Toyota iQ Convertible: World's Smallest Four-Seater Drop-Top

The creative folks over at Japan's Best Car magazine have come up with what appears to be a computer enhanced image that gives us an idea of what a Toyota iQ Cabriolet could look like if such a version were to be produced. While rumors across the pond make word of a more sporty roadster version of the iQ (see here), Best Car seems to believe that Toyota would most likely go for a more simple approach removing the front and rear parts of the hatchback's rooftop, leaving a center section that would not only act as a safety roll-bar, but also add to the structural integrity of the vehicle.

Since there aren't any other changes, the iQ would probably be able to squeeze in 3 adults and 1 child, making it the world's smallest production four-seater convertible.

Despite the fact that we have no official confirmation that Toyota is indeed planning to introduce a 3+1 convertible variant, we cannot see why the Japanese automaker wouldn't consider the development of a drop-top iQ especially since the minicar is scheduled to make its way into the States as a Scion -read more details here.

Pic via: Best Car

Toyota Begins Production of New Avensis in the U.K.

Today, two Avensis models rolled off the line at Toyota's Burnaston Plant in Derbyshire, U.K., marking the official start of production of the firm's new European flagship model. The Burnaston Plant will produce the Avensis in body types, sedan and wagon, to support an annual European sales target of 115,000 vehicles. Designed, engineered and built in Europe, the all-new Avensis will also be launched in Africa, Central & South America, as well as in Oceania. Sales of both body types of the Avensis begin across Europe from January 2009.

The mid-size model's 1.6- and 1.8-liter petrol engines will be produced by Toyota's U.K. plant in Deeside, North Wales, while the 2.0-liter Valvematic will be built in Japan. The Japanese firm's plants in Poland (TMIP and TMMP) will manufacture the 2.0- and 2.2-litre D-4D diesel engines and the new 6-speed automatic transmission

Speaking ahead of today's celebrations, Tadashi Arashima, CEO and President of Toyota Motor Europe, said: "The UK has proved to be a valuable economic and business partner. Building on more than 15 years of production history, TMUK's team members continue to deliver the quality, efficiency and flexibility needed to meet the exacting standards of our customers in Europe and around the world."

2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid: New Photos and Amateur Video Adverts

Believe it or not, the same enthusiast website that "leaked" the first official photos of the new 2010 Prius has not only released a new set of pictures that appear once again to have been scanned from a presentation film but also two amateur commercials of the vehicle. In a time when such leaks are threatened with legal actions, Toyota not only doesn't seem to care, but as many of you may remember, company officials didn't have the slightest problem to publicly confirm the authenticity of the photos on the firm's official blog site. What we can say...

But anyhow, the new photos give us a few more grainy details of Toyota's third-generation hybrid model that will make its global premiere at the Detroit Motorshow in mid-January 2009. See the photos along with the two amateur video ads -gently now- by hitting the jump.

Source: Priuschat , Via: Jalopnik

Toyota CNG Camry Hybrid Concept

One of many alternative fuel applications being explored by Toyota is the use of compressed natural gas (CNG). For the Los Angeles Auto Show Toyota prepared a concept version of the Camry that combines a CNG fueled engine with the firm's Hybrid Synergy Drive system. To convert the stock Camry Hybrid into a CNG Hybrid Toyota's engineers replaced the gasoline fuel system with a compressed natural gas system that comprises of a pair of CNG tanks installed in the spare-tire well of the sedan's trunk. To compensate for the loss of the spare tire Toyota fitted the CNG Camry Hybrid Concept with runflat tires.

The justify the vehicle's being as a concept, Toyota's designers also fitted the Camry with a 'light' bodykit that's complemented by new alloy wheels, dark tailamps, a lowered suspension for a more aggressive stance and most importantly, a new front bumper that does away with the grille making the sedan look like an offspring of the 'iQ' minicar.

