Toyota’s autonomous Supra drift car

When an American university teams up with Toyota’s Research Institute, the outcome is … well, smokin’!

IT’S one of those things every ‘driver’ will claim is dead-easy to do … until they try.

When it comes down to it, achieving a decent drift ain’t half as easy as it looks.

That is, when a human is at the wheel.

When a car is left to do its own thing, turns out big controlled skid action is an utter cinch.

WTF?

Okay, so the car in question isn’t exactly as it departed the production line.

Creating a Toyota Supra that can quite literally drift itself took quite a bit of after-market finetuning. But, wow, as the video shows: Totally worth it!

The prototype, built by engineers from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and Stanford University’s ‘Dynamic Design Lab’, is supposed to help the carmaker “develop sophisticated control algorithms that amplify human driving abilities and keep people safe”.

The TRI points out that “while most crashes occur in mundane situations, in other situations drivers may need to make manoeuvres that take their vehicle close to and, at times, exceed normal limits of handling”.

A car that can catch a slide with little to no human intervention would help when drivers “need to make manoeuvres that are beyond their abilities” in order to avoid a collision. In this case, catching a slide brought about by, for example, a driver taking evasive action, their own over-exuberance or poor road conditions.

When it’s up and running, the system will be another tool in the automotive industry’s ever-expanding armoury of driver-assistance systems. Toyota says its active safety technologies will be shared broadly “so that Toyota and other auto manufacturers can deploy it on the road”.

Kiwi racer's version of Toyota hypercar revealed

In pulling the wraps off the new Le Mans racer that Brendon Hartley will compete in, the make has dropped more hints that the road-going version is nearly ready.

 BRENDON Hartley’s new Toyota-provided company car for 2021 has been fully revealed – and it’s a world away from your usual fleet hack Camry or Corolla.

The Kiwi racer has imparted excitement about the GR010 Hybrid, not only Toyota’s new Le Mans Hypercar and World Endurance Championship challenger but also the racing version of a road-going version for public consumption.

Hartley’s car has numbers on the door and nose ad will be tested in the upcoming 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship – whether he ever achieves the road legal version, called the Toyota GR Super Sport, that’s based on the same mechanicals, is as yet unclear. 

The GR Super Sport production car was shown off during celebrations surrounding last year’s Le Mans 24-Hours and has also been previewed by a concept, immediately below. 

The Palmerston North-born and raised driver is pretty fizzed about the competition car, which has only just been fully unveiled by the Toyota Gazoo Racing equipe he now competes with.

The racing car runs a 500kW twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 and a 200kW electric motor. The petrol engine sends drive to the rear wheels via a seven-speed sequential gearbox, while the electric motor powers the front wheels.

 “Fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with the GR010 Hybrid; it looks like a mix of an LMP1 and a road car,” said Hartley, who came to Toyota’s sports car racing team a year ago after a hugely successful career with Porsche, for which he won world endurance titles and the Le Mans race, as well as a stint in Formula One, with the then Torro Rosso team.

“Endurance racing has always been a proving ground for new technology and now it is even more road car relevant; the GR010 Hybrid previews a car which the end user will experience on the road.

“It’s great to drive too, particularly with the hybrid four-wheel-drive which is a nice sensation from a driver’s perspective.” 

The new car has a clear family resemblance to the outgoing TS050 Hybrid LMP1 that claimed the 2018-19 and 2019-20 WEC drivers' and manufacturers' titles, as well as three consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours victories in 2018-20.

But Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe technical director Pascal Vasselon has stressed in an interview with British motorsport magazine Autosport that few components have been retained from its predecessor.

"Except the generic parts like switches, sensors and such, there are hardly any carry-over parts between the two cars because the regulation philosophy is very different," he said. "It is a completely new car."

 Hartley says the big difference when considering his new ride with the TS050 Hybrid is the extra weight and a bit less horsepower and downforce, changes enforced by new rules.

“But it’s still just as much fun to drive. We have a fun challenge ahead of us to extend the Toyota Gazoo Racing legacy at Le Mans and in WEC by continuing our winning run.”

The powertrain is supported by an arsenal of chassis technology, including a mechanical locking differential, independent double wishbone suspension, push-rod dampers and a set of carbon-ceramic brake discs with mono-block calipers.

As the new FIA regulations limit the car’s power output to 500kW, Toyota has had to employ some electronic wizardry to keep the car legal. So, the ECU limits the petrol engine’s power according to the amount of assistance the electric motor can supply. When the battery pack has been depleted, the engine supplies its maximum output.

The striking new look of the racing prototype reflects the appearance of its inspiration, the GR Super Sport hypercar which made its public debut during a demonstration run and ceremonial trophy return at the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours and is currently in development.

Toyota Gazoo Racing enters its ninth season in WEC with the same driver line-up it fronted for the 2019-2020 campaign.

Newly-crowned world champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López will drive the No.7 GR010 Hybrid while Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley race the No.8 car. Nyck de Vries continues in his role as test and reserve driver.

They have already started an intense programme of developing the car, with two three-day tests already completed as the team adapts to new regulations which are a significant shift in terms of performance and philosophy.

TNZ still market leader, but Covid hurt

The swift curtailment of rental car business, where it dominated, certainly affected the country’s biggest seller of new cars and light commercial vehicles.

MARKET leader Toyota New Zealand has acknowledged a tough coronavirus-smashed 2020 market condition delivered a sobering 31 percent fall in annual volume, though it sees increased private consumer interest during this period as a positive.

 In comment today, the Palmerston North-centred distributor says the depleted return was mostly due to the impacts of the international coronavirus calamity on both rental fleet sales due to the immediate halt of international tourism through the closure of borders, and the local economy.

