Toyota Prius reaches a milestone (EU)

Toyota is rejoicing in selling its 200,000th Prius hybrid in Europe. The sedan hit the European market back in 2000, with sales reaching 100,000 in 2008. However, with the arrival of the Prius III, and a shift in buying trends towards cars which are apparently as greener, Toyota has sold a further 100,000 units in the last two years. In the U.S, the Prius hybrid has sold in excess of 680,000 units since its launch in 1997.

Over the Prius’ 10 years on sale, many enhancements to its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain saw fuel consumption drop by more than 23% and CO2 emissions plummet by around 26%. This has been achieved despite power increasing by 30%.

The UK is the Prius’ largest European market with more than 1 in 5 sales in the UK. This year’s sales to date are at 6,579 units, almost equalling the 2009 figure in just six months.

Confirming the Prius’ presence as a mainstream model the world over, Toyota expects global sales to reach 2m by the Autumn of this year.

Toyota Auris will be built in the UK

Toyota has announced that the all-new Toyota Auris will be built in the UK at its vehicle manufacturing plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.

Production of the Auris, the new C-Segment hatchback for Toyota, will begin in the new year and will go on sale to customers across Europe from Spring 2007. UK sales will begin from 1st February, 2007.

Designed and built in Europe, Auris demonstrates Toyota’s commitment to its European production operations. The new hatchback will be built alongside the Avensis at Toyota Manufacturing UK and also alongside the Corolla Verso at Toyota’s plant in Adapazari, Turkey.

The European production locations were confirmed today as Auris made its debut at the Bologna Motor Show.

Designed at Toyota’s European Design Development centre, ED2, in the south of France, Auris will join the highly successful Toyota Yaris and Avensis in helping Toyota to achieve its revised European sales target of 1.2 million units per year by 2008.

Hein Van Gerwen, Managing Director, Toyota Manufacturing UK said: “Auris represents a major step forward for the Toyota brand in Europe and is a crucial vehicle in the competitive C-segment.

“The award of this new model is further recognition of the skill and commitment of all our employees. We will now ensure that every Auris customer receives a superior quality vehicle they can be truly proud to own.”

The Rt. Hon Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, welcomed the announcement. He said: "This commitment is excellent news for the workforce and another show of confidence in the British car industry. It shows that the UK is a good place to invest and to manufacture."

Auris embodies the way forward for Toyota in Europe.

Breaking the mould of current C-segment hatchback design, it has an original and distinctive shape that is ‘short and tall’. Short because it maintains an overall length typical to this segment; tall to maximise interior space and passenger comfort.

Auris sets a new standard for interior design: stylish, spacious and sophisticated. The ‘inside-out’ approach to the interior design means the car has been created around the driver to maximise interior space. The styling with unique design elements, such as the bridged centre console, creates a bold and distinctive environment.

The four grade model line-up will appeal to a broad spectrum of customers. From its launch, Auris will offer plenty of choice: three-door or five-door models with a range of engine and transmission options.

Toyota Auris Hybrid pricing announced (UK)

The all-new Toyota Auris Hybrid will start from £18,950 for the entry-level T4 89g spec, rising to £20,700 for the flagship T-Spirit. The Auris Hybrid is powered by the same 1.8 litre VVT-i petrol engine found in the Prius, and an electric motor giving combined output of 134bhp.

The car will be available in 3 well-specified trim-levels; T4 89g, T4 & T-Spirit.

Entry-level T4 89g features Climate control, CD/MP3 player with USB, x4 electric windows, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, 7 airbags, 15" alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, stability and traction control w/ hill-start assist. This model has CO2 emissions of 89g/km with combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg, which translates to over 700 miles on one tank.

Mid-spec T4 adds 'T4 89g' standard equipment plus 17" alloy wheels for £19,200.

Range-topping T-Spirit comes with 17" alloy wheels, leather & Alcantara seats, cruise control w/ speed limiter, Bluetooth w/ steering wheel audio controls, automatic headlights and wipers, smart entry and start and auto-dimming rearview mirror w/ rear camera display. Due to the increase of the alloy wheels, the T4 & T-Spirit models emit 93g/km with overall economy of 70.6mpg.

At £18,950, the Auris Hybrid is not a cheap way into to hybrid motoring. It is only £555 less than the company's entry-level Prius T3 and more than £2,365 more than the entry-level Honda Insight.

Toyota says that Auris Hybrid is close in price to similarly specced rival cars fitted with 2.0 litre diesel engines and says that Auris Hybrid customers and Prius Hybrid customers come from two distinctive groups.

'Prius customers want to make a statement,' said a Toyota spokesman. 'They tend to be style-led early adopters. Auris Hybrid customers will be interested in the mpg and they may also simply prefer a smaller car.'

Toyota Prius by Tommy Kaira and ASI

Eco-friendly cars are the talk of the town for the moment. Every manufacturer is either producing one or planning to. Toyota is an acknowledged leader in the field with its Prius hybrid as well as others. Few respected tuners have embraced the green thing so far, unless they are based in Japan where it almost seems the government has a decree forcing tuners to work on "green" cars as well.
How else do you explain the flurry of activity coming from enviro-friendly garages around the country? This Prius done by Tommi Kaira is but one of these. It features low front lips, big front air dams shaped like those of an Audi R8, thick rims, wide side skirts and a new rear bumper. The Prius logo is missing, as is the discretion normally linked to the car. Most striking though are the four tailpipes which do not in any way suggest "green". In fact they have the opposite effect on the eye.
Cars like the GT-R or the Impreza STI are well-suited for power and body upgrades. They are expected to pollute the eardrum along with the planet, and their fans love them for it. Prius and Honda Insight are quite different simply because of the statement they make.
There certainly is a future in eco-tuning (new word for you) but no one is quite sure what it looks like. That's perhaps why cars like this one could be discarded in current tuning circles. One such tuner is Ben Schaffer, owner of Bespoke Ventures. His company is a major American/international parts distributor and marketer for top Japanese tuning brands (KenStyle, Top Secret). Schaffer's view is that eco is good yes, but it has no place in the world of powerhouses like the R35 GT-R. Moderation is the key instead of jumping on the bandwagon. He reminds his fellow competitors/colleagues not to lose sight of their core business and enthusiasm which is sports cars.