Toyota » Australian Car Advice

Toyota promises local hybrid future at AIMS

September 23rd, 2008 4 Comments

Toyota is set to showcase Australia’s first hybrid car at next month’s Australian International Motor Show with the appearance of the new Camry hybrid.

The left-hand-drive US spec car has been flown into Australia especially for the event to showcase Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology prior to local production.

Subaru & Toyota join the electric-car race

September 19th, 2008 47 Comments

Yesterday we were talking about Toyota’s concern about the new Chevrolet Volt, but news from Japan today has revealed that the big T and partner company Subaru have announced plans to join the electric vehicle race.

Toyota, which owns a significant share in Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s owner, has for the first time confirmed plans for its own battery-powered-only car to be released in the early 2010s. Meanwhile, Subaru is slightly ahead having announced fleet sales of a four-seat electric car starting next year.

The reason behind the push? Both companies are getting worried that Nissan and Mitsubishi will become the leaders in the next generation of electric-cars, which many view as the only sustainable future of automobiles.

Speaking of Nissan, the company has previously made clear plans to launch an electric vehicle in the US by 2010. Mitsubishi is not far behind with plans of a 2010 launch of its electric iMiEV in Japan, followed by Europe and the US.

Nonetheless, Toyota is still concerned about the performance of electric-only cars. The company has previously stated that an electric car is limited by battery performance and the company’s R&D chief Masatami Takimoto said the electric vehicle’s range would be limited by the performance of today’s batteries.

“For the time being, the most realistic approach is to use pure electric vehicles for short-distance travel,” Takimoto said. “So in the early stage of the 2010s, we would like to offer a compact, very small electric vehicle on a small scale basis.”

Subaru will be basing next year’s electric car on the ‘Stella’, a tiny 660cc minicar currently only sold in Japan. The design will not change much on the outside, still seating four, but the car will now run on lithium-ion batteries.

If you remember, we previously mentioned Automotive Energy Supply, a joint venture between Nissan, NEC and NEC Tokin. The company will provide the lithium-ion batteries to the Subaru electric car, which is so far quoted as being able to cover 80km on a single charge.

The car’s battery can be recharged in eight hours through a regular household socket. Not feeling very inspired? Think of it this way, if you used your car to get to and from work on a daily basis, would you really cover more than 80km?

“This is the best we can do with today’s technology at a reasonable cost.” Subaru spokesman Shinichi Murata said.

We would like to know how many Ks you drive on a daily basis and whether an 80km-a-day limit would suffice if it meant no trips to the pump.

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Toyota worried about GM’s Chevrolet Volt?

September 18th, 2008 55 Comments

Toyota’s rise to fame with hyrbid technology is one which has been questioned repeatedly. From claims the technology was stolen, a CNW Marketing/Research which found that the popular hybrid was less environmentally friendly than a Hummer H2, or even allegations the Japanese government funded the Prius. The list goes on and on and it’s clear that controversy is never far from Toyota’s hybrid program.

So today we can add yet another controversy to the list. With GM and the rest of the industry catching up to the Big T in terms of hybrid technology, Toyota is showing early signs of panic.

Reports from the U.S. today indicate that while Chevrolet is showing-off the new electric powered Volt, Toyota has gone as far as to raise concerns about the special-treatment promised for the Volt by new proposed legislation.

GM is hopeful that the new Volt will be given generous tax credits, a move which Toyota is fighting to stop. A Toyota executive recently told a congressional committee that the government should not enact laws that benefit only one plug-in hybrid design.

“(pending legislation) redefines plug-in electric vehicles to seemingly eliminate consumer tax credits for all but one plug-in vehicle design. Toyota believes this approach is counterproductive. It will discourage manufacturers from developing and consumers from purchasing ‘blended’ plug-ins that are affordable to the greatest number of consumers.”Robert Wimmer of Toyota said.

Toyota has been repeatedly delayed with the launch of the new Prius. No longer the only real hybrid on the market, the next-generation Prius has a lot to live up to. What we know, is that the Japanese giant has added to the new Prius’ battery pack, making it capable of running longer in all-electric mode.

The company plans to unveil the new Prius by 2010. Perhaps, right before the Volt, which is also scheduled to go on sale in 2010.

The difference between the Volt and the new Prius? The Volt is a true electric car, using a battery pack rated at 16 kilowatt hours, the vehicle is capable of running on electricity alone for about 60km, something even the new Prius can’t do.