According to the Japanese automaker, with the proposed CNG equivalent of 8 gallons of gasoline in its fuel tanks, the CNG Camry Hybrid concept has a range that exceeds 250 miles or 400 km.

The benefits of using CNG as a primary fuel source for internal combustion engines is that it's less expensive and it produces less pollutants and greenhouse emissions than gasoline. Also in concern of the U.S., there's a strong, reliable domestic supply of CNG. The downside is that you get fewer miles on a tank than gasoline plus in America, there are currently only about 1,000 CNG refueling stations nationwide, with less than half open to the public.

"With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn/low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy-source for the future," said Irv Miller, group vice president, TMS Corporate Communications. "With this concept, we are confirming our interest in pursuing CNG within our broad and comprehensive R&D scope."

This isn't the first time that Toyota has been experimenting with CNG as in 1999 the Japanese firm marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California. The test did not have any success though mainly because gasoline was very cheap at the time and due to the limited refueling infrastructure. The program was discontinued a year later, in 2000.

Toyota Auris: New 1.33-Liter Dual VVT-i Petrol Engine with Start&Stop Tech

Toyota is enhancing its Auris line-up with the introduction of a new 1.33-liter Dual VVT-i 4-cylinder gasoline engine that delivers lower emissions, better fuel economy and improved power and torque figures compared to the 1.4-liter unit it replaces in Europe. The new Auris 1.33 Dual VVT-i will also be the Japanese automaker's first model in Europe to benefit from a Stop & Start system. Notably, the new 4-cylinder unit is 54mm shorter and 127mm narrower than the previous 1.4-litre VVT-i and weights 13kg or 28pounds less. The result is a four-cylinder engine that is roughly the same size as Toyota's three-cylinder 1.0-litre VVT.

The 1.33-liter Dual VVT-i delivers an output of 101HP and 132 Nm of torque compared to the outgoing 1.4 VVT-i's 97HP and 130 Nm. The engine is also matched to a newly developed six-speed manual transmission that replaces Toyota's five-speed gearbox. Albeit more powerful, Toyota claims that the 1.33-liter engine delivers 17% lower CO2 emissions (135g/km) and a 19% improvement in fuel consumption (48.7mpg UK / 40.5 mpg US / 5.8 lt-100km combined cycle) compared to previous 1.4-liter VVT-i unit.

Currently, the new powerplant is being built in Japan but from October 2009, the 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i engine will be produced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK's (TMUK) factory at Deeside in North Wales.

On-the-road prices for the new Toyota Auris 1.33 Dual VVT-i with Stop&Start start in the U.K. at £12,705 for the entry-level T2 three-door while according to Toyota, accross the range, prices are just £200 more than for the equivalent, previous 1.4 VVT-i models.

Auris 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Auris 1.4 VVT-i

	1.33 Dual VVT-i	1.4 VVT-i
Max. power (bhp/DIN hp)	100/101	96/97
Max. torque (Nm)	132	130
Fuel consumption – combined cycle (mpg)	48.7	40.9
CO2 emissions (g/km)	135	163

Auris 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start prices

MODEL	OTR PRICE
T2 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 3-door	£12,705
T2 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 5-door	£13,205
TR 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 3-door	£13,395
TR 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 5-door	£13,895
T3 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 3-door	£13,705
T3 1.33 Dual VVT-i Stop&Start 5-door	£14,205

TOYOTA AURIS 1.33 DUAL VVT-i STOP&START TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Engine code		1NR-FE
Engine type		4 cylinders in-line
Valvetrain		DOHC 16-valve Dual VVT-i
Capacity (cc)		1,329
Bore x stroke (mm)		72.5 x 80.5
Compression ratio		11.5:1
Max. power (bhp/DIN hp @ rpm)		100/101 @ 6,000
Max. torque (Nm @ rpm)		132 @ 3,800
TRANSMISSION
Type		6-speed manual
Gear ratios	1st	3.538
	2nd	1.913
	3rd	1.310
	4th	0.971
	5th	0.818
	6th	0.700
	Reverse	3.333
	Final drive	4.562
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed (mph)		109
0-62mph acceleration (sec)		13.1
FUEL CONSUMPTION & EMISSIONS
Urban (mpg)		39.8
Extra-urban (mpg)		56.5
Combined (mpg)		48.7
CO2 emissions (g/km)		135
VED Band		C

