Toyota executives say there are no new segments to enter that will deliver continued volume spurts. But they are crying crocodile tears. Their segment-busting ACE crossover arrives in the fall of 2008, and a return to sports cars is in the works as well. Expansion of the product line is a big debate at Scion, which wants to keep its volumes low to maintain its limited-edition hipness. Lexus will continue to expand its lineup despite internal concerns that rising volume may harm its true-luxury status.
Scion
xB: The box has been redesigned for the 2008 model year. The xB looks chunkier, gets larger and gains more power from a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that replaces the wheezy 1.5-liter.
xD: Although the 2008 xD is about the same size as the xA it replaces, it looks more prominent. The underpowered 1.5-liter four-banger is replaced by the 1.8-liter shared with the Toyota Corolla.
tC: It remains a coupe on a five-year cycle. The redesign arrives in spring 2009 as a 2010 model. Check out the Scion Fuse concept. Squint a little bit, and that's the new tC.
SUV: There has been a lot of Internet chatter this summer about a Scion SUV based on the Subaru Tribeca. Forget about it.
Mini pickup: There also has been some talk at Toyota about an open-bed, car-based design. But Toyota's Tacoma already sells to young buyers. Plus, the Subaru Baja was a dud.
Toyota
Prius: The redesigned hybrid won't arrive until spring 2009 as a 2010 model because of delays in delivering a reliable lithium ion battery system. Instead, Toyota will offer a next-generation nickel-metal hydride battery pack. But Toyota engineers are working on packaging so that when lithium ion technology is ready, it will be merely a matter of substituting the battery. The company also is studying plug-in hybrid technology, but it has legal and infrastructure worries about doing it for a mass market.
Yaris: A redesign is planned for the 2012 model year.
Corolla: A redesigned Corolla will arrive this fall. The platform is identical to what Europe has seen as the Auris, except the U.S. version is a sedan, not a hatchback. The car is still on a 102.4-inch wheelbase but grows slightly in overall length. A new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, making about 130 hp, comes this fall. The upmarket Corolla has the Camry's 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-banger. That one also gets a five-speed automatic. A hybrid model could come in mid-2010 as a 2011 model.
Matrix: The five-door hatchback is redesigned for the 2008 model year and adopts more macho styling. The 2008 Matrix and Corolla share the same platform and engine family. Sheet metal will be specific to North America; production will continue at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif. It is unclear whether Toyota will keep the Matrix name. The company has taken out a trademark for the name "Blade," which the vehicle is called in Japan.
Camry: A redesign is expected for the 2012 model year. But there is talk of going to a six-year cycle with a possible reskin for the 2009 model year. If on a six-year schedule, the new Camry would debut in spring 2012.
Avalon: A redesign is scheduled for the 2011 model year, but Toyota may add an extra year to the vehicle cycle. A hybrid comes six to 12 months after the redesign.
Solara: Dead after the 2007 model year; no replacement is expected.
Supra: The FT-HS hybrid sports car concept from the 2007 Detroit show is the spiritual successor to the Supra, which arrives in summer 2009. The 3.5-liter V-6 will be teamed with a hybrid-electric motor, producing a combined 400 hp. Toyota's union with Subaru may provide the budget-conscious all-wheel-drive platform the Supra needs.
ACE: The crossover arrives as a 2009 model, drawing on crossover and minivan characteristics. Toyota says ACE stands for "advanced concept for empty-nesters" and is derived from the FT-SX concept. ACE is merely the project code; the vehicle will be renamed before it reaches the market. Styling highlights are expected to include a low roofline with a high beltline and narrow greenhouse.
Expect much component sharing with the Camry. A 3.5-liter V-6 will be the only engine, paired with a six-speed automatic. Awd will be optional.
Highlander: The crossover is redesigned for the 2008 model year sharing the Avalon platform. Compared with the current model, the new one adds nearly 3 inches of wheelbase and is 4 inches longer and 3 inches wider and taller. A hybrid version will be offered.
