The facelifted 2020 Toyota Hilux has just been unveiled in markets such as Australia and Thailand with subtle exterior and interior alterations as well as some mechanical updates.
You've seen this particular Toyota 4Runner before because it was the subject of the first Suspension Deep Dive I wrote for Autoblog. It's still hanging around my driveway and available to make the occasional repeat appearance because, well, it's mine. I chose the TRD Off-Road for a couple of reasons, some of which will come into play on my Flex Index ramp.
First, it's the only model other than the TRD Pro that comes with a push-button locking rear differential, electronic crawl control and multi-terrain select. Second, it can cost as much as $10,000 less than a TRD Pro, particularly if you're content with cloth seating and no sunroof, as I am. I used some of the money I saved to buy the third item: an option called KDSS, the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. Importantly, this clever option can only be fitted to a TRD Off-Road; it's not even available on the TRD Pro.
The 2021 Toyota Hilux was a well-preserved secret until just a few hours ago, when the first image showing its new face leaked online.
A touch over 9,500 examples of the 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid are being recalled in the United States.
Collectors who find limited-edition hypercars with a multi-million-dollar price tag a little bit too stodgy will soon have a rare opportunity to add a real Formula One car to their fleet. Toyota donated the first example of the last car it built to compete in the series to a charity auction whose proceeds will go towards COVID-19 relief.
Wearing chassis number 01, this TF109 participated in a battery of tests leading up to the 2009 Formula One season. It was driven by several professional pilots, including Henkie Waldschmidt, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, but it never lined up on the starting grid of a race. Instead of stuffing it in a dimly-lit museum, Toyota passed the TF109 to Pirelli who used it as a high-speed test mule for tires. It was stripped of its red and white livery and put in the hands of well-known pilots (including Romain Grosjean) until it finally retired in 2011 after covering about 30,000 kilometers (approximately 19,000 miles), which is enormous for a Formula One car.
The 2021 Toyota Corolla hatchback doesn't see many updates for the new model year, but it does get a spiffy new limited edition with the unimaginative "Special Edition" moniker. Despite the name, the car is rather bold looking, gaining a unique front spoiler, side skirts and rear bumper. And we're pleased to report the rear bumper does away with the silly fake chrome tailpipes. Besides the lower body additions, all painted black, it gets a black rear spoiler and black 18-inch wheels. The Special Edition goes on sale later this summer, and only 1,500 examples will be built, all of which come in Supersonic Red. Bizarrely, this very sporty looking Corolla is only available in the SE trim level with a CVT. You'll have to stick with a regular SE or XSE if you want to pair the 2.0-liter 168-horsepower four-cylinder with a manual transmission.
As for the rest of the Corolla hatchback lineup, there are a few feature updates. All Corolla hatchbacks now come standard with rear seat side impact airbags. These are the abdominal airbags mounted to the seat, as opposed to the already standard curtain airbags. The XSE trim also picks up blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard, and both features are available on the SE trim as part of the optional SE Preferred Package. There's also the new Enhanced Cargo Space Package. Basically, it's the option to replace the spare tire with a tire repair kit to free up space under the cargo floor. It brings space up to 23 cubic feet over the regular model's 17, and it's a no cost option. Finally, Toyota is adding two new colors to the hatchback, Magnetic Gray Metallic and Wind Chill Pearl.
Toyota has issued a recall for certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 hybrid crossovers due to the risk of defective suspension parts. In total, 9,502 vehicles might have cracked lower suspension parts that lead to a dangerous situation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted campaign No. 20V286000 on May 20, 2020. The recall states that "the front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly." Furthermore, a recall documents states, "if a vehicle is driven frequently with rapid acceleration and deceleration over its lifetime, an involved front lower suspension arm can eventually separate." Rapid acceleration and deceleration seem like pretty common occurrences in cars.
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso joined Toyota's testing team to put the updated Hilux pickup through its paces. His involvement isn't as random as it seems: He raced a heavily-modified version of the current truck in the 2020 Dakar Rally, and he knows how it should handle when pushed to its limits — and beyond.
Toyota introduced the current-generation Hilux in 2015, so the truck isn't scheduled to retire yet; its predecessor remained in production for 11 years. Instead, the model will receive comprehensive updates including a new 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine, suspension modifications, and an updated front end. Peeking through the camouflage suggests the visual changes include thinner lights and a grille that brings the Hilux in line with recent additions to the Toyota range, like the RAV4. Its lower bumper has gone under the knife, too.
Toyota is prepping a few significant updates for the eighth-generation Hilux, which has been in production at factories all over the world since 2015.
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime SE will ring the till at $39,220 (including a $1,120 destination charge) when it goes on sale this summer, Toyota announced Friday, as the company looks to claim the performance high ground in the compact crossover segment with its high-output plug-in hybrid.
So far, hybrid variants of smaller mainstream two-row crossovers have been focused entirely on efficiency; even Toyota's own RAV4 Hybrid is rated at 41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 combined on the strength of its 219-horsepower conventional hybrid drive system.
The WRC-inspired Toyota GR Yaris is one of the hot hatches nabbing lots of attention this year. The Japanese automaker has promised a version for the U.S., albeit on a different platform, and apparently with a different naming scheme. A report in Japan's Best Car magazine, via The Drive, says the potent Corolla rumored headed our way will be called the Corolla Sport GRMN, and it could debut for certain markets as soon as this fall. By any name, the hatch just got a lot more exciting if Best Car is right in saying the Corolla Sport GRMN will send some of its power to the rear axle, installing the "latest 4WD system that uses an electronically controlled coupling."
That sounds like a simpler setup to apportion torque than the 4WD system on the GR Yaris with its locking front and rear differentials. Depending on the tune and how much weight the machinery adds, having all tires contribute to forward progress could give Toyota's entry a sizable advantage over competition like the front-wheel drive Hyundai Veloster N and Volkswagen GTI. And ticking another vital box on the enthusiast's checklist, Toyota's six-speed manual transmission will be on tap for power transfer duty.
Toyota filed a pair of trademark applications that might shed light on some of the models in its pipeline. It requested to protect the names BZ, which could denote a wagon, and Capstone, which may be a trim level.
Enthusiast forum GR86 first spotted the trademark filings. It speculated BZ might be the name Toyota assigns to the long-roof variant of the Corolla (pictured) it sells in global markets, including Europe, and its hypothesis isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. These initials were briefly used on a Japanese-market version of the seventh-generation Corolla wagon. The nameplate has been dormant since, however. Toyota's trademark application explains it wants to use BZ on "automobiles and structural parts thereof," so a wagon fits this definition, but so would a tie rod, a piece of carpet, or a hinge in the climate control system that the passengers will never see.
Reducing the weight of a car is one of the most overlooked ways to improve performance.
The ever-increasing demand in crossovers and SUVs has led to the development of many three-row mid-size models. Think of them as the modern alternatives to the once popular minivans, but with so many of them out there, how do you choose the one that's perfect for you and your family?