Toyota introduced the Prius C as an entry-class model of the Prius.
It is also known as the “Baby Prius.” Based on the third-generation Prius, the company has developed a smaller body size (full length, full width and full height). The power train combines a 1,500-cylinder four-cylinder gasoline engine with a hybrid system. It has a 300 ㏄ reduction in displacement compared to the Prius. Its power performance is 73 horsepower and an electric motor (45 kW) is added to generate 99 horsepower.
Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan has developed a small sports car for the first time in 12 years and is set to launch the car. The move is apparently aimed at recovering from a series of negative developments including production disruptions caused by the massive earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. is negotiating a wide-ranging alliance with Germany’s BMW in the field of eco-friendly cars, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 26th.
According to the automobile industry on Wednesday, Toyota and Honda Korea will competitively introduce new cars in January next year. Both companies will have a showdown with their flagship models next year.
Honda Korea is weighing when to launch its fourth-generation CR-V model in North America starting next month. Honda Korea sold 2,587 units in the first 10 months of this year, down 44 percent from the same period last year, and the new model can no longer be delayed.
However, they are concerned that the effect of the new car will be lessened if the new car is introduced in the atmosphere of year-end party. As a result, the company plans to introduce the CR-V as its first new car next year.
Honda Korea President Jung Woo-young said, “We originally planned to release the CR-V at the end of this year, but it seems meaningful to release it as the first new car in the new year.”
When Honda Korea ranked No. 1 in sales of imported cars in 2008, the CR-V was so popular that it sold 3,113 units annually. It is the first new car in seven years since its launch in Korea, and is expected to become Honda Korea’s flagship model next year considering the initial demand.
Toyota Korea will introduce its seventh-generation Camry to the Korean market in January next year. It will bring in models manufactured at factories in the U.S. following the Siena, a minivan that was launched last month.
According to the newspaper, Toyota Motor Corp. is considering procuring diesel engines to be installed in low-fuel vehicles from BMW and partnering with hybrid vehicle (HV) technology. The move is aimed at reducing development costs and facility investment costs for eco-friendly vehicles as fuel economy and environmental regulations of automobiles are increasingly strengthened in the global market, and the outlook for the global economy is uncertain.
In August, Toyota agreed to jointly develop a hybrid vehicle system with Ford Motor of the United States. As a result, if it partners with BMW, it will become a second partnership with a foreign automaker. Through the partnership with Toyota, BMW is aiming to increase the competitiveness of eco-friendly cars such as hybrid cars as well as mass production of diesel engines. Nissan Motor of Japan, Renault of France, and Daimler of Germany have also agreed on a joint development of electric cars, which is accelerating the merger of global automakers with eco-friendly cars at the center.
Toyota is focusing on expanding its market share in the European market with hybrid vehicles at the center, but is struggling in the market where 60 percent of passenger cars are diesel cars. Toyota sold 810,000 cars in the European market last year, down 9 percent from the previous year, with a market share of only around 4 percent.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday that Toyota unveiled its new compact sports car model “GT Hachiroku (86)” jointly developed with Subaru under Fuji Heavy Industries to the media on the previous day. It is the first time that Toyota has introduced a small sports car since the 1999 MR-S. Bloomberg reported that Akio 豊 章男 drove the GT86 in person at the Fuji Speedway.
The car is based on the “AE86 Corolla Levin” and “Corolla Sprinter Treno,” which Toyota introduced in the 1980s and gained popularity among enthusiasts. The car’s new name “86” also comes from the AE86. It is equipped with the D4S engine, which was jointly developed by Fuji Heavy Industries and Toyota.
Toyota has launched a small sports car in an effort to make up for the production disruption and sluggish sales caused by unfavorable factors such as the massive earthquake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand. Although the price of the car is undecided, it is expected to be relatively cheap. The WSJ reported that Toyota is expected to set the price at a level that can accommodate young people who just graduated from college and entered the society as it did when it dominated the small sports car market in the 1980s. The car reportedly has a maximum speed of 230 kilometers per hour and it takes about six seconds to accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour after departure. It will be open to the public at the Tokyo Motor Show on March 3.
Prius C is considered the next generation Prius. It has increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions through engine downsizing, a new trend in the global market. The alphabet C comes from the name “City,” which means city.
The characteristics of the vehicle, which claims to be an urban hybrid car, are reflected. The Prius C is considered to be cheaper than the Prius as well as fuel efficiency. It will be sold at 1.69 million yen (25 million won) in the Japanese market and 19,000 dollars (22 million won) in the U.S. from March.
The Prius C is targeting younger drivers than the existing Prius C. It is equipped with iPod terminal, USB port and Bluetooth hands-free, which are favored by new generations. Toyota plans to sell an average of 12,000 units a month in Japan.
Toyota Korea is pushing to diversify its lineup to expand Prius sales in the domestic market. Therefore, it is expected that Korean drivers will be able to meet Prius C in the future.