Tacoma: A redesign is scheduled for the 2012 model year. A hybrid may be offered in 2012.
Tundra: The redesigned 2007 Tundra pickup arrived in February. Toyota is working with subsidiary Hino on a diesel version so that a promised heavy-duty model can arrive as a 2011 model. A hybrid version comes in mid-2011 as a 2012 model.
FJ Cruiser: A redesign is likely for the 2012 model year, with lots of special editions and a reskin for the 2010 model year. It may be a one-generation boutique vehicle.
4Runner: A redesign is scheduled for the 2010 model year.
Land Cruiser: Some thought Toyota would drop the Land Cruiser in the United States, but the redesigned 2008 model will debut this fall. Although smaller than the Sequoia, it will carry a 5.7-liter V-8 engine made in Japan. Hard-core off-roaders will mourn the lack of front and rear locking differentials, although the overall platform has been beefed up.
Sequoia: A redesign off the new Tundra platform arrives this fall. Like the Tundra, the Sequoia grows considerably larger than its predecessor, making some within Toyota worry that it might be too big. Engine choices will be a 4.7-liter or 5.7-liter V-8. A hybrid comes in the 2010 model year.
Sienna: A redesign is planned for the 2010 model year, but it could be pushed back a year. A hybrid will be available at launch.
Toyota is walking a tightrope between the Sienna minivan and ACE in terms of positioning. In the eyes of some consumers, the vehicles will be similar in terms of purpose.
Lexus
IS: The high performance 2008 IS-F sedan, with a 425-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 and Brembo brakes, arrives late this year. A coupe will be added in mid-2008 as a 2009 model. But the convertible has been pushed back to the summer of 2009 because the plan now is to engineer a hardtop convertible instead of a ragtop.
ES: A hybrid will be added for the 2009 model year. A freshening is planned for the 2010 model year; a redesign is scheduled for the 2012 model year.
GS: No major platform changes are brewing, although the V-6 engine gets bored out to 3.5 liters for the 2008 model year.
LS 460: A hybrid model arrives in dealerships at the end of August or in early September.
SC 430: A redesign is planned for the 2009 model year. Expect a substantial weight loss. The engine gets an increase in displacement, to 4.6 liters.
LF-1: The supercar inspired by the LF-A concept will arrive next spring. It is meant to celebrate Toyota's 70th anniversary as well as its Formula 1 presence, hence the "F-1" part of the name. A V-10 engine, generating at least 500 hp, will deliver power to an all-wheel-drive setup. Expect an unveiling at the Tokyo motor show in October, if not at the Japan Formula 1 race in September.
Hybrid: Lexus will get its own dedicated hybrid model in a configuration and design different from the Toyota Prius. It is likely to arrive as a 2012 model. One proposal is a small crossover that would be only for Japan and Europe in its first phase.
RAV4: A Lexus version of the RAV4 is planned for Japan and Europe. U.S. marketers likely will turn it down because they don't want vehicles priced under $30,000. Lexus does not want to chase the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and Acura RD-X. But there is a contingency plan if the segment takes off.
RX 350: A redesign comes in early 2009 as a 2010 model. Expect a slight increase in size.
GX 470: The assembly line twin of the Toyota 4Runner gets a redesign in the fall of 2009. A six-speed automatic transmission may be added.
VX 470: The long-awaited seven-seat crossover arrives as a 2009 model. The project name is VX, and it comes off the GS sedan platform. For styling hints, look to the Lexus LF-X (formerly HPX) concept car, which had a 116-inch wheelbase, was 194 inches long and had room for three rows of seats. Power may come from a 4.7-liter V-8, although a 3.5-liter V-6 also might be offered. The vehicle would line up against the Infiniti FX35 and FX45.
LX 470: The redesigned version due next spring stays on the Land Cruiser platform with a 5.7-liter V-8 engine made in Japan. Reports that it would switch to the Toyota Sequoia platform are unfounded.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
