Heyward Allen Toyota

2013 Scion FR-S Brings the Sport Back to the Car

 
Toyota has unveiled the re-designed 2013 Toyota Avalon.  Take a look at the first photos and read the Toyota press release on our website here.

The New 2012 Toyota Prius C has arrived!
EPA rated at 50 MPG! 53 MPG City and 46 MPG HWY!
This is a New 2012 Toyota Prius C Two, in "Moonglow" with Light Grey / Black Interior with Blue Accents.
This New Prius C features AM/FM/CD with 6 Speakers, USB port, Bluetooth, Climate Control, Cruise Control, Power Windows, Power Locks, Remote Entry and more!
See more photos on our Facebook page here.

Never heard of the Toyota Vitz? It's one of the auto giant's biggest sellers in the Japanese Domestic Market, accounting for over 1.4 million units since its introductory model in 1999. But the compact hatchback isn't exclusive to Japan: in export markets, it's known to us as the Yaris, and Toyota's sold more than 3.5 million of them around the world. And now it has introduced the third generation.



Abandoning the styling of its predecessor, the new Vitz/Yaris is considerably sharper in the design department. It's also more fuel efficient and less polluting to the environment. And while overall dimensions remain compact, the interior has grown in capacity for added comfort and utility, utilizing a new type of glass to filter out 99 percent of UV radiation.



The Vitz is offered domestically with a range of engines and trim levels - from 1.0- to 1.5-liter engines, with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with CVTs, manu-matics and stick shifts, a start-stop system and even upscale Jewela and RS trims - though the North American Yaris will constrict the choices some.

Toyota has given the Corolla a quick refresh for 2011, and we can expect to get our first in-the-flesh peak at the design at the 2010 LA Auto Show later this week. Toyota says it sought help from styling studios in Turin, Italy, in shaping the small sedan's revised nose and tail section. With a new bumper cap, grille and headlights, the 2011 Corolla now wears a face that's a bit more differentiated from the much larger Camry. Out back, Toyota designers also gave the car a reworked trunk lid and rear bumper.


Next year will also bring a host of standard safety tech, including vehicle stability control and traction control. Otherwise, buyers can expect to be met with the same 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine as the 2010 model.

As we have suspected for some time now, Toyota will update its popular mid-size crossover for the upcoming model year, and now we have the details about what's in store. The 2011 Toyota Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, are getting a plethora of updates inside and out to completely freshen up the vehicle.

First seen at August's Moscow Motor Show, the 2011 Highlander has been updated thanks to an all-new hood, fenders, lights and front fascia. The hybrid features additional exterior elements, such as a unique grille and front bumper, which help set it apart from the standard Highlander.

On the inside, the Highlander now features three-row seating as a standard feature while amenity and tech options have been expanded throughout the lineup. SE and Limited trims will henceforth come standard with Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port and XM radio while these features are available optionally on the base model. The base Hybrid Highlander can now be outfitted with a Leather Package boasting heated front seats and a power moonroof.

Under the hood, the base 2.7-liter engine four-cylinder engine is now also available on the SE model, and it churns out 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque - good enough for highway fuel economy figure of 25 miles per gallon. The uplevel 3.5-liter six-cylinder has been tuned to deliver 270 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, but both the I4 and the V6 still make do with five-speed automatic transmissions. Interestingly, the Highlander Hybrid gets an all-new 3.5-liter V6 engine to replace the older 3.3-liter unit, and it's the most powerful powertrain in the range. The combined output of the new engine with the electric motor is 280 horsepower, yet the hybrid is expected to return 28 mpg in the city and on the highway.

Pricing for the 2011 Toyota Highlander lineup has also just been announced. $27,390 gets you the base four-cylinder front-wheel drive model; the SE V6 FWD will be $33,150, while the Limited V6 with all-wheel drive will list for $36,345. The MSRP for Highlander Hybrid will range from $37,290 for the base model to $42,945 for the Limited model.

Automakers have been on the honor system when stating the tow ratings of their pickups, and that has led to lofty numbers that could only be achieved under a very particular set of ideal conditions. Claiming the biggest number for any truck spec is a big deal, but maximum towing capacity is the crown spec. So it was only natural that these automakers - mainly Ford, General Motors, Dodge (Ram), Toyota, Honda and Nissan - would feel the pressure to keep coming up with better and better tow ratings.

Enter the Society of Automotive Engineers and d?tente: Five of the six truck manufacturers mentioned above have agreed to assess their trucks' tow rating based on SAE standard J2807. The new standard lays out several benchmark tests for pickups, so automakers won't be allowed to simply find the right conditions and produce the highest tow rating possible anymore. For the J2807 test, a standardized trailer is hooked up and the truck is put through acceleration tests on level ground and an incline, and its response to effects like understeer, trailer-sway and braking are measured. Only Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler will be employing J2807 now, but by 2013 all pickup truck makers will be obliged to adhere to it.

Someone had to go first, and today we learn that Toyota has adjusted its pickup's tow rating to the new standard, and so the Tundra can tow less on paper today despite not a single change being made to the vehicle. Its towing capacities were lowered anywhere from 400 pounds on the 2WD regular cab (10,800 to 10,400) all the way up to 1,100 pounds on the 4WD CrewMax (10,100 to 9,000).

This shouldn't be viewed as a knock against the Tundra, because we won't know where it really falls until we get revised ratings from each of the other five manufacturers, and we expect them all to shift downwards.

Car & Driver magazine recently completed a short-take of the new 2011 Toyota Sienna, calling it the best minivan on the market! We're not allowed to republish it here so click the link to read what they had to say for yourself:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q2/2011_toyota_sienna_xle_awd-short_take_road_test

Following the example of the Nissan Titan/Frontier updating scheme, Toyota is preparing its 2011 Tacoma pickup. We've detailed the main change happening under the skin - a bevy of automatic transmissions replacing discontinued manuals. As for the outside, PickupTrucks.com has posted the above photo of a pre-production Taco. Can you spot the difference?

That's right! The two-bar grille is now a one-bar grille! You know what they say about messing with perfection. The midsize truck will appear later this year starting at $16,365, ringing the bell for $27,525 at the high end.

Toyota has dropped the goods on next year's Tacoma, and the company will be giving the people what they want by offering more automatic transmissions as standard equipment. For 2011, the Japanese automaker is nixing three manual gearbox models and adding five new automatic versions of the truck. Prices for the trucks will start at $16,365 for a base, manual-transmission, two-wheel drive regular cab and top out at $27,525 for a V6-equipped four-wheel drive with an automatic gearbox and a double cab long-bed.

Buyers will continue to be able to opt between a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with 159 horsepower or a more potent 4.0-liter V6 with 236 horsepower. Those power figures have stayed on from last year, so we're betting fuel economy from both will stay on par with 2010 models as well. That means that the base truck will hit close to 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway while the topped out version will land closer to 16 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Hit the jump for the full press release.