Toyota FT-HS Concept

Toyota FT-HS Concept: the lowdown

Salvation for supercar lovers in the 21st century: Toyota has turned its hand to creating a sports coupe with green credentials - and the futuristic FT-HS Concept mixes green with mean rather well, we think. Don't believe us? Well, how about 0-60mph in four seconds and 400bhp from a 3.5-litre V6 hybrid drivetrain - in a car that runs silently on electric power through town, with nothing more troubling than an electric whirr from the quad tailpipes.

It looks quite odd. What have they done with the styling?

This concept heralds two new design themes: J-Factor and Vibrant Clarity. Apparently, these are a celebration of Japanese design, and the car does have some unusually sharp surface treatments; the nose is dominated by a butch snow-plough spoiler, while the rear is deeply scalloped. From the front, the 'floating' C-pillar wraps over the rear haunches, while the roof bulges to provide more headroom where needed. There's even a folding hard top, turning the FT-HS into a cabrio at the touch of a button. The 3.5-litre V6 hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain might sound familiar from the Lexus RX400h and GS450h, but this time it's been tuned for 400bhp. No economy claims have been published ahead of its debut at next week's Detroit Motor Show, but Toyota claims 'ultra-low emissions and fuel efficiency'.

What's the FT-HS like inside?

This concept car has a 2+2 layout, with small rear seats for occasional use. The cabin has a lean, skeletal look and the engineers have tried to leave much of the car's architecture exposed. Has any concept car of recent years not lavished its drivers with a periodic table's worth of exotic materials? The FT-HS is trimmed with carbonfibre and cool-touch titanium, while the steering has an unusual mono-spoke wheel.

So will they build it?

There is one big stumbling block to building a hybrid supercar: weight. All those batteries and hybrid power packs weigh a lot. The petrol-electric GS is a podgy 245kg more than its petrol counterpart, for instance. Finding a way to make a hybrid coupe handle like a sports car ain't easy. However, if anyone has the engineering nous - not to mention deep pockets required - to make this happen, it's Toyota. Nobody will make an on-the-record promise, but word is that the company is working flat out to be first with a hybrid sports car. It's the best pointer yet to the new Supra for the 21st century.

Toyota Hybrid X unveiled

Toyota Hybrid X: that's an odd name...

Apparently, the Hybrid X was named after its unconventional U-shaped front and rear windscreen pillars. Seen in plan view from above, they nearly meet in the middle to assume the shape of an X. It's pure concept fantasy, although we can't help noticing that it's the same size as today's Prius, which has been on sale since 2003. A new Prius isn't due until 2009, and it could pick up a couple of style tips from this 4500mm-long show car. Toyota freely admits the Hybrid X forges new design cues for hybrids, but insists this particular car is not the new Prius.

So it could point to the next Prius. Has it got intergalactic technology on board?

Strangely, no. Toyota said it had the latest Hybrid Synergy Drive petrol-electric system, but issued no further technical details. This isn't that sort of working concept car, apparently. What it is, is a flight of fancy from the designers at the ED2 studio in southern France. It's another model mixing synaesthesia with outright madness - you can tweak the interior for every bodily sense, changing the smell, light, touch and sound to match your mood. It sounds strange, but you can order sprightly smells to wake you up on the morning commute.

That huge glasshouse must make it pretty airy inside?

It certainly does; the Hybrid X is one of the most goldfish bowl-like concepts we've seen for a while from Toyota. Rear suicide doors make access and exit easier, too. And look at those skinny seats, whose injected foam construction lets them be much smaller. The rear two can swivel by 12 degrees, making it easier to have a chat with your neighbour, or snub them after a family argument.

Is Toyota still market leader in hybrids?

The Japanese brand has sold 50,000 hybrids in Europe, and 650,000 Prius models worldwide since 1997. It is confident that it will be flogging more than a million a year by the start of the next decade. To emphasise that hybrids aren't just about saving fuel, Toyota also showed the sleek white FT-HS sports car concept from Detroit. Word is that it's still destined for production eventually. We can't wait - it looks exactly like a modern, 21st-century Supra should.