TNZ has not shared exactly how many car and light and commercial vehicle registrations it achieved in 2020 and that figure might not come out until a full data set of registrations is released by Government’s Land Transport agency next week.

However a 31 percent fall is likely the lowest it has achieved in years – though not a market position-altering knockout, in that the make maintained market leadership for a 32nd consecutive year.

It says it achieved an 18.1 percent share of all new passenger and commercial registrations in 2020; which it says represents a 1.9 percent drop on the 2019 tally. 

Last year TNZ claimed 31026 passenger and light commercial registrations.
 
A positive from the year is greater engagement with private buyers – an aspiration that TNZ has chased since the introduction of its ‘Drive Happy’ retail process in 2018 - which fuelled a rise in new vehicle sales, particularly hybrids, toward the end of 2020. That factor meant that, were lost rental volume to be excluded, TNZ’s market share had improved by 2.4 percent.

Chief Executive Officer Neeraj Lala sees that as being a great result.

His office says TNZ private market share was up 2.6 percent compared to 2019 at the end of November.TNZ says the product range it offers now delivers more to appeal to private buyers.
 
“Toyota has made a real effort over the past few years to inject fun back into the range which is resonating with our customers.”

It also credits wider availability of hybrid powertrains across more models, the next recipient being the new Highlander out soon, though TNZ acknowledged recently in might yet maintain a pure V6 in that family, thus backtracking on an earlier vow to deliver the big SUV in petrol-electric form alone.

Hybrid drivetrains, despite battery involvement, are not considered to qualify as electric systems as they lack facility for external power replenishment yet they still offer a positive in modest respite in emissions and economy. Five Toyota models configure with hybrid. Toyota has one car that holds electric vehicle status, this being the Prius Prime, which has plug-in replenishment capability but also runs a petrol engine. Toyota has a full electric car under development and premium offshoot Lexus will deliver a battery-compelled edition of its NX compact crossover to NZ this year. 

As is, TNZ’s volume of hybrids is vastly greater than the combined sales of all pure electric vehicles available in NZ and Lala says demand remains strong.  

In the year to the end of December, hybrids accounted for 59 percent of Toyota passenger cars sold. SUV hybrid sales were the same ratio within the soft-roader category.

The big seller is the RAV4 Hybrid; of the 5346 RAV4s sold during the year, 3830 were hybrids. The next shipment of 574 vehicles is already sold. 

However, like many industry performers, the demand has outstripped ability to supply. Constrained production lines and delays in provision of vital components are hitting all major car makers, Toyota included.

TNZ presently has more than 5700 customer orders waiting to be filled and most are hybrid models.
 
“If there is a challenge with hybrid sales it is securing enough supply for New Zealand, as there is a global demand for hybrid cars and SUVs, despite the economic impact of COVID-19,” Lala says.

In other news, TNZ has appointed a long-time senior management figure, Steve Prangnell, to general manager of new vehicle sales.
 

Yaris subject to two recalls

Seatbelt issue, hybrid drivetrain fault affects hundreds of cars.

TWO unrelated recalls within a week have befallen a recently-released Toyota model that was in the running for the country’s top motoring award. 

Subject to the actions is the latest Yaris, in a hatchback form that was under consideration for New Zealand Car of the Year 2020, an award that subsequently went to the Mercedes EQC, and an elevated crossover version, called Yaris Cross, that has just followed it into the showroom. 

A recall notified today requires replacement of rear centre seatbelts in 392 examples of the Yaris Cross.

This follows an action notified two days ago that dedicates to the Yaris hatch and Yaris Cross with a mild hybrid drivetrain and centres on a transmission issue that might cause affected cars to stop suddenly. 

The latter action involves some 513 cars. 

Both faults require dealership repair but the latter is particularly time consuming.

The brand has identified that the remedy requires a repair estimated to take nine hours’ workshop time, because it entails removing the engine in order to reach the affected component, an input damper within the transmission.

The fault raises as a potential for abnormal slippage of the transaxle damper when the driver accelerates rapidly. If this occurs, the vehicle’s warning lights will turn on and there is potential for the hybrid system to enter a ‘fail safe’ mode, Toyota says, that curtails the electric involvement.  

The affected models were manufactured from October 2019 to September 2020. A remedy has been implemented on models manufactured since.

Electric Toyota, Lexus just a year away?

A line drawing and a shadowy image are the latest elements of an information rollout about the new platform-sharing products.

The Toyota BZ series (above) and the as yet unnamed Lexus base off a common platform.

TOYOTA and upmarket spin-off, Lexus, have released additional clues about their first bespoke electric cars, developed off a common platform for potential release next year. 

The brands have each released shadowy images giving a hint of how the Toyota BZ - for ‘beyond zero’ – series and the as-yet-unnamed Lexus will look on release, with industry experts immediately seeing some styling connection between the latter and the LF-30, a concept Lexus displayed at the 2019 Tokyo motor show.

Toyota’s been slow to join the electric car field and for a long time was historically disparaging of the technology, saying it was an unnecessary stop on the journey between the mild-hybrid (so, non-mains replenishable) tech that kicked off with the first Pruis and now proliferates its family and is Kiwi-favoured, to the ultimate future of hydrogen fuel cell motivation.

However, that sentiment ceased when new boss Akio Toyoda took the reins; these brands now have more plug-in hybrid cars – which do rate as EVs – and also have developed the NX300e, a fully battery-reliant version of the smallest Lexus crossover, coming on sale in New Zealand next year. 

The latest announcement from Toyota overnight represents further confirmation of a bigger investment into battery driving.

 Even though the platform they build upon appears related to the new TNGA underpinning now used by many popular Toyotas, these are not conversions of existing products but new cars designed from the get-go to only be compelled by batteries. In short, they’re bespoke. 