Yes, it does have a conventional petrol engine, but that is primarily to recharge batteries and extend range. The Volt’s battery pack is larger than that of the existing Prius and the one being developed.

The new laws proposed in the U.S. will give tax credits to plug-ins with at least 6 kilowatt-hours of electric power. Credits would reach $7,500 for light-duty vehicles.

Is Toyota scared of the Volt? Should it be?

Meanwhile, General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz wrote a lengthy defence of the newly unveiled Chevrolet Volt on his GM fastlane blog yesterday.

Here is a copy of the posting:

We’ve weathered a lot of skepticism since the Chevrolet Volt concept was introduced at the 2007 Detroit show. The Volt has been called “vaporware” by some members of the media. We’ve heard executives from other manufacturers tell the press that the battery technology won’t work. We’ve even been accused of using the Volt to “greenwash” our image.

Well, as everyone knows now, the Volt is real, and the covers have come off. And it represents nothing less than the first step in the reinvention of the automobile.

The vehicle’s design has come under some criticism, most of it, to me, unwarranted. The challenge to the designers wasn’t to design the most beautiful car imaginable and accept the compromises you have to make to do so. It was, make no compromise to fuel efficiency and electric range, and then do the most beautiful design possible, around those aerodynamic dictates.

When you look at the exterior of the Volt, you might notice certain aerodynamic shapes and design elements of some other cars you might see on the road. But beneath the skin, it shares very little with any other car that’s ever existed. So I submit that while it’s typically design that makes an emotional connection with buyers, in this case, the Volt is going to be bought for emotional reasons, but it will be for the emotion tied to the technology contained therein.

The Volt means a lot to General Motors, and to the industry, on a variety of levels. First of all, this is solid technology that is going to be proven reliable. It’s a practical way that we can electrify the automobile and drastically reduce our dependency on imported petroleum. It’s also important to GM to help reinforce and continue its proud history of technological innovation, and to help restore the image of leadership that accompanied that history.

In terms of the impact of Volt on the automobile industry, I think you’ll see lithium-ion technology filter out to the rest of the industry, even to our competitors who initially said it wouldn’t work. I think they’ve figured out that we may well be onto a winning formula here, with 40 miles of driving powered by electricity from a battery and a small engine — powered by gasoline or E85 — to create additional electricity to power the vehicle for several hundred additional miles. I suspect most of our competitors will have vehicles with technology similar to the Volt within four or five years.

What does that mean for society at large? I think it can have an enormous benefit. Our statistics show that 78 percent of Americans drive 40 miles a day or less. That means that nearly 80 percent of Americans can commute powered by electricity from the grid, never using a drop of gas.

When we achieve substantial production, and if our competitors do as well, and the public takes to this new way of driving — and there’s no doubt in my mind they will — we will drastically reduce gasoline and/or diesel consumption and we will simultaneously be drastically reducing our dependency on oil. This puts the country in a much more comfortable place geopolitically and also helps the environment. So at this point, I think it’s very hard to overestimate the importance of the Volt for GM, for the industry and for society in general.

The production version of the Volt represents our progress, and our commitment to seeing that all become a reality in short order. We’d like nothing more than to see everyone drive a Volt and stop going to the gas pump so often to fill up on ever-more-expensive fuel imported from an ever-more-unstable part of the world.

With the Volt, you go home, you plug it in, and you’re done. And for roughly 80 cents’ worth of electricity, you’ve got a fully-charged battery, ready to take on another forty miles of gas-free and tailpipe-emission-free driving. If that’s greenwashing, then come on in — the water’s fine.

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Toyota Hybrid X concept coming to Australia

September 8th, 2008 11 Comments

Toyota Australia has announced today it will bring a glimpse of its future hybrid cars to Australia with the unveiling of the Hybrid X concept car at this year’s Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

Not only does the Hybrid X showcase a new design philosophy for future hybrid vehicles from the Big T, but also show-off the latest technology for future hybrid cars.

2009 Toyota HiLux global debut

September 5th, 2008 21 Comments

The new 2009 Toyota HiLux has today made its worldwide debut boasting a range of styling, technical and equipment upgrades.

The next-generation of Australia’s best selling pick-up has been restyled to demonstrate the tough character of Toyota’s impressive line-up of off-road SUV’s.

It is easily identifiable by its new trapezoidal grille and grey plate bar along with a redesigned bumper which gives an overall impression of a low centre of gravity.

The range continues to offer three body styles comprising the Single Cab workhorse, the Extra Cab and the Double Cab with new-design 15-inch alloy wheels for the 3.0 D-4D Double Cab HL3 and 17-inch alloys for the Double Cab Invincible.

