMW, including procuring diesel engines, according to reports. The proposed arrangement will see BMW providing diesel engines for Toyota’s passenger vehicles sold in Europe, in all likelihood 2.0 litre versions for midsize cars. No word as to the scale of the arrangement, and when it’s due to begin, as of yet.

Meanwhile, the partnership will see BMW being able to leverage the benefits of scale for diesels, and the move is also seen helping the German automaker improve the competitiveness of its green vehicles, where it will be able to expand its lineup by working with Toyota, which is expected to share its technologies for hybrid systems and related areas if requested, the reports add.

Toyota has struggled to improve its market share with its hybrids in Europe, where roughly 60% of passenger cars are powered by diesel engines. The company’s European sales fell by 9% to about 810,000 units in 2010, and it holds only a 4% share of the market. With demand for diesel vehicles forecasted to grow, the deal would help Toyota reduce development expenses by having domestic and Polish factories make diesel engines for fewer models.

The world’s major automakers have been reluctant to form partnerships in eco-friendly vehicles as each seeks to gain a competitive edge by promoting original technologies, but with demand for green vehicles growing in line with rising crude oil prices, it has prompted automakers to join forces to slash development costs for core technologies, as well as capital investment, in order to cut vehicle prices.

If it comes through, the move will be Toyota’s second green-technology tie-up with another major automaker, following its agreement in August to develop hybrid-vehicle systems with Ford.

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Free parking for hybrid cars purchased in Petaling Jaya

November 24, 2011 at 1:24 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Lexus, Local News, Toyota

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will be giving three months free parking to hybrid cars purchased in the city next year, according to a Star report. PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said this was one of the green initiatives that MBPJ was implementing.

“Hybrid-car buyers will be given free parking passes for three months to park anywhere in Petaling Jaya. We are extending the scheme to people who are not Petaling Jaya residents, as long as they have bought their car from a car dealer in Petaling Jaya,” the mayor explained.

While it’s a welcome, albeit temporary, benefit for would be owners of the Honda Insight, CR-Z, Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid models, I’m sure many PJ residents and workers would agree that finding a parking spot in the first place is the more painful task.

In Budget 2012, PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that incentives given to hybrid cars have been extended till 31 December 2013. The incentives in question are full import duty and excise duty exemption for hybrid and electric cars and motorcycles.

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VIDEO: Toyota FT-86 teased ahead of Tokyo show debut

November 23, 2011 at 11:43 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Toyota, Videos

Enthusiasts’ necks have grown long waiting for Toyota’s FT-86 sports car. Fortunately, the wait is almost coming to an end, as the final production car will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. In the meantime, here’s a teaser video showing Toyota engineers choosing wheels and drawing grilles for their RWD machine.

We can also see clearly the D-4S four-pot boxer engine borrowed from Subaru, who of course have their own version of the car called BR-Z.

The last we’ve seen of the FT-86 was back in March at Geneva, where Toyota wheeled out the FT-86 II Concept. That black and rather sinister looking machine was supposed to be closer to the production car than the original concept car. Click here to view our previous post.

Compact body, rear driven, boxer powered, six-speed manual = I can’t wait to drive this thing!

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New 2011 Toyota Avanza facelift unveiled in Indonesia

November 21, 2011 at 2:13 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Toyota

Toyota has updated the Toyota Avanza in Indonesia with a new major facelift for the 2011 model year which includes a revised exterior and interior. From the image above you can see the Avanza has a new front end with sportier headlamps.

The interior has been updated with redesigned aircond vents, a new instrument panel, a new steering wheel design and various other changes.

There’s also a new variant with a different bodykit called the Toyota Avanza Veloz, marketed as a higher end model.

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Toyota to lose No 1 spot for 2011 – GM to return to top of the heap, while Volkswagen moves into second place

November 18, 2011 at 12:49 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, General Motors, International News, Toyota, Volkswagen

It hasn’t been a good year for Japanese automakers, with the Japanese earthquake earlier in the year and more recently, floods in Thailand disrupting production, schedule and plans. All this has certainly lost them a fair bit of ground in terms of sales and expansion.

Toyota, the world’s number one automaker, looks set to lose the most – the company is set to cede the top spot in global new-vehicle sales in 2011 to the resurgent General Motors, according to reports. Toyota was No. 1 for the past three years, but now looks certain to drop to third place after the Asian disasters forced the company to cut production at home and abroad.

GM’s global sales for the January-September period rose 9% on the year to 6.79 million units, and with sales in Q4 on track to outpace the 2.17 million units recorded in same 2010 period, the US automaker’s full-year total is likely to exceed nine million units. This number would be 20% above the figure for 2009, when the company filed for bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen is expected to advance one spot to second place, with group sales surging 14% on the year to 6.17 million units in the first nine months of 2011. In 2010, Toyota and GM were the only carmakers to achieve more than eight million units sold – VW is positioned to reach that milestone for the first time this year, helped by double-digit sales growth in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, the reports say.

As for Toyota, its January-September sales slid 9% on the year to 5.77 million units, and with the effects of the Thai floods set to impact the October-December figures, it looks unlikely that Toyota will narrow the gap with GM and VW, which have also enjoyed a head start the world’s largest market, China.

Elsewhere, Hyundai, which surged past Ford in 2010, is on pace to consolidate its position thanks to robust sales in the US, China and other key markets – the company has already upgraded its sales forecast for the full year to at least 6.5 million units, from the 6.33 million units projected, the reports add.