Overseas’ reports suggest the BZ series and Lexus are timed to make their public emergences at a common time, but no-one yet quite knows when that will be.

However, 2021 is looking good. Toyota says that it will announce final details on the BZ “in the coming months” and that the model “has already been developed and is being readied for production”. 

Toyota New Zealand’s boss Neeraj Lala, in an interview in June on his first day as chief executive, promised “we’ll have an EV here within the next 18 to 24 months. Just in time for demand.”  

He would not be drawn into saying which badge that tech would sit behind. In hindsight, it’d surely have to be both. 

the LF-30 concept was revealed last year.

A strong styling feature of the Lexus concept is an aggressive bonnet lip over what seems to be a typically complex ‘spindle’ front grille. 

The BZ, meantime, is are expected to roughly the same size as the RAV4 SUV - although the wheelbase is almost certainly likely to be longer than that of the conventionally-powered vehicle, and the front and rear overhangs should be shorter. 

There’s another string to the BZ bow in that it is likely to also be the basis for an electric Subaru; the brands are, of course, partners already with the current and new 86/BRZ – only the latter coming to NZ, next year, as the GR86 (because it’ll be part of the Gazoo Racing tribe).

Onlookers say panel creases highlighted in the BZ sketch make it clear that it and Subaru’s effort, which has been spoken of in the past, are going to share more than their underpinnings.

Says Britain’s AutoExpress: “The lines should translate into a distinctive-looking model with an image unlike anything else in the Toyota range - much as the Prius hybrids have their own identity.”

Toyota calls its new EV platform e-TNGA, and says it is designed to support a wide range of vehicles, since only a few areas of the architecture - notably the space between the front axle and the base of the windscreen - are fixed.

Toyota claims this allows difference widths, lengths, wheelbases and heights - and also says e-TNGA can be fitted with front-, rear- or four-wheel drive, and a range of battery and electric motor capacities. Some of the trademarks registered by Toyota - including BZ4X and BZ5X - would sit easily on a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Lexus is reportedly hoping that its defined styling and a sophisticated new four-wheel drive system, called DIRECT4, will lend enough distinction between its model and the Toyotas.

The new Lexus set-up uses a motor on each axle and features sophisticated computer hardware and software that can split power and torque depending on the dynamic experience required.

As all this unfolds, Toyota has also stated intention to build another conventional – so petrol and petrol hybrid – SUV to slot between the C-HR and the RAV4.

toyota has displayed various electric car design studies over recent years, including this one from 2018.

Buddy's winning heaps of mates

Start with a Toyota RAV4, render in classic Chevrolet sports utility cues … and, it’s the start of a special friendship.

SEEMS everyone wants to meet the Buddy, a Toyota RAV4 alchemised into something like an American Chevrolet sports utility from the 1980s.

It’s the latest work from Japan’s 10th largest passenger vehicle producer, a brand you can only name check from used import rosters, and since being revealed in Japan last month has attracted so much attention the entire production for the next two years is accounted for.

Mitsuoka Motors doesn’t export, yet even so it has developed something of a worldwide reputation for its speciality  - putting a retro spin on popular modern models.  

It’s been busy in recent years with the Himiko, a rebody of the previous generation of the world’s best selling sports car, the Mazda MX-5, so that it looks a bit like a 1980s’ Morgan, and the Viewt, a half-scale homage to the legendary Jaguar Mk II of the 1960s. Based off the Nissan March, which was sold new here as the Micra until five years ago, that one stayed in production for 25 years and achieved sales exceeding 12,000 units. A small number has found their way to NZ.

Those cars are now yesterday’s news. Consumers are now hankering for sports utilities – and so the Buddy was born to meet that demand.

The design influence comes from the Chevrolet Blazer pick up truck-based wagons produced for North America in the early 1980s.

The shiny grille and the two-piece rectangular headlights and the rear-end reshape are particularly reminiscent.

Even though the donor model has a relatively squared silhouette, the Buddy is much boxier still, so quite a few exterior panels have been replaced or at least altered.

The wheels as well. Buyers can order the Buddy with ‘dog dish’ hubcaps and vintage-looking wheels.  

Once again, the reproduction is a physically smaller vehicle than those that it draws inspiration from.

Don't expect to find a 454-cubic-inch V8 in the engine bay or a period-correct column shift  transmission; Mitsuoka has kept the original Toyota drivetrain in place.  

In this respect, though, the Buddy is at the leading edge of technology, in that the top version is provisioned with the electric-assisted 2.5-litre petrol hybrid setup that has become the most popular choice for Kiwi RAV4 buyers. 

AS said, if you’d like an example of this artisan car, be prepared to join a long queue. Mitsuoka doesn’t work in high volumes. They reckon on knocking out 50 next years and 150 in 2022 - and every build slot for the next two years is spoken for.

 Pricing for the Buddy starts at the equivalent of $64,000 for the non-electrified model and rises to just under $84k for the hybrid.

Toyota NZ urges Government to rev up climate stance

Country’s top car seller says a feebate a must to get wheels moving

Neeraj Lala.

NEW Zealand risks becoming the “Cuba of the South Pacific”, a dumping ground of Europe’s dirty diesels and high carbon-emitting petrol-fuelled cars.

That’s the view of Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive officer, Neeraj Lal, reacting to recent occurrences of political shift toward encouraging a shift from fossil fuels and toward more environmental motoring solutions, including battery-motivated products.

His comments come in the wake of two big headline actions: The move by the United Kingdom to ban sale of new fossil-fuelled cars after 2030 and our own Government’s determination this week to formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand. 

