With most American abandoning traditional trucks and SUVs in the wake of $4 gas, automakers are now scrambling to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. Even Toyota’s green image wasn’t enough to insulate it from the market turndown, which has forced the Japanese automaker to rethink its future lineup.
As one might expect, truck-based vehicles are out and more hybrids and economical powertrains are in. The all-new 2010 Prius will lead the way, with a spring 2009 launch date. Despite the switch from the Yaris’ 1.5L engine to the Corolla’s larger 1.8L unit, an improved nickel-metal hydride battery should improve the hybrid’s efficiency. Toyota will hold off on a plug-in version of the Prius until its lithium-ion batteries come on line.
Toyota is developing a second hybrid-only model, but Automotive News reports that Toyota may have over emphasized the new vehicle as it will be for the Japanese market only.
Both the Corolla and Matrix are scheduled for a redesign in 2013 – keeping to Toyota’s planned five-year cycle.
An updated Camry is expected to bow in 2010, with an all-new model hitting the market in 2012. Because of slowing sales, Toyota will likely push the Camry’s bigger brother – the Avalon – to a six-year cycle, with an update hitting in 2011 as a 2012 model. Despite internal debates over renaming the Avalon as a long-wheelbase Camry, Toyota brass have decided to keep the Avalon nameplate.
As previously reported, the Solara convertible will remain in production for the next two years, although the coupe will be discontinued after 2008.
Toyota did have a successor to the legendary Supra in the works, but that project has reportedly been cancelled due to rising fuel economy requirements. However, Toyota’s smaller rear-wheel drive coupe – which is being co-developed with Subaru – is moving forward, but its launch date won’t likely be until at least 2011.
On the crossover/SUV/minivan front, fuel economy will be the name of the game. The truck-based FJ Cruiser is out, although the 2010 4Runner project is too far along to stop now. The all-new 4Runner will debut at either the next year’s Chicago or New York Auto Show, with limited sales to follow soon thereafter. The Tacoma will retain its body-on-frame construction – because many owners actually use it as a truck – but its lifecycle has been pushed to eight years, meaning a refresh isn’t expected until 2013.
The sagging full-size truck market has slowed the development of heavy duty and other variants of the Tundra, although the truck is slated for a more efficient 4.6L V8, which will replace the current 4.7L mill. Despite being smaller, the new engine will up the Tundra’s horsepower rating – from 276 to about 306 – and will return 2 mpg better fuel economy. The 4.6L powerplant will also find its way under the hood of the Sequoia SUV.
Toyota’s all-new Venza crossover and Sienna minivan are slated to receive hybrid powertrains in 2012.
08/15, 2:00 PM
posted by:
A True Gear Head
i win
08/15, 2:14 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
DOG-DAM B.S.!!!!!!!! The last Supra was on of the most iconic cars of the import tunner class… Toyota dose not need a $100.000.00 sports car ! All this got to kill Lambo’s & Turbo 911’s is not what Toyota needs, they need what the last Supra was all about. It was about competing with the Chevy Camaro, Ford Cobra Mustang, BMW M3, and making 1,300hp with bolt on turbos kits!!! If they just try to keep it simple and let the tunner market do it’s job they will have a WINNER!!!!! So F@<# the Lambo’s & the Turbo 911’s and let’s give my Shelby a run for it’s money!!! Lets let the working-man sport car “GO TO WAR” Import’s VS. Domestics!! COME-ON!!!!!! “Bring it Bitches”
08/15, 2:27 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
The old Supra from the 80s was way cool. That concept above was an abortion that I can live without. No loss.
08/15, 2:44 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
I still maintain that Toyota needs to break out the old molds and stampings for the Supra. They could manufacture the same car that went out of production in the late 90’s with no changes at all… and they would sell out at 25k a piece. I see Supras on the used market going for 20k+ every day… turbo or not, well cared for or badly abused. It is still one of the sexiest cars ever to exist… and like a 69 Camaro it will never get old.