Extra and Double Cabs fitted with a hardtop also include a lockable tailgate, with a revised range of accessories is available for owners to give their HiLux both plenty of extra style and practicality.

Two new metallic body colours are available – Island Blue and Graphite Grey – and dark-tinted rear privacy glass is now provided as standard on Double Cab HL3 models and above.

Careful attention has been paid to the interior to enhance passenger comfort and safety with Toyota keen to kick the poverty workhorse stereotype.

This includes a new four-spoke steering wheel with integrated fingertip controls for the audio system and multi-information display while the wheel and gear knob gain a leather trim on HL3 models and above.

The instrument cluster and auxiliary controls have also been improved, with manual variants boastings a more ergonomically designed shift console.

A new climate control air conditioning system has also been introduced with intuitive push-button controls and a digital display showing the selected temperature, vent and air inlet mode while a filter removes dust and pollen from air passing through the unit.

The 3.0 D-4D diesel engine also boasts improved torque, increasing by 17Nm to 360Nm between 1400 and 3400rpm thanks to a new intelligent five-speed automatic transmission in the HiLux Double Cab.

This results in a market-leading power-to-weight ratio as well as class leading CO2 emissions of just 236g/km, with fuel efficiency on the combined cycle down to just 7.4 litres per 100km.

Adjustments have also been made to the suspension to deliver stable and reliable handling with new double-row roller-type rear axle bearings and more responsive valve structure on the front shock absorbers.

New bushes compliment the suspension inherent high torsional stiffness significantly reducing road vibrations.

These enhancements aim to meet the changing needs of the market, with increasing demand for the HiLux to become a dual purpose personal/leisure transport and professional work ute.

As a result, the 2.5 D-4D Single Cab, Extra Cab and HL2 Double Cab - the workhorses of the range - retain their current specification, which includes electric windows, air conditioning, alarm, remote central locking, driver and front passenger airbags and ABS.

While the 2.5 and 3.0 D-4D Double Cab HL3 gain a leather trimmed steering wheel with audio controls, automatic air conditioning, sports front seats (3.0D-4D only), privacy glass and new-design 15-inch alloy wheels.

At the top of the range, the Invincible (in European markets) adds new 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/65R17 tyres and leather upholstered sports seats, with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) introduced as a standard feature.

The new HiLux also gains larger brakes with 297mm diameter ventilated front discs and 295mm drums for all four-wheel drive models, apart from the Invincible with VSC, which has 319mm ventilated front discs.

Australian-specific details will be available closer to the release date.

Click through to the next page for the 2009 Toyota HiLux Gallery.

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2009 Toyota RAV4 sneak preview

August 27th, 2008 76 Comments

Toyota’s popular compact SUV is scheduled for a facelift and our Toyota insider has given us a sneak peak of what we should expect from the new model.

New updated models of the new RAV4 are currently being built with the Australian release expected in late September.

Changes are aplenty. As per current model RAV4s an airbag package including front side and curtain airbags is available as an option on 4-cylinder CV grade, and is standard on all other models.

2009 Toyota HiLux sneak preview

August 27th, 2008 56 Comments

A source deep inside Toyota has managed to sneak out some pictures and information regarding the facelift for the new Toyota HiLux, with production of the new model starting this month.

Although from what we can gather the only significant change is the slight redesign of the front and minor improvements to the interior.

Toyota recycling hybrid batteries

August 27th, 2008 22 Comments

Part of the misconception with hybrid cars has been the production and disposal of the hybrid batteries. Some simply don’t even consider the process, others have been turned away from hybrid cars as a result. To tackle the problem, Toyota Australia has released some information regarding the process.

The Big T says there has been a recycling process (in Australia) for the battery packs of its hybrid-technology vehicles for the last seven years.

Auto Route: Driving NZ’s South Island

August 17th, 2008 16 Comments

- by Josh McKenzie

The fly-drive holiday is an increasingly popular option for visitors to New Zealand. It affords a flexibility for those who wish to explore the impressive landscape that NZ’s rather lacklustre public transport system just can’t offer. More importantly a driving holiday in NZ gives you a chance to drive on some of the most entertaining and scenic roads the other side of the ditch.

This particular drive is over five days and starts and ends in Christchurch. Traveling west from Christchurch, my route passes through Arthur’s Pass before heading south down the west coast to Queenstown. A short break in Queenstown is taken before heading north back to Christchurch directly through the guts of the South Island – driving through Lindis Pass and past some notable places such as Lake Tekapo.

