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Toyota Prius still Japan's best-selling car in 2011
Popular hybrid takes top spot for third consecutive year
The Toyota Prius was Japan’s best-selling car in 2011, the third straight year the popular gas-electric hybrid claimed the country’s top spot.
A total of 252,528 units of the Prius were sold over the year, thanks in large part to the growing environment-friendly attitude among Japanese consumers. The brand's sales were assisted by solid sales of the Prius Alpha, a wagon version of the car that first hit the streets here in May.
And Japan's largest car company is aiming to hang on to the top spot in the year ahead, unveiling the Prius c at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Tuesday.
The car -- the "c" stands for city -- is a more compact, nimble and affordable version of the Prius that is designed for young city residents and will go on sale in March.
Honda Motor Co.'s Fit was second on the best-seller list with 207,882 units, up from fourth spot in the previous year's rankings, while the Wagon R minicar by Suzuki Motor Corp. was third with sales of 160,439 units.
Toyota’s New Camry Wins Recommended Status From Consumer Reports
Toyota Motor Corp. (7203)’s revamped Camry, the best-selling sedan in the U.S., won a “recommended” review from Consumer Reports magazine, which has been critical of some of the Japanese automaker’s models.
The 2012 Camry, which went on sale in October, was evaluated for the February 2012 issue of the magazine published by Yonkers, New York-based Consumers Union, a non-profit group.
“The Camry has a nicer interior, more responsive handling, and better fuel economy than before,” the review said. “In fact, the four-cylinder model’s 27 mpg overall ties with the Hyundai Sonata (005380) for the best fuel economy among conventional gasoline-powered family sedans.”
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-29/toyota-s-new-camry-wins-recommended-status-from-consumer-reports.html
Toyota officially unveils the Aqua hybrid car in Japan. It's set for its US debut at the Detroit International Motor Show in January, when it'll be named the Prius C.
Toyota has officially unveiled its Aqua compact hybrid car, set to be called the Prius C when it comes to the USA. It's the first spin-off of the popular Prius brand, and is similar in size to the Toyota Yaris.
The concept appeared at the New York motor show back in April, then again as a leaked set of press shots in October. In-between time, the car lost the barking mad headlights and the steeply raked roofline, which made it look more like the VW Scirocco than a compact city car.
It goes on sale in Japan today, where it costs the equivalent of $21,700, which is 22% less than the entry-level Prius according to Bloomberg. Toyota claims to have received 60,000 pre-orders for the vehicle, and expects monthly sales to be around 12,000.
Aimed at younger buyers, the Aqua uses the same 1.5-liter Toyota Hybrid System II engine found in some of the most recent Prius cars, which has returned a touch over 35 km/l or 82mpg in Japanese tests. This will be revised to between 50mpg and 60mpg for the US launch though.
Performance using both engines is quoted as being 10.7 seconds to 100km/h or 62mph, and in the mid-range the 25mph to 44mph (40km/h to 70km/h) dash is covered in 3.6 seconds.
The Aqua is expected to make its US debut as the Prius C at the International Auto Show in Detroit this coming January, and will potentially go on sale before June. The price has yet to be confirmed, but could be similar to the Aqua's $20,000 price tag.
Electronics Cleared in Toyota Acceleration
By JOSH MITCHELL
The Wall Street Journal
A lengthy investigation by NASA into last year's Toyota Motor Corp. recalls found that engine electronics played no role in incidents of sudden, unintended acceleration of its cars, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
The report, released by the Transportation Department to settle persistent questions over the Toyota recalls, concluded that the auto maker had identified the only two causes of the incidents: defective gas pedals and interfering floor mats. The Japanese auto maker recalled more than 8 million vehicles to correct those problems.
"Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electronic. And that comes after one of the most exhaustive" and thorough investigations ever conducted, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "We feel that Toyota vehicles are safe to drive," Mr. LaHood said.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704364004576132351264140850.html
U.S. probe finds no defect in Toyota's electronic throttles
Laurén Abdel-Razzaq
Automotive News
February 8, 2011 - 1:55 pm ET
DETROIT -- The U.S. Department of Transportation said today that electric systems and electromagnetic interference did not play a role in unintended acceleration involving Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles.
It was a major victory for Toyota, which has sought to recover from a recall crisis and accidents allegedly linked to unintended acceleration in some of its top-selling models.
"There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today in a statement.
U.S. report finds no electronic flaws in Toyotas that would cause acceleration
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 9, 2011; 12:00 AM
Government investigators have rejected claims that electronic defects caused Toyota cars and trucks to accelerate out of control, a finding released Tuesday that offers a measure of long-awaited vindication for the world's largest automaker and shifts blame to the drivers who reported the incidents.
The report, based on work by NASA engineers, deflates accusations by drivers suing Toyota that mysterious electronic glitches instigated the episodes of runaway cars. It also supports the industry trend of entrusting critical engine operations to ever more sophisticated electronics and microprocessors.
"The jury is back, the verdict is in," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said during a sometimes defiant news conference. "There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high- speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period."