THE CAMRY

First Aussie hybrid car to hit market in February

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:18:00 +0000

AUSTRALIA'S first locally-built hybrid-powered car will roll off Toyota's Melbourne production line tomorrow morning.

The cleaner, greener Toyota Camry is the first market-ready hybrid car to be completed at Toyota's Australian headquarters at Altona, in Melbourne's west, Toyota spokesman Glenn Campbell told AAP.

Dignitaries at the event will include federal and Victorian government representatives and Toyota Motor Corporation executive vice-president Yukitoshi Funo, who is visiting from Japan.

Other hybrid Camrys have been produced under a pilot program operating at the Altona factory since August, Mr Campbell said.

The car is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with an electric motor that kicks in when the car is cruising.

The car's whole powertrain, including the hybrid engine, is imported from Japan.

Toyota says the car will use about 30 per cent less petrol than a standard Camry.

A standard Camry has an estimated average fuel consumption of 8.8 litres per 100km on a combined city and highway cycle.

The Hybrid Camry is expected to have an official fuel economy for combined city and highway cycle

Hybrid and VW Diesel Sales Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Hybrid sales in October outpaced the market, increasing 11.4% over October 2008. The heavy lifter as usual, was Toyota, up 15%; Toyota’s hybrids now represent 77% of the total US hybrid market, which is 2.9% of the total market. The Prius continues to dominate the whole hybrid sector, with a 55% market share, and sales of 13,496 units. Prius outsold the Honda Insight by an 8 to 1 margin.

Other Toyota hybrids showed mixed results: Camry: down 50%; Highlander: down 32%; Lexus RX: up 155%; GS: down 77%; LS: down 62%. But the new Lexus HS 250 sold a very respectable 1,527 units, only slightly less than the Insight.

Honda’s Insight (1,739 units) is a sales dud, only modestly improving on last year’s Civic hybrid numbers. Seems there’s more to the Prius’ success than its body shape. The Civic Hybrid (down 85%) is becoming irrelevant.

In light of the highly-hyped new Fusion/Milan hybrids (1,333 units), Ford’s 14.3% increase in hybrid sales looks feeble. Escape/Mariner hybrid sales dripped 53%. This continues the raise the question as to whether Ford’s hybrid program is anything other than a PR/EPA/Govt. fleet sales gambit, with volumes limited purposely because Ford’s hybrid costs likely exceed incremental revenue.

GM sold 1,159 hybrids, down 23%, out of its arsenal of various hybrid technology systems. Nissan sold an irrelevant 229 Altima hybrids.

VW sold 4,008 TDI units in October, which represents 24% of total VW sales. TDI share of models sales is: Jetta SportsWagon: 90%; Tuareg: 45%; Jetta Sedan: 26%; Golf: 19%. Total Jetta sales: 3658. VW’s total diesel sales represent an amount equal to 16% of the hybrid market.

2010 Toyota Camry SE

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:24:00 +0000

2010 Toyota Camry SE

Filed under: Toyota

2010 Toyota Venza Reviews, Featured Videos and Buying Tips

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:13:00 +0000

As an alternative to a mid-size sedan or a taller crossover SUV, the 2010 Toyota Venza makes a lot of sense
2010 Toyota Venza Overview
The 2010 Toyota Venza is a five-passenger vehicle that couples the styling and comfort of a passenger car with the flexibility of a sport utility vehicle (SUV), to give customers a stylish alternative to the traditional sedan.

2010 Toyota Venza

The Venza offers the choice of two powerplants, a 182-hp 2.7-liter four-cylinder or 268-hp 3.5-liter V6. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift control and both can be had in either front or all-wheel drive. Standard features include dual-zone automatic climate control, satellite radio, power windows, locks and mirrors, 19-inch wheels on four-cylinder models, 20-inch wheels on V6 models, privacy glass, cruise control, electronic stability control, seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, front seatbelt pretensioners and front active head restraints.

For 2010, the standard radio has been changed from a 6-disc to a single disc with Bluetooth.

Toyota Venza Featured Video

Index of 2010 Toyota Venza Expert Reviews

thecarconnection—STYLING:The 2010 Toyota Venza is no breakthrough, but it’s a good-looking crossover wagon inside and out;PERFORMANCE:Don’t expect excitement in the Venza driving experience; the four-cylinder engine is the choice for frugal drivers, but those who drive with a full load might want the V-6;QUALITY:A comfortable configuration for passengers and surprisingly ample cargo space in the 2010 Toyota Venza make it very useful, but the cabin is lacking in refinement;SAFETY :The 2010 Toyota Venza is a very safe vehicle with a roster of protective features, and the crash-test results prove it;FEATURES:With the addition of a USB input on all models for 2010, the Toyota Versa is packed with desirable features.

If you are 2010 Toyota Venza Users just add any comments here to share your User Reviews

Buying Tips:
With a base price of less than $27,000, the four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive Venza is the best value in the lineup, with a better ride than the V-6. Those with more luxurious aspirations might as well spring for the Lexus RX 350.