The NZ initiative brings with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its public service vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

That’s conceivably a switch Toyota NZ cannot leverage to advantage as much as some other brands as even though Toyota hybrid cars are highly favoured by private and fleet buyers, they are not considered electric models, because they lack facility to recharge off the mains.

The Government’s climate response decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car brands, including TNZ - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

Mr Lala says the UK’s move is both an encouragement to New Zealand policy-makers and a danger sign that this country could be flooded with used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles at the end of this decade.
 
New Zealand needs to work urgently on the right policy settings that encourage much higher take up of electrified vehicles through meaningful financial incentives, he said today. 

“We also need to make sure that we do not end up importing vast numbers of ICE passenger vehicles. Otherwise there is no hope of meeting the Paris Agreement’s 2050 net-zero carbon target.”

A push by new vehicle distributors, via their representative body, the Motor Industry Association, to introduce the ‘feebate’ that incentivises purchase of low and no-emissions cars has TNZ’s support. Mr Lala said the scheme, proposed in the last Parliamentary term by kyboshed by the Government’s then-partner, NZ First, has much merit.

The core element of the scheme is that it incentivises private and fleet buyers of low-emitting vehicles by adding a levy to high-emitting vehicles and using that revenue to reduce the price of low-emitting vehicles costing less than $80,000.

Mr Lala also reminds that the era of Covid-19 has affected car makers ability to produce and ship vehicles.

“As the worldwide supply of hybrid and battery electric vehicles becomes stretched due to global demand, New Zealand will find it harder and harder to access stock without a financial incentive.

“Essentially, we need to get our hybrid and EV numbers up to get higher stock allocations.  

“The feebate scheme should be back on the table, urgently. Toyota New Zealand has opened a dialogue with the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, and will continue to advocate for financial incentives for electrified vehicles.”

TNZ is easily the biggest seller of mild hybrid vehicles in this country – and is now seeing hybrid editions of popular models outselling their fully fossil-fuelled equivalents. However none will conceivably be considered when Government weans off fossil-fuelled cars in public service use and into electric models, as proposed.

the rav4 hybrid has become massively popular and outsells the fully fossil-fuel alternates.

The market leader has just one plug-in hybrid car, a version of the Prius, but will add another, in the form of a PHEV edition of its most model of the moment, the RAV4. It has plans to deliver an electric car in 2021.

Mr Lala has applauded Government for confronting environmental issues, but says it needs to put financial resources behind its policy.

“Companies such as Toyota (NZ) would be willing to supply the public sector with low-emitting vehicles, but not at cost – it needs to be a win-win for both parties.
 
“With transport emissions accounting for nearly 20 percent of all carbon output, we have a large influence on how New Zealand will progress to a zero-carbon economy. The transition to a low emissions transport market comes with a price tag, but the cost of not enabling a greater uptake of low emissions vehicle could cost Aotearoa/New Zealand and the planet a lot more.”
 

Hope for internationals in TRS

Decision time for the summer international motor racing series is close. Simply running the NZGP is an option.

TOYOTA New Zealand is continuing to work on the viability of running the 2021 Toyota Racing Series in a national environment in which Covid-19 border restrictions will still be in place, but agrees time for big decisions is passing fast.

``We are working through what the border controls will potentially look like for international drivers,’’ said Toyota New Zealand CEO Neeraj Lala yesterday.

``We’ve had a lot of interest from international drivers wanting to come to New Zealand to race. Border control is the obvious challenge we have to work through. It’s a big hurdle.

``There have been some positive signs we’ve seen with rugby, netball and cricket and we’re hoping we can follow a similar path to those. We are working closely with government officials to see what that position might be.

``We absolutely haven’t given up. We tried making the decision before the end of October but we’ll give ourselves every opportunity and delay it as long as we can.

``I don’t believe we can go past November.’’

Lala isn’t ruling out changes to the calendar or a more compact schedule.

``We are looking at what at series under Covid would look like, whether it be a North Island series only.

``But there are other things to consider. To meet our qualification for Super License points there are criteria around the number of tracks you have to race at. That’s a key requirement.

``We are considering a condensed time frame. We are exploring all options and we certainly don’t want to give up on it.’’

In spite of travel restrictions there are signs the Toyota Racing Series has become an even more attractive option for emerging young racing drivers from around the world.

``We have had overwhelming interest this year, more than any other year, for internationals to come to New Zealand and race,’’ Lala said.

Andrew Davis, Toyota’s general manager of marketing and motorsport provided more details on the TRS plans.

``There are lots of options on the table. We have submitted a set of expressions of interest to MBIE [Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment] and Immigration and we have their support along with Sport New Zealand around being able to review that,’’ Davis said.

``We are encouraging them to review our application as quickly as they can, particularly as other sports are beginning to happen. We need to see how that goes. We haven’t given up.’’

Davis revealed one alternative plan if a full series isn’t viable might be to hold a one-off New Zealand Grand Prix meeting.

``We’ve had positive feedback around running some type of New Zealand Grand Prix. Even if we don’t run a full championship, we are looking at options we can have around a Grand Prix, potentially offering something for the champions that have been racing overseas.’’

He said the Grand Prix idea was one of several alternate plans.

``We’ve got three or four options on the table. We did have the 31st of October as our date to update stakeholders. We’ve pushed that out by a week just to see what happens with Immigration.

``We should have something out early next week and keep people updated as time goes on.

``The cars will be ready to go. We have the people in place and it will all be ready for a full season.’’

At this stage the 2021 Toyota Racing Series is scheduled to start on the January 22-24 weekend. Venues for the originally announced calendar – over five consecutive weekends – hadn’t been confirmed.

The Speedworks NZ Championship calendar currently lists race meetings at Hampton Downs on January 22-24, Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Feb 5-7, Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon Feb 12-14 and the NZ Grand Prix at the circuit to be confirmed on Feb 19-21.

Supra finally evens power score with Z4

The Supra has extra oomph. There’s a good reason why the new output will seem strangely familiar.

WHAT two-seater sports car sold in New Zealand is built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, and runs an in-line six-cylinder petrol engine generating 285kW?

The answer used to be just one car: BMW’s Z4, in M40i trim.

But now it’s two, the other being the Toyota Supra. 

The Japanese product has updated – a year after both it and the Z4 introduced – to the same performance tune that the BMW has had from day one.

Confused? Only if you’ve forgotten – and for marketing purposes, it’s not for these respective brands to remind – that these models are twins, in sense they share common platforms, drivetrains and a lot of hidden stuff.

It’s not fair to say just the bodywork stylings are different, because the BMW does offer a plusher experience and more tech (like, it has a higher grade iDrive, for instance) to justify it costing $35,000 more than the Toyota.

But even so, the other major difference has been in the state of tune of the common engine under their bonnets.

While the turbocharged 3.0-litre created the same 500Nm torque in either installation, the BMW had 35 extra kiloWatts.

This showed on timepieces – with 0-100kmh achieved 0.2 seconds ahead of Supra – and was also felt on the road; the Z4 had more edge.

Back at launch, BMW intimated the reason it had a feistier engine was thanks to involvement from M Division, it’s in-house sports department. Yet even then, there was talk that, in time, Toyota would get the same service.

And so it’s come to being. Having started with 250kW, Supra now has 285kW. Same as the Z4. So now it also clocks 0-100kmh in 4.1 seconds. It aslso, according to Toyota, feels friskier and more alert. Sensations this writer picked up on when driving the BM W and Toyota back-to-back months ago.

How’s the gee-up achieved? Early adopters hoping for their cars to enjoy the extra gee-gees will doubtless be saddened, if not annoyed, it’s not the matter of rechipping an engine management computer.

Toyota cites tweaks to the twin-scroll turbocharger, a new exhaust manifold that now sits separate from the cylinder head, a new piston design that reduce compression ratio, and a raft of other mechanical changes.

Beyond the engine changes, the 2021 Supra also gains new under-bonnet aluminium braces which connect the strut towers to the radiator support for improved rigidity. It’s still paired with an eight-speed automatic.

One nice thing: It’s not just the sprint time that’s reduced. So has GR Supra pricing, albeit by $1000. It now starts from $98,990.

Unless, of course, you manage to secure one a limited edition model, identified by being  painted in Horizon Blue, and paired with 19-inch matte black wheels. That’s trim still commands the old price.

Just two are being brought in. There’s one here already and it has clocked some kays, being the personal drive car of Toyota New Zealand boss Neeraj Lala.

Dissecting the Mako

Everyone says it’s a Raptor rival – really, though, this special Hilux is about more than Eagle versus Shark.

TIRED of being second best?

Toyota New Zealand tends to affect an off-hand attitude when subject of how the current generation Hilux has been out-performed by a certain other ute in the sales stakes. They talk about how their truck plays its own game and say they’re more interested in optimising customer well-being than beating the Ford Ranger for registrations.

Well, it’s all just brave talk. Assuredly, they want to even the score in respect to perception of which is the better rig. And they would love to reclaim top spot on the sales chart; a place Hilux hasn’t occupied since 2016.

The updated Hilux is a massive improvement on its forebear. TNZ’s claim that the 2020 edition has turned up the heat on the hotly contested utility market with a more powerful turbo-diesel engine, more capability and a tougher exterior design. The new technology and added safety features also do it proud.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a hero. That vehicle is Mako, a local development of the SR5 Cruiser wholly carried out by Kiwis – one particular involver for deciding suspension and tyre choice was Tony Groome, a well-known Manawatu off-roading identity who has been working with the brand for some years.

 Mako carries a $21,000 premium over the donor: So, a $79,990 buy-in.

The obvious rival is the Ford Ranger Raptor, that costs $5000 more, but it could just as reasonably be considered an alternate to the $74,990 Nissan Navara N-TREK Warrior and - though it is basically about to cease local representation - Holden Special Vehicles’ Colorado SportsCat, which sat at $82,990. Perhaps even the $82,990 Volkswagen Amarok V6 Aventura. 

Toyota NZ didn’t so much launch the Hilux Mako as deliver it … by Blackhawk helicopter, to a media stop at the Cape Egmont Boat Club.

 Yesterday’s story gave a brief summary about Mako and TNZ’s hopes; that, despite being available to customer order and technically a “special launch edition”, will be part of the regular range for the foreseeable future.

Today it’s time to dissect the beast.

What’s in a name?

Specifically, why call it Mako rather than re-use Gladiator, the name given to the beefed one-off TNZ created for Fieldays a few years back?

There’s a matter of copyright: You might realise that Jeep’s new Wrangler ute is called the Gladiator. That nameplate is employed worldwide and TNZ realised that now the American model is on sale here, it would assuredly be picking a legal stoush by continuing with a name that had been previously uncontested.

Another reason? A new name imprinted that, even though what we get now does have an association with that special model it created (more in a minute), this is a different deal, being a volume consideration. 

Heres’s the one - or, rather, the one-off - they did earlier … the Hilux Gladiator.

So, anyway, it came down to picking a name that was even tougher. TNZ CEO Neeraj Lala claims credit. He’s got a thing for sharks and one kind in particular: The “toughest, strongest, most aggressive” species roaming the open ocean. 

“If you look at the front of the truck, it actually looks like a shark.” A motif in the front badge logo, and the bonnet decal, represent a shark fin.

 Shouldn’t a shark have extra bite – why no under-bonnet modifications?

Outwardly, TNZ will maintain the 2.8-litre now that it has been upgraded to create 150kW – a 20kW increase over the pre-facelift output – and 500Nm (up 50Nm) is quite enough, with much improved low to mid-range oomph.

Beyond that, retuning the engine would have become an expensive and long-winded exercise, and not a job Toyota Motor Company would have allowed to be left to a local tuner. Japan would have wanted any recalibrations to meet their most stringent requirements. Same goes for any transmission fettling.

So, basically, oily bits were a no-go area though Lala prefers to say it was “an area we didn’t explore. From own our testing we thought the power and torque were quite satisfactory, pretty good.”

Anyway, unchanged performance is par for the course in this category. Raptor shares its 2.0l biturbo engine with other Rangers. The N-TREK and the SportsCat also carry unaltered versions of their donors’ drivetrains.

How much of it is just a dress-up? 

Probably around 50 percent at most. Assuredly, there are extensive body modifications that are basically bolt-ons for visual effect: The unique fender flares, side steps with “Mako” logos, T Custom Sports Guard non-slip deck liner, damper-shocked soft-close tailgate and heavy duty rear step bumper are examples of this. Likewise, on the inside, the front chairs are replaced by higher-backed and bolstered motorsport-style items (akin to Gladiator’s tombstone seats), trimmed in full custom leather by a local supplier. And yes, they’re still heated. It also achieves a bespoke steering wheel that’s thicker-rimmed than the standard item and a leather centre console lid.

However, there are also a lot of specially-engineered bits that make real difference in how it performs. These are the items that will make the Mako feel substantially different to the donor. 

So examples?

Well, most obviously the suspension, the wheels and the tyres.

Lala says the determination to fit out the Mako with a full ARB Old Man Emu BP-51 shock set came from having testing “the key competitor in the segment”. Let’s call it Raptor.

However, their choice was also made through previous experience: It’s been a popular aftermarket kit with Hilux customers who are serious about off-roading. We’ve driven a earlier gen Hilux with it - and were hugely impressed. And yes, you’re correct in assuming TNZ’s first use was with the Gladiator.

A fit-out that has required low volume certification gives a 40mm front and 50mm rear lift and has microcharger adjustable compression and rebound control. No clearance and departure angle information was provided. The rear springs are tweaked, too; they’re now to what’s being called Dakar spec. Says Lala: “This upgrade was the thing that we really needed to work hard on. We think it’s one of the best suspension packages on the market.”

 Going to a bigger wheel and tyre was also a Gladiator 101, but Mako is less extreme. Those 18-inch Black Rhino rims sourced from the US are two inches smaller than the Gladiator’s, though with Maxxis Razr 265/60 all-terrain tyres, the rolling radius is likely around the same as with the show truck, which wore 33 inch by 12.5 inch Atturo Trail Blade M/Ts. Mako’s is a better blend for on and off-road capability, TNZ has decided.

Mako’s brake package is more extreme. The Fortuner SUV is a wagonised Hilux, but it has 15mm larger rotors and four-piston calipers. They’ve been used here. Also, Mako has harder brake pads than a regular Hilux. Braking performance is “significantly improved.” Braided front and rear brake lines are also used, to contribute to improved pedal feel. 

Am I right in thinking that front bullbar looks familiar?

If so, then you’ve been checking out Toyota Australia’s Hilux Rugged-X, which is their own variant – now in its second-generation – homegrown for bush-bashing. The Rugged-X’s hoopless steel front bar is a special piece of kit that the Aussies were previously reluctant to share.

The whole shebang – and that includes an integrated LED light bar and bash plates – is designed to ensure the vehicle’s crash test integrity is exactly the same as it is with the regular bumper; achieving this – and also allowing donor car’s parking sensors to remain operable - has required some incredibly complex engineering.

 The piece was further altered for Mako, says Lala. It’s had a custom modification to account for localised finishing, such as the garnish under the headlight. “That’s unique to here, so we had to modify the bumper to fit.” Side fog lamps were also integrated here. 

In case you’re wondering, other common Mako/ Rugged-X elements are those red recovery tow hooks, fender flares and the heavy-duty rear bar with step.

 Are there any options? 

Just one. The towbar kit, which also includes provision of the rear recovery hooks. We assume buyers could also install diff lockers, which are available with the Old Man Emu kit. Again, we’ve tried a Hilux with these and were stunned by what the rig could do.

Does the rework affect the warranty?

Not at all. It has the same cover as any other Hilux, so up to five years warranty, roadside assistance, WoF coverage and capped-price servicing. Plus the price is fixed and not subject to any fluctuations that might impact of the cost of individual add-ons. So the sticker is a Toyota Driveway Price (TDP) that includes on-road costs. As mentioned yesterday, Mako also maintains the same 940kg payload and 3500kg braked tow rating as other double-cab 4WD Hilux models.
When and how can I buy it?

The second part first. It’s not a showroom model. Vehicles are pre-ordered and then put together, at the company’s refurbishment plant in Thames; so it’s a total custom build. Buyers can get to choose colours and will get updates on the progress of the refettling. At the moment there is just one example in existence and the programme really will take a couple of months to get going. Parts are still arriving and though build begins just before Christmas, the production process won’t really get up to full speed until early next year. Deliveries will probably begin in February.

If the build volume is uncapped how special will it be?

TNZ has decided not to make this a limited-count product but, at same token, even a best-hope forecast is of 400 units a year – and that’s based on pre-Covid market conditions – and the more likely achievement of 250 per annum means it’s hardly going to be a common sight. 

“It is the first time we’ve offered a customer a bespoke, built-to-order product … there’s so much uncertainty in the market in respect to volume. In the current situation, I think we can still achieve 250 plus.”

