In its never-ending attempt to become the biggest car company in the world (which is not as surefire an event as many media outlets would have you believe), Toyota is going to show off a lot of its vehicles -- new and old -- at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show.
For Canadians, the big deal debuts will be the third generation of the Toyota RAV4 SUV and Yaris subcompact, with a revised SC430 roadster from Lexus playing a lesser role.
Canadians might also find it amusing to eyeball the Endo city car and the i-unit interactive vehicle concepts. No matter how boring their production cars turn out to be (all hail, King Camry), the folks at Toyota always manage to come up with some eyebrow-lifting flights of automotive fancy when they cook up their concepts.
Only one photo of the RAV4 was made available, and that image seems to give the sport-cute model more of a station wagon shape than either of the first two models, which were boxier. We'll have to wait until September 13 to see how it looks in real life.
Toyota does promise that the new RAV4 will "significantly enhanced driving pleasure and performance" (a welcome advance), improved quality, a wider application of advanced technology, greater interior space, and a creative modular interior design.
Also important for us in Canada is the new Yaris, versions of which we currently get as the Toyota Echo. The new model will be on the market this fall as the Echo Hatchback.
Toyota says the new Yaris-Echo will be a "more advanced vehicle with higher levels of comfort, quality and safety." The car was designed in the Japanese firm's European design studio in the south of France, and is supposed to be a "more grown-up car in every respect."
As for the Toyota concept cars, the Endo is from the design studio in France and is supposed to be "an urban-friendly car designed to address some of the key issues of modern urban life," while the i-unit is "a new approach to human mobility that enables the driver to interact with his or her surroundings. The design of the i-unit is "inspired by a leaf, a natural expression of life on earth."
The Lexus division of Toyota declined to supply a picture of the revised SC430. But the revisions include styling changes, upgrades to the interior, and greater technology content with the introduction of the Adaptive Front Lighting System that swivels the headlamp beams in line with the vehicle's speed and steering angle to provide better illumination through bends.
The centerpiece of the Lexus stand at the Frankfurt show is the previously seen GS 450h, which the company calls a "high-performance prestige saloon" with hybrid drive.
It has a drivetrain that combines a 3.5-litre gasoline V-6 with a high-output electric motor for a maximum power output in excess of 300 hp, which is said to be "sufficient to move the car from rest to 100 kmh in less than six seconds."
At the same time, says Lexus, the high efficiency of the hybrid system means that fuel consumption and carbon dioxide exhaust emissions levels are comparable with those from sedans with conventional 2-litre, four-cylinder gasoline engines.
For Canadians, the big deal debuts will be the third generation of the Toyota RAV4 SUV and Yaris subcompact, with a revised SC430 roadster from Lexus playing a lesser role.
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| Toyota Endo (Photo: Toyota) |
Only one photo of the RAV4 was made available, and that image seems to give the sport-cute model more of a station wagon shape than either of the first two models, which were boxier. We'll have to wait until September 13 to see how it looks in real life.
Toyota does promise that the new RAV4 will "significantly enhanced driving pleasure and performance" (a welcome advance), improved quality, a wider application of advanced technology, greater interior space, and a creative modular interior design.
Also important for us in Canada is the new Yaris, versions of which we currently get as the Toyota Echo. The new model will be on the market this fall as the Echo Hatchback.
 |
| Toyota Yaris (Photo: Toyota) |
As for the Toyota concept cars, the Endo is from the design studio in France and is supposed to be "an urban-friendly car designed to address some of the key issues of modern urban life," while the i-unit is "a new approach to human mobility that enables the driver to interact with his or her surroundings. The design of the i-unit is "inspired by a leaf, a natural expression of life on earth."
The Lexus division of Toyota declined to supply a picture of the revised SC430. But the revisions include styling changes, upgrades to the interior, and greater technology content with the introduction of the Adaptive Front Lighting System that swivels the headlamp beams in line with the vehicle's speed and steering angle to provide better illumination through bends.
The centerpiece of the Lexus stand at the Frankfurt show is the previously seen GS 450h, which the company calls a "high-performance prestige saloon" with hybrid drive.
It has a drivetrain that combines a 3.5-litre gasoline V-6 with a high-output electric motor for a maximum power output in excess of 300 hp, which is said to be "sufficient to move the car from rest to 100 kmh in less than six seconds."
At the same time, says Lexus, the high efficiency of the hybrid system means that fuel consumption and carbon dioxide exhaust emissions levels are comparable with those from sedans with conventional 2-litre, four-cylinder gasoline engines.