Toyota's hybrid sales top one million

Toyota, and its luxury arm Lexus, have notched up more than a million hybrid sales for the first time.

First launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius has racked-up 758,000 sales internationally, 13,826 of them in the UK. And a third of the 1,047,000 hybrids built by Toyota found homes in its domestic Japanese market. The company claims its hybrids have saved around 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 compared with petrol and diesel equivalents over the past decade. And this is just the start of it. Toyota forecasts sales of a million hybrids a year by the start of the next decade. It could make our roads a whole lot quieter... See the July 2007 issue of CAR Magazine for the unsung green heroes that can humble a hybrid

Toyota Verso

A new Toyota Verso? It looks just like the old one!

Yes, it does. Honestly, the lengths manufacturers go to persuade us - and you - that a facelift is important! All-new! Ground-breaking! Nope, the Verso's latest revisions bring none of those things. They do bring more angular front and rear light clusters, plus a revised nose with a tweaked grille and chunkier front bumper. Blink and you'll miss 'em, but the new styling cues echo Toyota's latest design look espoused by Yaris and Auris. There’s nothing new on the mechanical front, but there is a new mid-range SR model with some extra treats.

A sporty Verso SR? That sounds like a contradiction in terms!

No, no, no - the SR isn't a sporty trim, it's Toyota’s wallet-friendly addition to the Verso range. It gets all the goodies from the T3 model, and adds tinted rear windows, a roof spoiler, rear parking sensors and 16-inch alloys - despite costing less than the T3 models upon which they're based. Tweaks elsewhere include top-spec T-Spirit and T180 models gaining the option of sat-nav and Bluetooth, whilst the entry-level T2 model gets an uprated sound system. Mid-range T3 models get dual-zone climate control and numerous flashy interior details. A very Toyota facelift, then: sensible, wallet-appealing tweaks, but little to excite anyone remotely interested in driving. But the Verso remains a clever compact MPV, with five very-easy-to-fold rear seats. Even if it is a tad dull...

GM leapfrogs Toyota

Is General Motors winning the battle, but not the war? GM this week wrestled back its top spot as the world's biggest car maker from Toyota.

The Japanese maker was the global number one in the first quarter of 2007 but GM has hit back in the second quarter from April to June to reclaim its 76-year-old crown. GM has flogged 2.41m cars in the second quarter (against 2.27m in the first three months of the year), just pipping Toyota's 2.37m (2.35m). The reason for GM's bounce-back? It enjoyed strong sales outside of America, with 58 percent of its business overseas. Sales in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East in particular were up by more than a fifth on last year. However, the champagne remains distinctly on ice. The Detroit-based car manufacturer still lags some 5000 cars behind Toyota year-to-date, and few observers expect GM to close the gap in the long run. Toyota has forecast 9.34m vehicles by the end of the year, compared with 9.2m for GM. This will surprise few industry watchers, when you consider the high cost of fuel in the US and around the world; the Americans still specialise in big trucks, SUVs and saloons, whereas the Japanese have proved nimbler on their feet, offering a wider choice of small, functional cars and clever hybrids.

Toyota iQ concept

Toyota iQ: the lowdown

The Japanese scored one of the very few surprises of the Frankfurt show this year, with the titchy iQ concept car that previews Toyota’s new sub-Aygo city car. It’s one of our favourite cars at the show, bristling with intelligent new thinking and design flourishes to make small cars interesting again. And the best news is that Toyota has committed to building a production version, probably due in European showrooms by 2009.

So just how small is the iQ?

The diminutive white car at Frankfurt is a 3+1 seater that’s just 2980mm long – a touch longer than a Smart Fortwo but significantly shorter than a Mini. Check out our comparison with the Yaris (above). It is however, as tall and wide as an Aygo, creating a squat, bold shape. There are three full-time seats, with an occasional jump seat for a small fourth passenger or some luggage. And Toyota claims that the iQ will be as safe as full-sized superminis, despite those small dimensions.

Brilliant styling! It reminds me of something…

Yes, the iQ reminds us of exactly what a small Toyota should be. On the one hand it is redolent of the Yaris and Aygo – successful small cars with a distinctive Japanese flavour – while on the other it takes many of the styling cues from the radical FT-HS hybrid sports car concept from Detroit. In particular, that car’s ‘vibrant clarity’ design language has found a new expression on the tiny iQ city car. Just look at the complex surfacing, seemingly peppered with scoops lifted away from the metal. It creates interesting, contoured surfaces, hinting at mass removed in the name of lightweight. And there are plenty of triangular motifs too.

What’s it like inside?

Pretty radical. Toyota has gone back to the drawing board with this car, engineering in simplicity from the word go. So the dashboard and most of the interior package are formed from simple panels without the need for complicated, and expensive mouldings. Even the sat-nav and display screen is a simple pane standing proud from the dash onto which the info is beamed. Although no-one has sat in the iQ yet, the designers claim it will have generous space for adults. ‘People won’t accept 80 percent less cabin space just because the car is 80 percent smaller,’ said European R&D boss Kazuhiko Miyadera.

What engines will the iQ have?

There’s no word yet on the mechanical package that will underpin the production version of the iQ, but unlike VW's Up! city car concept also shown at Frankfurt, it will be front-engined and front-drive. You can safely assume a choice of small petrol and diesel engines will be offered; no need for complex hybrids here, although an electric version hasn’t been ruled out. What is interesting is the packaging under the skin. Toyota has achieved the impossible – three/four seats in car under 3m long – by rearranging the chassis architecture. Everyday components have been radically redesigned and moved to new housings to free up space for bodies and bags, and there has been a lot of work on miniaturisation, making items like the heating and ventilation system much smaller than usual. Good for packaging, good for saving weight, better for the environment.

Toyota's Tokyo treats

Toyota Hi-CT Concept

It's that time again: the bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show kicks off on 24 October 2007, and we're being treated to a flood of teaser information from the Japanese manufacturers. The Japanese show always attracts some crazy cars, and it's built a reputation as one of the few shows where you see some properly out-there concept cars. Toyota won't disappoint this year... Just to whet your appetite, Toyota's theme this year is: Harmonious Drive – a New Tomorrow for People and the Planet. Hmm. Take the Hi-CT concept (above). It's an edgy urban vehicle, apparently, and is supermini sized at 3330mm long. Too mad for the road? Probably, but don't forget that boxy small cars like the Honda Element and Nissan Cube started life as motor show stoppers. The Hi-CT also packs in Toyota's latest plug-in hybrid know-how. The battery is slung under the floor, leaving the occupants sitting higher up for a better view out. And you get normal power points in the cabin, so your daughters can dry her hair on the way to the shops. Oh, and there's also a removable boot - the whole rear deck unhooks and can be used to store surfboards, bikes and other gear.

Toyota RiN Concept

The RiN is all about healthy living. That's why there's so much greenery and natural leaves in the publicity shot above, right? So there's a big emphasis on comfy seats that correct your posture, and the steering wheel reflects images to match your mood to soothe stressed drivers. Naturally, there's a humidifier and oxygen-level monitor to make sure you're breathing healthy air. Sound far flung? For sure. But don't forget that cabin filters and the pollen-cancelling devices would have sounded far-flung a few years back. Best bit about the RiN? Its styling is based on the tall-growing Yakusugi tree. Very natural. And the interior colour scheme is green and beige - to relax occupants. It even dips the headlights automatically if it detects other road users and pedestrians ahead. The RiN must be the most socially responsible car ever.

Take a deep breath, this is where it gets crazy. Yes - this is a motorised chair. And Toyota reckons it's likely to be built 'in the near future'. Yikes. Following off the back of the PM, the i-unit and i-swing, Toyota is serious about developing such personal mobility systems for lazy pedestrians. It's a three-wheeler (two up front, one at the back) and can adapt its wheelbase to take up less space in crowded shopping malls. When you're scooting along an empty street, it pivots longer to provide greater stability at higher speeds. At low, town speeds, the i-Real positions the rider at eye level of other pedestrians. Which sounds a shame, as you won't be able to hide from any mates you might bump into. Which apparently won't happen: the i-Real can detect any other people in your path and alerts you and them.

Toyota 1/X Concept

Crazy name, serious intent. The 1/X means it weighs a fraction of other vehicles in the class, apparently. Bristling with lightweight know-how, it tips the scales at just 420kg - about a third of the weight of the Prius. How so? Because the body is carbonfibre reinforced plastic. It too is a plug-in hybrid, and the petrol engine is even smaller, at just 500cc and can run on bioethanol or normal unleaded. It's all packaged under the rear seat, and it's rear-wheel drive which suggest that clean could also be fun. You can plug it in at home to charge, letting you travel further on electric-only power. Is the next Prius going to get even more interesting? Sounds like it will...

Is that really a new LandCruiser?

It is, and Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner, said the unveiling of the LandCruiser in Sydney reflected the significant role the LandCruiser has played in Toyota’s dominant position in the Australian market.

Stationed on a floating map of Australia, Aussie country singer Lee Kernaghan played for the world premier. Apparently he’s legendary Down Under...

The previous model’s 4.2-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel has been replaced with a 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel powerplant mated a six-speed automatic transmission. A massive 443lb ft is available from 2500rpm, yet fuel economy has been improved.

A 4.7-litre petrol V8 will also be available, although it misses out the diesel’s transmission running a five-speed automatic instead. Both gearboxes offer Artificial Intelligence Shift Control, which picks the appropriate gear based on road conditions.

It can. The 200 series, now running coil-springs front suspension, boasts Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System which Toyota claims offers better stability and extended suspension reach off-road.

It is also sees the introduction of the crawl control on petrol models, also running a Torsen limited-slip diff and a Multi-terrain anti-skid set-up. Vehicle Stability Control is standard with up to 10 airbags available, including side, knee, and curtain softeners.

Pricing and full specs are yet to be announced.

Toyota i-Real

It looks like an electric wheelchair… is Toyota for real with this?

Toyota is serious. Deadly serious. As traffic gets worse, so personal mobility vehicles like the i-Real start to make sense. The three-wheel i-Real is Toyota’s new take on single-seat urban commuting – call it a Segway with a seat, or a motorised trike – and it’s the follow-up from Toyota’s previous electric chairs (the PM, i-unit and i-swing).

Is it meant for the road or the footpath?

Either. Top speed, of just under 20mph, means it is okay in the city streets – it’ll cruise at fast bicycle speed – but it is also designed to work among pedestrians. The wheelbase is variable. At low speed, the wheelbase shortens (above), raising the height of the seat. You will be driving along, more or less, at pedestrian eyesight height. And when it’s in short wheelbase mode, the i-Real will be very compact, so it won’t take up too much space. Out on the road, nearing the max (these things, of course, are relative), the wheelbase stretches improving stability. You’ll sit a lot nearer the road too, so the centre of gravity also improves. Safety is enhanced by a collision avoidance system that sounds alarms when you near other people or objects. An alarm sounds and the ‘car’ vibrates if you’re about to hit something. On the pavement, lights and various low-pitched warning sounds (one sounds like a bird chirping) advise the foot brigade to give you a bit of room.

So what’s the i-Real powered by and how do you drive it?

It has twin electric engines, one in each front wheel. The battery is lithium ion, like in your laptop or mobile phone. Driving is simple. A couple of levers near your hands allow you to accelerate or brake. To hit reverse, push a button. You also use the levers to steer – push left for left, right for right. Very simple. It steers by the rear wheel. This picture shows it in out-of-town, long-wheelbase mode.

And are they going to produce the i-Real?

Toyota seems serious. It will be particularly useful for disabled people but also has a future on wide Japanese city pavements now used habitually (and legally) by cyclists. Don’t forget this is Toyota’s fourth iteration of its electric chair. And there is surely some significance in the name ‘Real’.

Toyota Hi-CT

And the winner of bravest car design goes to…

You won't forget the proportions of the Hi-CT in a hurry. It is intentionally unconventional. If Judge Dredd lived in Tokyo and needed to downsize…

It's very chunky. What are the dimensions?

The Hi-CT 3330mm long, 1695mm wide, 1780mm high. The cabin in stretched in width, not length, so it seats five comfortably. The looks are very daring, but we actually reckon the Hi-CT can get away with them.