If you’ve ordered a 2020 update SR5 Cruiser, expect a call from TNZ. That status lends first opportunity to buy into enhancements that the Australian motoring press say likely delivers a better hard-out Hilux than they get.

One has already called it the world’s toughest Hilux.

Shark attack: Hilux Mako seeking prey

Toyota can scent blood in the water … and it’s hungry to eat the opposition.

UP to 250 units a year, perhaps even 400 if the market returns to pre-Covid health.

That’s the annual volume prediction Toyota New Zealand’s boss Neeraj Lala has cited for the new top model of the Hilux range, that he helped configure and personally named.

Hilux Mako is a $79,990 re-engineering of the $58,990 SR5 Cruiser doublecab that, until today, was thought to be the market leader’s flagship variant in the refreshed 2020 line launching to the public on Thursday. It’s auto only and the 2.8-litre engine remains in its standard tune, but a lot else changes.

An entirely New Zealand-devised, designed and built creation, that will be built to order at TNZ’s Thamese vehicle operations plant, Mako is obviously tougher-looking than the donor – or any other ‘mainstream’ Hilux – and that’s not just for show: It’s prepped for tougher terrain as well.

Lala says the Hilux Mako will be the ultimate bespoke ute, for customers who want a fully kitted out Hilux.

“We’ve taken a great truck and added some kiwi-muscle and flair. I’ve had lots of direct feedback from customers, and they wanted more power, a better ride and premium interior comfort – the Hilux Mako delivers on all those requests.”

 “From my experience in the US with the Scion brand, customisation was the backbone of forming an unbreakable bond with customers. In fact, customers would go to extreme lengths, some legal and some even illegal as they really pushed the boundaries of customisation,” says Neeraj.

“We have pushed the boundaries under the careful watch of local Toyota engineers to produce a unique bespoke truck that I think customers are just going to love..

Toyota will build a few Hilux Makos for demonstration purposes, but every vehicle will be custom-built for the owner.

Customers are able to place their orders now for the vehicles to be built and delivered in the first quarter of next year.

The edition has 18 inch matte black alloy wheels with Maxxis Razr off-road tyres, fender flares, tinted front windows, a replacement front bumper steel bulbar, and a replacement rear heavy duty bumper.

To improve comfort and control – both on and off road – the suspension is upgraded with ARB’s Old Man Emu BP-51 shock absorbers. The BP-51 high-performance by-pass shock absorbers have user adjustable compression and rebound damping control. They provide optimal performance for challenging terrain, towing or carrying loads.

Also, to improve control, the brakes will be upgraded with larger diameter front discs. The brake lines also get an upgrade to stainless steel braided lines that help increase hydraulic pressure on the pedal and the feel and feedback, improves safety, and are more durable in harsh conditions than standard rubber lines.

 Inside, the Mako receives airbag-compatible custom sports leather accented front and rear seats with unique seat stitching and headrest branding.

Underpinning the accessories will be the latest 2021 SR5 Cruiser with its more powerful 2.8L turbo diesel engine, the latest in Hilux safety features and smart phone connectivity. 

The only option is a $1500 towbar/rear tow hook kit.

Hilux 'hammer time' - a hero is rising

EXCLUSIVE: An extra-hardened Hilux for Kiwis is set to be unveiled today.

Toyota New Zealand’s new boss Neeraj Lala has often spoken of his desire to deliver a Hilux equivalent of the performance utes rivals offer - will he deliver today?

PREPARE to meet a ‘hero’ Hilux that will not only overshadow the extra-hardened editions just released across the Tasman but will also prove tougher than any rival brands’ offers.

That’s the vow made by Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive at an introduction to the updated model line, which goes on sale the day after tomorrow. 

Journalists on a drive programme today that takes them from TNZ headquarters in Palmerston North to New Plymouth have been promised sights along the way will include a specially-fettled double cab model additional to the range already announced for public use.

Lala says the mystery truck set to be unveiled at midday is a hero model quite unlike any offered here before that will become a permanent fixture in the family.

He further vows: “It will be the best halo truck on the market at the moment.”

That’s quite a gauntlet throw down when one of those adversaries is the Ford Ranger Raptor. Is it possible for Toyota here to really create an equal when the major re-engineering process that went into Ford model obviously isn’t on the cards? Hard to believe. We’ll find out soon enough. Watch the MotoringNZ Facebook page for updates.

Certainly, it’s possible to monster up a Hilux. The confirmation of a new image-maker comes just a day after Toyota Australia, which claims to be the architect of all the major improvements that arrive with the 2020 mid-life update, has shown off its own specially-crafted hardcore editions.

The degree of commonality between the Hilux Rogue and Hilux Rugged X that our neighbours are taking and the machine heading to Kiwi customers will become more obvious by tonight. 

are Australia’s latest Rogue (left) and Rugged-X derivatives, revealed just yesterday, pointers to what Toyota NZ can achieve?

However, New Zealand would not be ill-served were we to pluck some of the content enjoyed across the Tasman.

They deliver new features including a motorised remote-control tray roller shutter for the Rogue and a steel front bumper with integrated LED light bar for the Rugged X, which as the name suggests is the more off-road-oriented of the pair. 

The latter also comes with heavy-duty front springs, a snorkel with reversible head, plus red-painted front and rear recovery points and heavy-duty rock rails (aka side steps).

There’s a unique sports bar at the back with multi-purpose attachment points, along with a moulded tub tray, tailgate protection and a heavy-duty rear bumper with an integrated step.

While Lala was coy about letting out too much info about the Kiwi model, he has has made clear before of his intent to use high visibility editions to polish the one-tonne model’s reputation and enhance sales.