I guess Toyota is happy with its image as the geriatric car company. They see their Scion divison being hurt badly by its youth marketting scheme, but seemed unconcerned that their main-line automobiles are targetted at 50-70 year olds. Those of us in the 25-45 bracket want cars too… and many of us aren’t happy with generic everyman transportation… fuel efficient and reliable or not.
08/15, 3:32 PM
posted by:
hbcbob3
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again….Toyota is a lackluster car company building passionless cars for the average Joe Nobody idiot.
08/15, 4:12 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
geez, they could have atleast built small numbers of a successor to the supra and just built whatever crap mobile in they wanted to in droves- but no!!!!! they kill the supra, kill the MR2- kill the celica, this subaru better be worth it-
08/15, 4:30 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Basuru.
08/15, 4:32 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
$4 gas is so last week.
08/15, 4:52 PM
posted by:
LJ
Well, Toyota mentioned that they were supposed to build a smaller than Prius car, and it was reported on sites such as LLN, etc, last year(iirc)..what happened to that?
It was supposed to cost less than the Prius, too.
Hunh.
Well, looks like Honda’s Insight will eat some of Toyota’s Hybrid Lunch, next year, when they launch the 5 door Insight, and supposedly, a short time later, the CR-Z(reported here, on LLN, last Fall, iirc)….3 door, sporty version hybrid, plus, the rumored Fit Hybrid,might be here.
Yeaaahhh… an(Insight/Base version) 18,500 dollar hybrid, or a(base model/version) 23K+msrp Prius/hybrid…Wow..which one will most people(if they don’t need a bigger car like the Prius) choose?
08/15, 7:01 PM
posted by:
ktulu
there goes touyotas chance of ;looking like tey have a pouldse
08/15, 8:15 PM
posted by:
DrFill
The Supra was pure legend. Toyota has made a mistake in not reissuing the Suprastar!
And with the progress made in V6 mills, with 330HP available from the 3.5 without major retooling, the cost would be easily amortized throughout the lineup.
Keep the car around 3400 lbs., you have a nice 13.3 quarter.
The othr side of that coin is it would hard to make it look better than the ‘93, and the pic above is way off the mark.
DrFill
08/16, 2:04 AM
posted by:
maxcar
the pic above is closer to a Z replacement than a supra. did toy’ designers switch teams?
08/16, 9:50 AM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Too bad….there was a chance for Toyota to rise above total mind-numbing boredom, and now they ****ed themselves in the anus.
08/17, 12:50 PM
posted by:
bun_a_gm
The Toyota of the 1990’s I loved so much is gone forever. Unfortunate.
08/17, 12:51 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
“there goes touyotas chance of ;looking like tey have a pouldse
Comment by ktulu, posted on August15 at 7:01 pm ”
Did you say “There goes Toyota’s chance of looking like they have a pulse” ?
08/17, 7:40 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
If not a Supra, at least a RWD Celica. One of my first cars was a 1st generation, 1977 Toyota Celica. That car had great handling, decent acceleration, and good fuel economy. With today’s technology, there’s no reason why Toyota couldn’t have another great sports car in its lineup.
08/17, 8:41 PM
posted by:
olds307
MAYBE NOW TOYOTA WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE SPRING TENSIONERS ON THEIR ACCESSORY BELTS INSTEAD OF 1930s TECHNOLOGY MANUAL SCREW TENSIONERS
08/18, 2:48 PM
posted by:
Z06ified
Great news for the future success of the Corvette.
I find it funny how Toyota can’t figure out how to produce a sports car with more than 400hp that also gets almost 30 MPG highway like GM can with the Corvette.
08/18, 7:14 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Those screw tensioners are a pain in the @$$, aren’t they, Olds? I’m laughing because I know exactly what you’re talking about, and I just replaced my serpentine belt about six weeks ago. It wasn’t funny then, that’s for sure.