Toyota Yaris Sedan (2009)

Toyota announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the three fuel efficient 2009 Toyota Yaris subcompact models. MSRPs will range from $12,205 for the 3-door Liftback Base model to $15,880 for the Sedan S model when the vehicles hit dealerships later this summer.

Estimated EPA fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for all three body styles with an automatic transmission and 29/36/32 mpg for the manual transmission models.

The excellent fuel economy, combined with extensive standard equipment and fun-to-drive features make Toyota Yaris an outstanding value. For 2009, Toyota Yaris is available in three body styles: a sedan, 3-door Liftback, and an all-new 5-door liftback, each in Base and Sporty "S" grades.

All Toyota Yaris grades will now feature a number of standard safety features, including anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear side curtain airbags. New exterior colors for the 2009 Toyota Yaris include Zephyr Blue Metallic and Blue Streak Metallic on Sedan and Yellow Jolt and Carmine Red Metallic on Liftback.

Prices for the Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback models range from $12,205 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $14,825 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new Toyota Yaris 5-door Liftback model prices range from $13,305 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission to $15,125 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Yaris Sedan model pricing ranges from $12,965 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $15,880 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Yaris 5-door (2009)

Toyota announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the three fuel efficient 2009 Toyota Yaris subcompact models. MSRPs will range from $12,205 for the 3-door Liftback Base model to $15,880 for the Sedan S model when the vehicles hit dealerships later this summer.

Estimated EPA fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for all three body styles with an automatic transmission and 29/36/32 mpg for the manual transmission models.

The excellent fuel economy, combined with extensive standard equipment and fun-to-drive features make Toyota Yaris an outstanding value. For 2009, Toyota Yaris is available in three body styles: a sedan, 3-door Liftback, and an all-new 5-door liftback, each in Base and Sporty "S" grades.

All Toyota Yaris grades will now feature a number of standard safety features, including anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear side curtain airbags. New exterior colors for the 2009 Toyota Yaris include Zephyr Blue Metallic and Blue Streak Metallic on Sedan and Yellow Jolt and Carmine Red Metallic on Liftback.

Prices for the Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback models range from $12,205 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $14,825 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new Toyota Yaris 5-door Liftback model prices range from $13,305 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission to $15,125 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Yaris Sedan model pricing ranges from $12,965 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $15,880 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Yaris 3-door (2009)

Toyota announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the three fuel efficient 2009 Toyota Yaris subcompact models. MSRPs will range from $12,205 for the 3-door Liftback Base model to $15,880 for the Sedan S model when the vehicles hit dealerships later this summer.

Estimated EPA fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined for all three body styles with an automatic transmission and 29/36/32 mpg for the manual transmission models.

The excellent fuel economy, combined with extensive standard equipment and fun-to-drive features make Toyota Yaris an outstanding value. For 2009, Toyota Yaris is available in three body styles: a sedan, 3-door Liftback, and an all-new 5-door liftback, each in Base and Sporty "S" grades.

All Toyota Yaris grades will now feature a number of standard safety features, including anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags, and front and rear side curtain airbags. New exterior colors for the 2009 Toyota Yaris include Zephyr Blue Metallic and Blue Streak Metallic on Sedan and Yellow Jolt and Carmine Red Metallic on Liftback.

Prices for the Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback models range from $12,205 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $14,825 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new Toyota Yaris 5-door Liftback model prices range from $13,305 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission to $15,125 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota Yaris Sedan model pricing ranges from $12,965 for the Base grade with four cylinder engine and manual five-speed transmission to $15,880 for the S grade with four cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission.