Toyota's New Low-Cost Hybrid Will be Based off the Yaris

After weeks of speculation about a new low-cost Toyota hybrid, it's finally been confirmed that Toyota is indeed working on a new cheaper hybrid that will fit in below the Prius.

The new hybrid is going to use the same Hybrid Synergy drivetrain as the new Prius installed in the Yaris platform. This is obviously an answer to the Honda Insight that is cheaper than the Prius. Honda is also planning a hybrid Fit, so the new Yaris-based hybrid would also go head to head with that vehicle.

Toyota's new cheaper hybrid could be on the market by 2011 at the earliest.

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Toyota Develops the World's First Rear Window Airbag

Toyota has developed the world's first ever rear window airbag that will be featured on Toyota's upcoming iQ minicar.

The rear airbag is stored in the headliner above the rear window and unfolds rapidly during a rear impact to protect the rear passenger. The bag is designed to protect the rear passenger's head and neck during a rear impact. Judging by the amount of metal between the rear seat and the rear of the iQ this looks like a much needed safety feature. Hopefully other small cars will adopt a similar safety feature.

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Toyota struggling to meet small car and hybrid demand

While demand for fuel-efficient compact cars and hybrids is on a rapid rise, Toyota is struggling to meet demand due to shortages of popular models such as the Prius hybrid and the Corolla....

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Carmakers Scrambling to Meet Fuel Efficiency Demands

By now it is no secret that gas prices are out of control, and it looks like they will only get worse before they get better. Pundits have long debated how high gas prices would have to rise before consumers stopped complaining and actively started changing their habits. Now that gas is over $4 per gallon in many places, that time seems to have come.

A massive rush on hybrid vehicles started at the beginning of this year and reached a frenzy by May. Dealers are having trouble keeping the popular Toyota Prius and other hybrids on their lots. Some locations have wait lists several months long. In response, Toyota has announced plans to build additional battery plants to allow the company to significantly ramp up production.

Of course, it didn’t take long for other auto manufacturers to realize which way the wind was blowing. Mercedes, for example, launched a complicated green initiative last month called “Road to the Future.” The company plans to launch its own hybrid and fuel cell vehicles under a modular program that will allow consumers to choose the green technologies that best meet their needs. A major part of this program is BlueTEC, Mercedes’ own clean diesel program that cuts emissions as well as improving fuel efficiency.

Even exotic car manufacturers are getting into the game. Ferrari, for example, has announced plans for a new hybrid, as well as a biofuel supercar that runs on ethanol. High-end luxury manufacturers such as Lexus have also announced plans for fuel efficient vehicles.

Now is an exciting time to be a car buyer. New emissions regulations and fuel efficiency standards are being implemented worldwide. Meanwhile, consumers have stepped up to say that they will no longer tolerate gas guzzling cars. These factors are working together to force some of the most massive technological changes that the car industry has ever seen. Car buyers would do well to sit back and wait until the dust settles and the new technologies are fully implemented.

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2007 Detroit Auto Show: Toyota FT-HS Concept

Christmas brought one extra present for car fanatics around the world. Yesterday, Toyota took the wraps off the concept it will officially unveil at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 8. Why’d we get the early look? We’re not quite sure, but we’re not complaining.

The FT-HS is a hybrid sports car that the company says would be an “attainable exotic” and be “mid-priced.” We’re not sure what that means, but it could eventually fill the spot the Supra once occupied. The powerplant sounds similar to the current Lexus GS450h with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine paired with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive. The FT-HS will supposedly manufacture 400 hp, all going to the rear wheels.

Seating is a 2 + 2 affair with a new roof structure that will allow for large open panels while still providing structural rigidity. All that and the wild appearance means we’ll really be looking forward to seeing this concept in the flesh next month. 

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Toyota’s Agenda for the Environment in 2008

January 13, 2008 - Detroit - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., held a media reception tonight at the 2008 North American International Auto Show at which Katsuaki Watanabe, president of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), announced a wide-ranging environmental agenda in response to the company’s sustainable mobility vision. (more…)

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