It’s a route that flows through a variety of different road types, from flat open roads through to mountain passes and coastal highways. Being winter, conditions will also be variable with the possibility of closed roads and unexpected detours. Any car nut would be positively slathering with excitement.

Day 1: Christchurch – Franz Josef

The journey begins, but not without its disappointments. While I had reserved a Peugeot 307 2.0 litre HDi from Thrifty Car Rentals, I ended up with a base model Toyota Corolla from Avis. While whitegoods on wheels might be perfectly acceptable for some, any driving enthusiast is going to be disappointed with a car that’s engine, transmission and handling can only be best described as mediocre.

The aim of the day is to reach the west coast before heading south until a decent town to stay in is found. The initial drive out of Christchurch is along W Coast Rd and isn’t all that exciting. Views include sheep, numerous police cars and a spectacular mountain range that fills the horizon out all front windows. We’ll be climbing that.

Road leading into Korowai Torlesse Tussocklands Park

The transition into tight bends and steep mountains roads is quite quick as we enter the Korowai Torlesse Tussocklands Park (try reading that on a sign). A stop at the top of the climb where Lake Lyndon lies allows us a chance to enjoy our first journey above the snow line, and a glimpse into Arthur’s Pass. The Corolla’s performance so far is acceptable. Although the engine lacks the torque to quietly climb the hills, the ergonomic positioning of the auto’s controls allows us to manually keep the four-speed box in second gear.

Looking towards Arthur’s Pass from Lake Lyndon

The drive beyond Lake Lyndon takes us back below the snow line and snaking along the valley through Arthur’s Pass. Whilst we initially get a chance to absorb the impressive views, the weather quickly changes, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and poor visibility. Not great for driving through a mountain pass. This quick change in conditions becomes a common trend of the trip.

Day 2: Franz Josef - Wanaka

After a night spent in Franz Josef, the drive continues south along State Highway 6. The rain continues to fall for the good part of the morning as friend and I visit the usual tourist attractions of Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. Both can be recommended as nice detours from the main highway, however if time is a limiting factor – Franz Josef Glacier is the pick of the two for the lush surrounding forests leading up to the glacier.

Further south along the highway as we head into Haast Pass, our Corolla’s flaws become more apparent. Excessive road noise on long stretches of coarse chip bitumen wears away at our energy, making any bend look enticing. The catch here is that any bend highlights the Corolla’s lack of dynamic ability; excessive body roll, a twitchy rear end and lack of grip all have us wanting for smoother, straighter roads.

Snow capped mountains surrounding Lake Wanaka

Our wants aren’t met. Although the roads do smooth out as we enter the run along Lake Wanaka, the corners continue. Just as well the windscreen’s big, because the view is amazing. The jagged mountains still have their snow-capped tops lit up by the now out of view sun, providing just the smallest amount of light to allow the lake to glow.

Day 3: Wanaka - Queenstown

The temperature hovers around the freezing mark as we head out of our overnight stop over in Wanaka. Today’s destination of Queenstown is just a little over an hour away. The drive takes us through a fruit-growing region with plenty of stalls to stop at for a quick snack, and then on through Kawarau gorge, famous for having the first commercial bungee jumping site, off the Kawarau bridge. Traffic between Wanaka and Queenstown is heavy, keeping driving enjoyment down and frustration high.

After arriving in picturesque Queenstown and not being able to find parking to go for lunch, an executive decision’s made to go on yet another mini road trip. We pick a road and follow it. A few kilometres along, light rain turns to sleet… and then to snow. As we’re enjoying the moment of our first snowfalls, a sight many hope to see on a trip to New Zealand approaches us: sheep on the road.

Glenorchy - Queenstown Rd

The road to Glenorchy, aptly named Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd, is reminiscent of parts of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. The only difference is that this particular route is now covered in a thin layer of snow. Not to worry, the view more than makes up for the inability to exploit a few corners. And when you get to Glenorchy? … well, the cold weather was great for a soup at the Glenorchy Café (GYC, on Wills St).

Day 4: Around Queenstown

Today was meant to be a day trip down to Milford Sound. Mother nature didn’t like that idea though and instead decided to snow us into Queenstown for the better part of the morning. That’s okay though, because it mean we were able to enjoy Queenstown at its best.

