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Toyota at Geneva: Three New Vehicles

Urban Cruiser Concept - Toyotas Next Big Hit?

Like Paris, Frankfurt, Detroit or Tokyo, the Geneva Motor Show is an auto extravaganza that attracts attention from all corners of the globe. This years event looks promising with a number of critically important introductions from the worlds leading manufacturers. Toyota will be contributing three global debuts at this years show, including two production vehicles and a third concept car.

Starting with the concept, The Urban Cruiser is a new subcompact SUV designed by its French ED2 Design studios, the same group that penned the new Yaris and many other European Toyotas. The concept, which in essence is a design study, doesnt advance any new technologies

Urban Cruiser. Its the smallest of the Cruiser family. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

in particular, but nevertheless explores new areas of styling which could possibly be applied to Toyota SUVs. The Urban Cruiser has some of the rough n tough styling attributes which are often featured on classic off-road sport utes, including metal-finished skidplates and trim, and blends them together with tall fenders and large wheels. With growing gas prices, and an increase in demand for compact, urban runabouts, vehicles like the Urban Cruiser are sure to arrive on our

More power to the people: upcoming Yaris T-Sport could have up to 140 hp. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

streets in no time at all.

More excitingly, Toyota will also be using the Geneva Motor Show to launch its Yaris T-Sport, the performance version of the Yaris subcompact. Unlike the previous T-Sport, which was powered by the 1.5-liter four-cylinder that was previously standard equipment in the North American Echo, a car that sold as our Echo Hatchback RS model, the new T-Sport is the most powerful Yaris created to date. The upcoming T-Sport will be powered by a 1.8-liter inline-four with a performance-tuned variable valve timing system. Though outputs have yet to be announced, expect them to be around

Mild updates to Prius. Unfortunately, North Americans wont get the IPA self-parking system.(Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

140-horsepower, a good boost over the cars current 106-hp mill. To go along with the bigger engine, the Yaris T-Sport gains more distinctive front and rear bumpers, a lowered suspension and larger alloy wheels. It is possible something similar will make it to North America, especially now that Nissan has announced its 125-hp Versa subcompact.

Another production vehicle making its debut in Europe for 2006 is the updated Prius. Since the introduction of the second-generation Prius, this halo vehicle for Toyotas revolutionary Hybrid Synergy Drive system has won countless awards, including 2004 North American Car of the Year. Two years on, it gains mild cosmetic changes to keep it looking fresh, but also gains a clever new self-parking

Four-wheel steering Fine-X Concept, rebadged as Fine-T for Geneva Show. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

technology.

Intelligent Park Assist, or IPA for short, uses video cameras to capture a parking spot, displaying it on the active LCD display. When the driver finds a parking spot and activates the system, the car takes control of the steering; the driver merely controls the cars speed. This technology, previously an exclusive to Japan, will be available on the Prius in Europe, as well as Lexus new flagship, the LS 460, globally.

Toyota will also be showing two other concept cars which were an integral part of its "Ecology & Emotion" display at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, vehicles that project hints at future transportation solutions. The Fine-T Concept, formerly known as the Fine-X at its Tokyo Debut, offers midsize-like interior space with subcompact dimensions, four-wheel steering and fuel-cell hybrid power, while the curious-looking i-Swing Concept, a zero-emissions

Lexus new LS 460 should wow Geneva show-goers. (Photo: Lexus)

personal transportation device, advances on human-robot interfaces using new IT-robotic technologies.
Toyotas upscale brand, Lexus, will also debuting its top of the line LS sedan at Geneva in full technical detail, filling in the outline at the cars initial launch at this years NAIAS which took place in early January.  It will be interesting to see how the sophisticated luxury sedan is received in this hotbed of European luxury vehicles. The previous LS never managed to get much of a following in Europe, but this new version, sporting a powerful new V8, class-leading 8-speed automatic transmission and Maybach-like rear seat ottomans in top-line long-wheelbase guise, stands a much greater chance of wooing picky Euro luxury buyers who traditionally purchase German brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Japanese carmakers have made tremendous in-roads at the lower end of the market, however, so its only a matter of time before its luxury brands experience similar success to what they enjoy in North America.

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