Competitors Box of 2010 Toyota Venza

* Ford Edge
* Honda Accord Crosstour
* Mazda CX-9
* Nissan Murano
* Subaru Tribeca

About Toyota
Founded in 1937, Toyota settled in Canada in 1965. There are 239 dealerships to serve value-minded consumers from coast to coast. The wide selection of vehicles includes three hybrids (Prius, Camry, Highlander), 10 different cars of all shapes and sizes, five SUVs and two pickup trucks. There’s also the Sienna minivan and the upcoming Venza crossover.

Toyota aims to sell 36,000 Sai hybrid sedans a year

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:10:00 +0000

TOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Tuesday it aims to sell 36,000 units a year of its new hybrid car in Japan, taking another step towards its goal of selling 1 million hybrid vehicles annually worldwide soon after 2010.

The Sai sedan is the second hybrid-only model under the Toyota brand after the Prius, and is a repackaged version of the Lexus HS250h, which went on sale in June. [ID:nT52335]

The Sai, which will go on sale on Dec. 7, starts at 3.38 million yen ($37,290), compared with the HS250h's starting price of 3.96 million yen.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, is miles ahead of competitors in the fast-growing hybrid field, which has enjoyed tailwinds especially in Japan thanks to generous subsidies and reduced taxes on cleaner cars.

The Sai has a listed mileage of 23 km/litre (54 mpg), or twice that of a comparable gasoline car, chief engineer Shigeru Nakagawa told a news conference.

Toyota said it had no plans to export the Sai, which will be built by unit Toyota Motor Kyushu in southern Japan. (Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Trulli might stay at Toyota in 2010 - Howett

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:06:00 +0000

Jarno Trulli's hopes of retaining his seat at Toyota beyond 2009 seem to have grown even more, despite earlier expectations that the Italian veteran is set to leave.

The 35-year-old took the team's travelling crew of more than 80 people out to dinner in Brazil last weekend, and observed that "not one" of them wants the forthcoming Abu Dhabi GP to be his last for the Cologne based squad.

"Well, maybe one," said Trulli, apparently referring to team president John Howett, who has said repeatedly on a number of occasions that the Italian is very likely to leave.

Trulli, however, told reporters at Interlagos - where it was rumoured he is at the top of the list for a Lotus seat in 2010 - that team principal Tadashi Yamashina has asked him to sit tight until the outcome of a Toyota board meeting in mid November.

Howett revealed that Toyota has made an offer for the 2010 season to Kimi Raikkonen's management, but according to the Reuters news agency, he said "a degree of discussion" is ongoing with both Trulli and Timo Glock.

When the Trulli rumours first emerged, it was suggested that he was simply at odds with Toyota over the proposed size of his 2010 retainer.

Howett said: "We have put an offer on the table with Jarno, I think that he himself is not dissatisfied with the financial offer, the bottom line to some extent is certain issues on the contract and I don't think they are negotiable from our side.

"He may well be in the car next year but it's not at all clear," he added.

Toyota unveils new hybrid-only model in Japan to follow hit Prius

noreply@blogger.com (BajingAlas) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:27:00 +0000

Toyota unveils new hybrid-only model

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. has unveiled a more expensive and bigger hybrid-only model than its hit Prius, underlining the Japanese automaker’s ambitions to make green technology more widespread.

The “Sai” sedan is Toyota’s second hybrid-only model after the Prius. Toyota offers hybrid versions of other car models.

Sai, which means “talent” and “color,” will be sold only in Japan, starting Dec.7, targeting monthly sales of 3,000 vehicles. No global sales plans have been decided, the world’s biggest automaker said Tuesday.

Hybrids get better mileage than regular gasoline engine cars by switching between an electric motor and a gas engine. Other automakers are also beefing up their hybrid lineups, including hybrid-only models.

Government incentives, including cash-for-clunkers programs, and tax breaks are sending Prius orders soaring in Japan, with the waiting list for the car growing to several months.

Hybrid sales in Japan have been the one bright spot for Toyota, which has been losing money, battered by the global economic slump.

The Sai gets 23 kilometers per liter, or about 54 miles per gallon, double the mileage of a comparable regular gas-engine model, according to Toyota.

The Prius gets 38 kilometers per liter, which converts to about 90 miles per gallon under Japanese mileage-test conditions. It is promising 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway in the U.S.

The Sai comes with a bigger 2.4 liter engine compared to the 1.8-liter Prius, is roomier and has fancier features such as an interior made from plastic that uses plant-derived materials.

It is also more expensive, starting at 3.38 million yen ($37,500). The third-generation Prius, which went on sale earlier this year, starts at just over 2 million yen ($22,000) in Japan and about $22,000 in the U.S.

The Sai looks rather sedate compared to the Prius with its more circular styling.

“This model shows our hopes to make hybrids more widespread,” Toyota official Takuji Nakamoto told reporters.

The Sai will be sold at all dealer outlets in Japan, totaling some 4,000 nationwide, like the Prius. Some Toyota models are sold at just some of the showrooms because they are designed to appeal to certain kinds of consumers.

The Sai will be assembled at a Toyota Motor Kyushu plant in southwestern Japan, Toyota said.

The Prius is the world leader in gas-electric hybrid sales, selling more than 1.4 million vehicles since its debut a decade ago.