Mid morning allowed us the courage to don our jackets, jump into the car and see what we could find. We followed another route along Lake Wakatipu, this time heading south. The snow prevented speeds much above 50-60km/h, which along roads like this, is a real disappointment. We were lucky enough to have the skies clear up for us though, and with that – stopped in Kingston for some lunch.

Between Queenstown and Kingston

And here was the surprise of the day, the Corolla handled the snow brilliantly. Its skinny tires, lack of excess torque and insensitive throttle mapping all came together to make smooth progress on the snow and ice. Just as well, since the chains provided by the rental company were tangled and rusted in their container.

Day 5: Queenstown - Christchurch

Our final day on the South Island meant a drive back to Christchurch from Queenstown. Based on opinions from friends and family, we were expecting the drive to be close to 8 hours long. Reality proved it to be closer to 6 ½, including stops. The route back to Christchurch is just under 500km long and provides the most eclectic mix of road types and scenery of all the drives taken so far.

We exit Queenstown back through the Kawarau Gorge. At just after 7am, traffic is almost non-existent and the chance to enjoy the road’s corners is relished after Day 3’s not so involving drive along this road. The Corollas brakes hold up well as the road descends through tight corners to come out at Lake Dunstan, leading into the Lindis Valley. The Lindis Valley provides higher speed sweeping corners along the flat valley floor as we make progress towards the Lindis Pass.

Looking towards Omarama

The transition into the Lindis Pass is quite quick and dramatic. Clear roads turn to ice and the flat roads start climb. Although the roads are covered in ice, grit has been laid and safe progress is made without chains at speeds that the local constabulary would be happy with in school zones. It takes almost an hour to progress through the pass due to the conditions, but once again – the Corolla has impressed in conditions that are less than ideal.

Clockwise from top left: Looking to Lindis Pass, Icy Lindis Pass, Lake Tekapo.

As we exit Lindis Pass, we enter the flat Mackenzie’s basin. Extending about 100km, the vast, flat spaces of the basin are surrounded by mountains that tower thousands of metres above. The higher speeds along the straight roads take us past the turquoise coloured waters of Lake Pukaki, with its views of Mt Cook, and Lake Tekapo.

Exiting Mackenzie’s basin is through Burke’s Pass, the final challenge before the long stretches of country highway along the Canterbury plains take us back to Christchurch. Despite the frequent changes in elevation and mid-speed corners, Burkes Pass just doesn’t have the grandeur of Lindis Pass and proves a little disappointing. None the less, it’s our final good bye to the Southern Alps as we’re soon back in Christchurch.

Final Impressions: The Corolla

I have to give credit to the Corolla, it never let us down. It’s that impression of reliability on which this car’s reputation is built. Despite some obvious deficiencies in comparison to the competition; lack of ESP, lack of power, cumbersome gear box, uninspired handling (and I’m only naming those that immediately come to mind), it seems to reassert itself as fit for purpose in the simplest of ways.

Whilst it lacked grunt (100kW @ 6000rpm / 175Nm @ 4400rpm) and the four-speed auto was unwilling to down shift unless forced to, which was often, the 1.8 litre still managed to return a respectable 7.4 litres per 100km over the entire trip. No easy feat considering the mountains we climbed, and rather slow average speeds through snow and ice. The elevated ergonomic positioning of the shift gate also meant that manual control of the auto box wasn’t as much of an inconvenience as it could’ve been.

The handling could also be more entertaining. Varying degrees of understeer, lack of steering feel, body roll and slow turn in aren’t exactly fun. But these are things that can at least partially be attributed to the base model’s skinny tires. It’s those skinny tires though that cut through the snow in Queenstown and didn’t slip over the icy Lindis Pass.

Quality seems to be there in most places frequented by your hands. All stalk controls, HVAC, audio and gear controls feel solid and precise. However, large areas of dashboard and console were covered in hard, cheap plastic – causing very obvious rattles between two glove box lids that were rubbing against each other.

Conclusion? I can see why it’s popular. When faced with reality, most people do just want cheap and reliable transport, which the Corolla provides. For the rest of us that don’t enjoy trade-offs, I recommend shopping around.

Next time in Auto Route Josh tackles the USA’s Route 66 in a legendary Mustang

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Toyota sells 10,000th Prius in Australia

August 13th, 2008 46 Comments

Following yesterday’s story of Big V8s being here to stay, Toyota has announced today that a young couple has bought the 10,000th Toyota Prius to be officially sold in Australia.

The new owners, David Balkin (Information technology manager) and partner Shannon Larkin bought the petrol-electric Prius hybrid because it “supported their lifestyle”.