FJ Cruiser Wins '4x4 Of The Year' Title

FJ Cruiser has capped off its first year in Australia by winning 4x4 Australia magazine's '4x4 of the Year' title.
At the start of the week, most of the judges didn't give the FJ much hope of winning 4X4OTY. But as the days progressed, the FJ's fun factor, the simplicity of design, and the way it works so well came to the fore.
Three judges scored it first, two scored it second and another third against tough competition.
The FJ Cruiser puts enjoyment into driving on- and off-road thanks to its individual styling, ease of use, affordability and no-fuss ability. Whichever way you look at it, the FJ Cruiser is a great 4X4 and a worthy 4X4 of the Year winner.

Toyota unveils new '86' sports car

Toyota has taken the wraps off its newest sports car, announcing it will be called Toyota 86 or "hachi roku" in its home market, Japan.
The unveiling occurred when Toyota president Akio Toyoda drove a production prototype down the main straight of the Fuji Speedway, south of Tokyo.
Mr Toyoda said the new rear-wheel-drive sports car was all about "waku doki" - a car that creates excitement and gets your heart racing.
"I am very proud of this car," Mr Toyoda said. "Thank you for the patience of car lovers. They are going to enjoy this car."
The 86 is a rear-wheel-drive car with intuitive handling that embodies the essence of driving enjoyment.
It features the world's first horizontally opposed D-4S engine, combining "boxer" engine technology with Toyota's cutting-edge D-4S direct injection technology.
The engine is installed front mid-ship to create an ultra-low centre of gravity and low inertia. It is the world's only horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel-drive package.
As a result, the 86 offers fun driving at a level unprecedented in earlier sports cars.

It carries on the spirit of the AE86 Corolla in its aim to be a car that evolves with its owner.
The lightweight and compact rear-wheel-drive platform was designed to achieve superior handling and create the world's smallest mass-production four-passenger sports car (by volume).
The vehicle's newly developed engine delivers exceptional output and torque as well as superior response at low and medium speeds.
The D-4S, with separate twin injectors for both direct injection and port injection, boasts a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This provides high output and high torque over a wide range of engine speeds and contributes to improved environmental performance.
The engine's redline is 7500rpm with maximum output of 147kW. Even so, the engine achieves fuel efficiency and environmental performance that rivals that of a standard two-litre sedan.
Customers will have the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a special sports-driving six-speed automatic transmission.

The 86 has the lowest hip-point of any Toyota-brand production vehicle and creates a driving position suited for driving enjoyment.
The rear seatbacks fold down to the front to create a luggage space that can accommodate four sports wheels or two golf bags.
The exterior design features a predatory look at the front; the sides are a modern take on Toyota's sports-car heritage; and the rear view is wide and sturdy despite the compact cabin.
The interior design seeks the essence of sports cars by emphasising the form, placement and materials of each element.
The seatbacks and cushion surfaces are designed to provide support during acceleration g-forces from the front, the back and to the sides. In addition, the shape of the front seats is designed to prevent elbows from interfering with gearshift operation.
The circular steering wheel has a diameter of 365 mm, the smallest in a Toyota-brand vehicle. The wheel's surface was optimised with exhaustive feedback from test drivers to enhance steering performance and grip.
A three-cluster meter built around the tachometer has been designed with particular attention paid to display placement, markings and typeface to enhance visibility and readability during sports driving.

Toyota 86 to race at Nürburgring

Toyota's new 86 sports car will undergo serious track time ahead of its Australian launch in June.
The company has announced that two 86 sports cars will compete in next month's 24 Hours Nürburgring endurance race.
The race cars are being prepared by Toyota's partner GAZOO Racing to reach and support a new generation of car lovers around the world.
By competing in such events, Toyota aims to make even better cars that satisfy enthusiasts and promote the joy of driving.
A unique feature of the GAZOO Racing team is that it will include Toyota's in-house employees as drivers and mechanics for the race.
The 40th running of the 24 Hours Nürburgring will be held from May 17 to 20.

Second generation Aurion sets new standards

The launch of 3.5-litre V6 quad cam Toyota Aurion has completed the roll-out of Toyota's portfolio of new locally made models.
The substantially upgraded five-model Aurion range has been capped at a price beneath $50,000^#.
It is Toyota's locally made flagship and is being promoted as an attainable luxury car.
Aurion's distinctive styling and occupant comfort levels provide clear differentiation.
Second generation Aurion is the most powerful Toyota made in Australia.
It generates 200kW at 6200rpm on 91 octane fuel.
Aurion delivers the best fuel economy in the 3.5-litre class in the large passenger segment - six per cent better than the first generation^*.
Tailpipe emissions have been reduced by eight per cent^*.
Aurion is lighter and slightly larger than the vehicle it replaces.
It incorporates technology advances in drivetrain and active and passive safety strategies which have only recently been developed.
Aurion, like its locally made stablemates, benefits from new computer numeric control (CNC) machines at Australia's Altona plant which allow even more precise manufacturing techniques.
Panel fit in many instances has been reduced from tolerances of 5mm to just 3.5mm - the domain of a very few true luxury cars.
Interior quietness will be a hallmark of second generation Aurion.
The articulation index of interior audibility has been improved by more than 10 per cent.
Ride and handling has been improved in all areas as a result of extensive local testing and development.
User-friendly modifications have been made in many small but important ways.
The centre console storage area is longer, and the boot loading lip is lower to the ground for easier loading.
Interior dimensions have been increased to provide even more legroom, and in particular, greater headroom for rear seat occupants.
Seats have increased in size while being made even more supportive.
Toyota has sought to refine its value proposition to Aurion buyers.
As well as capping Aurion's recommended retail price beneath $50,000, it has further improved its popular capped price logbook servicing proposition to four years/75,000km (whichever occurs first) up to the first five service periods^{^}.
"Aurion has become a favourite amongst experienced motorists," Toyota's executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said.
"Since its launch in 2006 Aurion has become something of a hallmark for private buyers who do not see the need to enter the market above the luxury car tax threshold, but who still want distinctive luxury features.
"Toyota's goal with second generation Aurion was to even better meet those requirements.
"There will not be a current generation Aurion owner who will not appreciate the improvements in the new vehicle and who won't be tempted to trade-up."
Mr Callachor described second generation Aurion as an expansionary vehicle.
"Styling, technical and manufacturing improvements all point to Aurion expanding its market appeal," he said.
"There is a strong market for a powerful prestige vehicle.
"Aurion is rightly, and discretely, earning a reputation as a vehicle of quality.
"Second generation Aurion will enhance that position."
Owners can choose to emphasis the sporty lines of their Aurion with optional Toyota Genuine Accessories, including 17-inch alloy wheels, body side mouldings with chrome and a rear spoiler lip.

^#Recommended retail prices exclude dealer delivery, government and statutory charges and optional extras.
^*Fuel consumption and emissions will vary depending on driving conditions/style, vehicle conditions and options/accessories.
^{^}Excludes government and rental vehicles. Contact your Toyota Dealer or go to Toyota.com.au/advantage for other exclusions and eligibility.

Toyota unveils concepts at Beijing Motor Show

Toyota is staging world premieres for three vehicles at the 12th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, which opens to the public on Friday.
A compact sedan and hatchback, both known as Toyota Dear Qin, are global-strategic concepts featuring a design aimed at attracting more people to the user base.
Qin means dear or intimate and represents the wish for these models to become cherished by many.
Also making its world debut is the Yúndòng Shuangqíng China-only concept hybrid.
Yúndòng suggests “movement upon clouds” and is Toyota's corporate slogan in China, designed to convey an image of innovation, dynamism and eco-friendliness.
Shuangqíng suggests “dual support” and signifies the two power sources of the petrol-electric hybrid system.
The car's hybrid system was developed primarily at the research and development centre of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. in Changshu.
At a press conference during the exhibition, TMC President Akio Toyoda said: “We would like to put smiles on the faces of our Chinese customers with hybrid technology. I want the people of China to be able to experience the beauty of hybrid technology through a hybrid car born in China.”
TMC said it aims to continue producing ever-better cars – ranging from environment-friendly vehicles to specially equipped vehicles to sports cars – to meet the needs of a broad range of vehicle users in China.
Toyota's 3200-square-metre display at the China Interantional Exhibition Centre also includes the new 86 sports car.

Toyota 86 and creators gain international awards

Toyota has succeeded in its aim of recapturing the classic sports car experience in its new 86, according to the expert judges of the 2012 Vehicle Dynamics International Awards.
The global panel of specialist engineers, technologists and journalists have named the sports coupe Car of the Year (jointly with the Subaru BRZ) and honoured its chief engineer Tetsuya Tada as Dynamicist of the Year, alongside Toshio Masuda, his Subaru counterpart on the project.
Toyota's commitment to producing cars that are more rewarding to drive, championed by its president Akio Toyoda, has also earned it the accolade of Dynamics Team of the Year.
The Toyota 86 arrives in Australia next month as a standard bearer for a revival of Toyota's sports car heritage, a machine that has been designed in every aspect to be a true driver's car
Its character is determined by its classic front-engine/rear-wheel drive configuration and the use of a compact, lightweight, free-revving 2.0-litre “boxer” petrol engine. Combined with a low centre of gravity, low inertia and overall light weight, the result is pure driving pleasure.
Vehicle Dynamics International magazine’s editor Graham Heeps said this simple approach helped earn 86 its Car of the Year status.
“In the face of rising power outputs and ever-greater levels of complication in the drivetrain, suspension and steering, cars from major manufacturers that take a less-is-more approach and offer fun at legal speeds have been thin on the ground,” he said.
Among the judges' comments on the Dynamicist of the Year title, Matt Joy, the Press Association's motoring editor, said: “By sticking to a tried and tested formula, Tada and Masuda have created a car that enthusiasts have been crying out for one that eschews the never-ending quest for ultimate grip in favour of balance, response and driving pleasure at realistic road speeds.”
The judging panel gave much credit to Akio Toyoda for inspiring a new direction in dynamics in both Toyota and Lexus models. Phil Morse from the USA said: “A quick look at Toyota's vehicle line-up should remove any doubt that there is a fierce competitor in the company driver's seat, and that the tenets of motorsports – superior technology and the enjoyment of driving – serve as his guiding light.”

Toyota HiLux - Australia's most popular car

Toyota's popular HiLux has grabbed the crown as Australia's best-selling car with an emphatic victory revealed by sales figures released today.
A total of 3,565 customers bought a HiLux in April, marking a return to normal supplies of the popular workhorse following shortages caused by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.
The victory margin of well over 500 vehicles placed HiLux more than 18.6 per cent ahead of any other vehicle on the local sales chart.
It is the sixth time HiLux has been the top-selling vehicle in Australia – and it is the only ute to have achieved this landmark.
HiLux led a strong Toyota result in April with the brand cementing market leadership with 16,568 deliveries – more than 8,800 ahead of its nearest rival.
Toyota outsold the combined totals of its nearest two competitors, bringing its 2012 sales tally to 63,945 vehicles – an overall lead of more than 27,000.
In addition to HiLux 4x2 and 4x4, Toyota vehicles that led their segments were Yaris, Camry, LandCruiser Prado, LandCruiser 200 Series and HiAce bus.

Prado moved into the national top 10 (seventh) with 1,725 deliveries, joining HiLux (first), Corolla (third) and Camry (eighth). Prius c debuted with 405 sales.
Toyota Australia's executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said HiLux was the most desirable vehicle of its type and had the highest awareness among people looking to buy a 4x2 or 4x4 ute.
“Consumers rate HiLux above any other vehicle for its off-roading capability and other attributes, including performance, lifestyle and value,” Mr Callachor said.
“Almost one in two HiLux buyers already own a Toyota while more than half say they are likely to choose another Toyota for their next vehicle,” he said.
Toyota has been market leader for 83 of the past 85 months – a run broken only by production disruptions caused by last year's Japan tsunami.