NEWS

WITH a legacy of 300,000 units since 1999, the new Yaris arrives facing even more competition in the b-segment. JAMES BATCHELOR has driven it. WHAT IS IT? This is the third-generation of Toyota’s b-segment supermini – a car that first debuted in showrooms back in 1999 – and it has grown up. In comes more [...]

MANAGING director of Toyota GB has high praise for his network of hard-working dealers… and says the new Yaris is a crucial car. How is Toyota coping with supply problems? It’s been and gone. We’ve had an amazing recovery. We’ve been at full capacity for Europe since June with every plant at 100 per cent, [...]

YEOMANS Toyota Eastbourne has been named the nation’s best Toyota Centre in the first Toyota Retailer Excellence Awards. The honour was announced at Toyota’s national conference at the NEC, Birmingham, on December 1, together with a series of other awards recognising high achievement in sales, after sales, and customer satisfaction. Martin Mortimer, centre principal, received [...]

BMW Group and Toyota have signed a deal concerning a mid-to-long-term collaboration on the next-generation environment-friendly technologies. The German firm will supply Toyota with 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel units from 2014, and will be installed in European-bound Toyotas. The two car giants will also collaborate on research of the next-generation lithium-ion battery technologies. Making the [...]

TOYOTA has revealed pictures of its new GT 86 – the first GT car from the Japanese firm since the demise of the Celica. Co-developed with Subaru, the GT 86 – pronounced ‘eight six’ – returns ‘Toyota to its sporting roots’ by featuring a front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Under the bonnet lies a 2.0-litre boxer [...]

TOYOTA is celebrating after building its two millionth Yaris in its Valenciennes factory in northern France. The model that took the production total to two million is a 1.4-litre D-4D five-door in burning red, destined for a customer in France. The achievement comes in the same year as the factory celebrates its 10th anniversary. The production [...]

TOYOTA has unveiled some new additions to its model range – from a revised Avensis to a seven-seater Prius. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, punters will be able to get their first look at the new Avensis. The d-segment car has received a make-ver included a bolder, more dynamic nose, better interior fixtures and fittings [...]

TOYOTA GB’s boss has revealed that the forthcoming Yaris hybrid could exceed all forecasted volume figures. The car, which is slated for release next year, will form part of Toyota’s onslaught in the hybrid sector. The hybrid supermini is expected to be joined by the Prius Plug-in hybrid, and the seven-seat Prius+ in 2012. ‘We [...]

TOYOTA has revealed details on the third generation Yaris which will be launched in the UK this summer. The all-new version of the Toyota supermini is a development of the original concept of ‘compact outside, spacious inside’ which debuted more than 10 years ago. Better materials and better build quality will feature in the new Yaris, [...]

TOYOTA Motor Manufacturing UK is set to be the first UK car maker to install a large scale solar panel. Work has started on installing the ground-mounted system at Toyota’s vehicle plant in Derbyshire, where Auris hybrid, Auris and Avensis cars are built for the UK and export markets. The solar array is located on 90,000m2 [...]

TOYOTA is giving away six months of free fill-ups for new Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Auris Hybrid and Verso customers. The firm is calling the give-away the summer-long free fuel bonus, and says that Toyota customers now needn’t worry about rising prices at the pumps. Each new car will be sold with a pre-loaded Visa card [...]

Toyota sold 150,000 Yaris Versos in the UK – the Verso-S is its overdue replacement. James Batchelor climbs aboard WHAT IS IT? This is Toyota’s return to the B-MPV market – a sector it has been absent from since the demise of the rather ungainly-looking Yaris Verso in 2006. The Verso-S is a five-seat car [...]

IT’S back to normal for its factory workers and dealers says Toyota in a special announcement today. Toyota GB can confirm that its dealer network is ‘back to business as usual’ due to the return of 100 per cent productivity levels at the firm’s European plants in June, including its Derbyshire and Deeside plants. The [...]

TOYOTA’s return to the B-segment MPV market comes in the form of the new Verso-S – now available in to the UK dealer network. Like its predecessor – the Yaris Verso of 2000 – the Verso-S continues with clever design and packaging to maximise space. It’s less than four metres long but has 120mm of headroom [...]

TOYOTA GB has announced it will recall specific models ‘as a result of customer feedback in other markets worldwide’. The announcement will affect approximately 15,500 of Toyota’s Avensis models and 3,100 Lexus IS250s in the UK. Owners will be notified by letter of the firm’s recall to carry out modifications to the cars’ fuel systems. [...]

TOYOTA GB has announced the appointment of Matt Harrison to the role of commercial director. Harrison succeeds and reports to Jon Williams who was promoted to managing director in October. Prior to joining Toyota, Harrison, 42, spent 10 years with Ford Motor Company in sales and marketing roles across its UK, European and global operations. [...]

WESTLANDS Toyota has announced the appointment of Mark Roden as its new managing director. Effective from now, Roden succeeds Nick Poraj-Wilczinski who, as the major shareholder, will become chairman of the group. Westlands operates four Toyota dealerships – Hereford and Worcester joined Stourbridge and Bromsgrove in 2009. Roden who is from Stourbridge, said: ‘I am delighted [...]

A TOYOTA Verso 2.0-litre D-4D has had the honour of being Toyota’s 20 millionth vehicle delivered in Europe. The landmark was reached 10 years on from the firm’s last celebration of 10 million Toyotas in the year 2000. The Japanese manufacturer first sold cars to Europeans in 1963, supplying 190 Crown models to a Danish distributor. [...]

TOYOTA has announced a voluntary recall of 12,000 iQs in the UK to rectify a software problem. The company has said that it would recall the iQ to carry out a modification to the software used to manage the vehicle’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. The issue affects 12,000 iQs in the UK produced between [...]

TOYOTA is marking the Prius’ 10th anniversary in the UK by competing in the Brighton to London Future Car Challenge. Organised by the RAC, 2010 is the first year of the event which is designed to demonstrate the benefits of new engine technologies in saving fuel and reducing emissions. The Japanese manufacturer is entering more [...]