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Tokyo 2011: Production Toyota Prius c to make debut

November 16, 2011 at 11:57 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Next year, Toyota’s popular Prius hybrid range will double in size. From the current hatchback and Prius v, Toyota will add on the plug in version of the Prius and this, the Prius c. Shown as a concept earlier this year in Detroit, the Prius c will be unveiled in production form at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

At less than four metres long, this will be a more compact and cheaper car than the standard Prius. Tagged as a subcompact in the US, the Prius c will be an entry point to Toyota hybrid ownership. It’s 3,995 mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,445 mm tall, with a 2,550 mm wheelbase. The wheelbase is identical in length with the Vios, as is the width, so it should be quite a roomy hatch.

With the brand’s proven Hybrid Synergy Drive tech – a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor in this case – the Prius c achieves 35-40 kilometres per litre in the official Japanese test cycle. Toyota USA says that it can do 21.3 km/l (50 mpg) in the city, the highest city mpg of any non-plug-in vehicle.

The Prius c is bound to be quite well equipped despite its entry level positioning. Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, steering-wheel audio controls and nine airbags will be among the standard features in the US spec car.

Toyota’s Entune multimedia system will be optional. Entune links up with your mobile smartphone for fully integrated access to navigation, entertainment, and information services. It allows users to connect with popular apps (in the US) such as Bing, OpenTable.com, and movietickets.com.

The Prius c will be called Aqua in Japan.

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Toyota FCV-R – bringing hydrogen a step closer to reality

November 15, 2011 at 6:15 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota’s third concept for Tokyo will be the FCV-R (Fuel Cell Vehicle – Reality & Revolution), which it says is a practical, family-sized vehicle fuelled by hydrogen. The 4.7 metre-long sedan features seating for four and impressive luggage space, made possible by housing the fuel-cell beneath the specially-designed bodyshell.

Minimal details about it, but Toyota says the fuel cell stack, which includes a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank, is capable of giving the FCV-R a cruising range of approximately 692 km, measured under a Japanese JC08 test cycle. The company adds it expects to commercially launch a fuel cell vehicle by 2015.

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Tokyo 2011: Toyota FT-EV goes III, and the Fun-Vii concept is set to dazzle with its ‘far out’ approach

November 15, 2011 at 4:54 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Cars, International News, Toyota

The Tokyo stampede is well and truly on now, with Toyota being the next to announce its debutants at the show. The company will be showcasing three concepts, led by the FT-EV III concept, which offers a take of how the near future will shape up.

The third incarnation of the Future Toyota – Electric Vehicle is based on the iQ, and the company says it plans to introduce a production version of the four-seater concept sometime in 2012. The EV III’s lithium-ion battery offers it an esitmated cruising range of 105 km, a slight improvement over the 90 km offered by its FT-EV II predecessor, which was a show debutant in 2009.

Also set for its world premiere will be the Fun-Vii, or Fun-Vehicle interactive internet, to give the concept its full designation. The company isn’t saying anything about this one, save that it’s pretty ‘far out’ as things go and that the design heralds Toyota’s vision of a future where people, cars and society are linked. Whatever it is, there’s a lot of flower power imagery in this one, quite literally!

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Thai flood: Toyota, Mazda, MMC production restarting soon

November 11, 2011 at 2:11 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota

Auto production that was crippled by massive flooding in Thailand is beginning to get back on its feet. Some companies whose factories were spared by the water rush, but whose suppliers were affected, are restarting production soon, the Bangkok Post reports. They include Japanese giant Toyota, Mazda and Mitsubishi.

“We will try to start production as soon as possible, possibly on the 21st of this month, and then slowly increase our production capacity,” said Toyota president Akio Toyoda, who also plans to increase investment in the Land of Smiles. “Toyota expects to increase our investment here over time to develop the automotive industry,” he added.

Like General Motors’ Rayong plant, Toyota’s three Thai plants in Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao weren’t under water, but many suppliers and vendors were affected. Toyota, the biggest carmaker in Thailand, has delayed restarting operations three times already, but green light from suppliers this time around make Toyoda’s target date more achievable.

Over at Mitsubishi, they will restart production of Tritons and Pajero Sport SUVs on Monday at two factories that have full capacity of 1,000 units per day. MMC plans to recover production of 23,000 units lost from the combined impact of both the Japanese tsunami and Thai flood. Work was suspended at MMC’s two plants in Chon Buri on October 13.

Meanwhile, Mazda is ready to resume passenger car production with immediate delivery of Mazda2 and Mazda3 models. Both models are built at the AutoAlliance Thailand plant, a joint venture with Ford located in Rayong. The AAT facility wasn’t directly affected by the flood, allowing Mazda to source parts from China and Japan for the 2 and 3. However, production of the BT-50 pick-up truck will remain suspended since most parts are localised and Thailand is the main production hub for trucks.

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UMW Toyota says Toyota recall of 550,000 vehicles over crankshaft pulley issue doesn’t affect Malaysian models

November 10, 2011 at 5:50 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Lexus, Local News, Toyota

UMW Toyota Motor has issued a statement regarding reports in the news regarding a voluntary safety recall campaign issued by Toyota Motor Corporation on approximately 550,000 units of certain Toyota and Lexus models in Japan and other countries.

The exercise seeks to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine affecting 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles in the US, with the remaining total being in other markets. In this case, there’s a possibility that the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned, causing noise or illumination of the discharge warning light and in some cases result in a sudden increase in steering effort.

The recall involves the following Toyota models – the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara, the 2004 Avalon and the 2006 Highlander HV, while affected Lexus models are the 2004 and 2005 ES 330 and RX 330, as well as the 2006 RX 400h.

UMW Toyota said through the statement that it has received confirmation from TMC that all Toyota and Lexus models sold by UMW Toyota are not affected by this voluntary safety recall exercise, and as such, advises its customers that there is no cause for concern on this matter.

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