What does it run on then?

Electricity. The Hi-CT adopts a plug-in hybrid system which just charges from your house (assuming you have a garage or can park near your house). As per normal, batteries live under the floor. There's even an AC100V accessory socket that enables stored electricity to be used for a variety of applications.

What's the deal with the back end?

The Hi-CT features a removable rear section which opens up a rear deck - perfect for bike racks, surfboards or, according to Toyota, 'for mounting a camera to shoot that road trip movie'. Yeah, whatever. The rear seat tumbles forward to reveal backward facing 'rumble seat' for a fresh angle on the world. Raise the back door and a deck expands into the rear seat areas, creating a mobile stage, should you want to do an impromptu concert. That accessory socket would even power the Marshall amp and Fender Strat.

Toyota 1/X

What is the point of this contraption exactly?

Toyota has a habit of building mind boggling concept cars that fire up the public imagination and then deliver forgettable production dross. The 1/X may just change that. It is rumoured to showcase developments that could point towards the next Prius.

So there's a chance of the Prius looking interesting?

Yeah, and being lighter, too. After all, the point of the 1/X project was to build an ultra light car with the cabin space of a Prius but about 1/3 of the bulk. The scales are tipped at 420kg. Toyota went right back to basics and used new materials, specs and processes.

Like what?

The roof section is made of kenaf and ramie fibres, together with lactic-acid polymer bioplastic. Visible plant fibres give it an unusual rustic finish, especially as some parts let light filter through. The body is made from strong lightweight CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced plastic) and the seats are made from a complex web of netting.

Sounds eco but cool eco. What about the engine?

The 1/X is a plug-in hybrid (PHV) built around a teeny 500cc engine. It accelerates like a normal hybrid car, but can recharge on household current. Toyota also reckon it's a flex fuel vehicle, which means you can refuel on bioethanol and/or petrol.

The front and rear light clusters are awesome…

They are also the only complicated looking part of the 1/X. It's seriously utilitarian, with ribbed floors, ears (where wing mirrors would be. For hearing the outside world - seriously), thin tyres (it's light) and the powertrain(s) under the rear seats.

Toyota RiN

Green windows - it must be good for the trees…

Even by Toyota concept standards the RiN is a little weird. The RiN is definitely one for Sting, as it's focused purely on healthy living and increased comfort. The door was designed to slide open like a Japanese teahouse and the green glass reduces UV and Infrared light.

Is there anything useful on the RiN?

If you have a bad back, potentially. RiN is a translation of the Chinese character that refers to the upright posture promoted by the seats. The RiN's seats are supposedly very good for your spine and stress relief, the notion being that you will arrive at a destination feeling better than ever.

Toyota A-BAT

Toyota’s latest Detroit concept flips on its head the current orthodoxy that pick-ups can’t be green. The A-BAT is a compact pick-up, akin to a RAV4 in size, featuring a four-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid and solar panels built into the top of the dashboard efficient enough to power the sat-nav and other interior tools.

It looks a little Prius-like?

The much-vaunted Prius was indeed an influence in the A-BAT’s green-tinged exterior design leanings. Project chief engineer Ian Cartabiano told CAR: ‘We were trying to break away from traditional truck design, which you could argue doesn’t really promote a green aesthetic. We still did a big bold shape on the grille but tried to do it in a more subtle and humble way. There are small aerodynamic benefits in the shapes of the front bumper too.’

Does the interior move the game on too?

Beyond the conventionally folding flat rear seats to make a longer load floor, the A-BAT’s versatile interior features rear seat base cushions that can retract horizontally beneath the cargo bed to create a large and high load area behind the front seats. A further large sliding drawer extends out from under the tailgate at the rear to create even more secure and hidden storage space.

Up front, between the front seats, a material-covered portable power pack masquerades as a centre armrest and can be unclipped to power electrical tools and camping gear away from the vehicle.

Right now the Toyota designers suggest there is no production vehicle due from this concept, describing it as a purely ‘blue sky’ project. But if reaction were good and with eco legislation set to tighten, Toyota would be mad not to consider using some of this thinking to make its full-sized Tundra truck more acceptable in this greener zeitgeist.