Conceivably, these will be created as Australia’s have been. So, base vehicles are produced in Thailand and then kitted out with additional parts locally.

Logically that will happen in Thames where the former Toyota car plant has been repurposed as a refurbishment centre for used car stock under the Signature Class banner.

TNZ has already shown talent for dressing up the current generation Hilux – it has previously delivered versions with Toyota Racing Development guise and also created an extremely pumped one-off for the 2017 national Fieldays, called the Gladiator.

At the moment, the lineup is topped by this SR5 Cruiser doublecab, an almost $59,000 proposition. Raptor plays in the $70k zone … so, room for Toyota to move up.

Further, at a briefing last night, TNZ’s general manager of parts and service, Spencer Morris, outlined how popular factory accessories are with Hilux owners.

“No-one ever seems to buy a Hilux without ever wanting to accessorise it,” he said. 

The desire to add extras is good business; last year TNZ sold $30 million worth of bolt-ons. That taste is sure to be satisfied with the new model, with has 300 accessories available.

Regardless that it wants Hilux to achieve a market-leading profile, TNZ continues to downplay any desire to return the Hilux to achieve sector leadership, a title it held with ease for more than 20 years until the pesky Ranger turned up. 

Hilux has been class runner-up since 2016 and its popularity against the Ranger’s has seemed to widen most years.

It was well beaten last year, with 7126 registrations against Ranger’s 9483, and looks set to stay in the No.2 spot this year as well, barring a surprise upset.

Year to date, as at the end of August, the Toyota model has taken 3725 registrations against 4961 for the Ford in the same period. 

Toyota conceivably has a chance to get back on top next year, as that is when Ford ends sale of the current Ranger and swaps to a new model that becomes a co-share with Volkswagen. Ford is leading that project, so the new Amarok will be a Ranger in engineering though probably not in look.

The 2020 Hilux presents as a hefty mid-life refresh that will likely see it through until potential replacement, in perhaps 2023 or even later.

The latest enhancement delivers more equipment and more grunt and also improves the dynamics and resolves diesel a particulate filter issue that might have blackened the reputation of the mainstay 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.

Development and evaluation of this engine is in latest state of tune means it now develops 150kW and up to 500Nm with a recalibrated six-speed electronic automatic transmission (and 420Nm with the six-speed manual).

That work, along with retuning of the suspension and steering, was conducted in Australia, in collaboration with teams from Japan and Thailand, as well as representatives from other markets.

The 2020 Hilux also has the usual full range of electronic braking and traction-control technologies, emergency stop signal (hazard lights), reversing camera (pick-ups), seven airbags, and seatbelt reminders for all seats. On double-cab variants, the rear seats have two top tether anchors and two ISOFIX points.

Downhill Assist Control is standard on all 4x4 SR5 variants and 4x4 automatic SR double cabs (including cab-chassis).

Toyota Safety Sense technologies in Hilux run to pre-collision system that can also detect pedestrians (day and night) and cyclist (daytime); high-speed active cruise control, and lane-departure alert that offers steering assist (via the brakes) to prevent unintended wandering into another lane. Road-sign assist can now recognise speed advisory signs. New for SR5 double and extra-cab pick-ups are front and four rear sonars to support parking. When the system detects objects, it alerts the driver with a buzzer and a message in the multi information display.

Toyota NZ has launched with 18 Hilux variants, evenly split in rear and four-wheel-drive.

The rear drive models start with a 2.7-litre Workmate single cab chassis with automatic at $28,990 and topping with a 2.8TD PreRunner SR5 Cruiser double cab automatic for $47,490. The cheapest have maintained price parity with their predecessors but others have increased in price by $1500.

The four-wheel-drive range is totally wed to the 2.8-litre and starts with a single cab chassis at $44,990 and tops with a $58,990 SR5 Cruiser double cab auto. All 4wd models are more expensive than their predecessors, the biggest increase being a $2500 hike for the SR5 auto.

GR to Rallye to WRC cause

A special edition of Toyota’s upcoming GR Yaris sounds tasty … as does our neighbour’s incentive programme for this new hottie. We might see one, but probably not the other.

AN even wilder version of Toyota’s super-heated GR Yaris is heading into production.

Set to be available in the first half of 2021, the GR Yaris Rallye – the white car seen here - further enforces the maker’s assertion that this three-door racer was not only born from Toyota’s success in the heat of motorsport but will have a credible ongoing homologation role with Toyota’s World Rally Championship programme.

The Rallye’s status with the emergent Gazoo fanbase will also be elevated through it being a limited-edition car.

 The difference between it and the ‘regular’ edition (represented by the black car) arriving in New Zealand soon isn’t defined by outright performance but by enhancements elsewhere.

Specifically, the Rallye will have circuit-tuned suspension, Torsen limited-slip diffs for both the front and rear axles, 18-inch forged alloy wheels from BBS, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and red brake calipers.

Naturally enough, those ingredients have been developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing in collaboration with Tommi Makinen Racing, the team that took the original Yaris WRC to a world title in 2018, 12 months after the car entered competition.

The Rallye’s additional content is undoubtedly more than window dressing.

Makinen’s outfit is now developing the new road car into their contender for the 2021 season and beyond – undoubtedly those extras will some way or another prove useful for the motorsport process.

The Rallye – which also restricts to just three paint colours; black, white and red – maintains the 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine in the same tune as the standard GR and also keeps the six-speed manual gearbox.

With 200kW and 370Nm the engine is the most powerful triple in production and gives both editions of the car an ability to sprint to 100kmh in just 5.2 seconds. The Rallye’s edge will undoubtedly come in the corners and under braking.

Talk of the Rallye has emerged with Toyota in Australia announcing a pricing plan for the GR Yaris that perhaps might leave New Zealand enthusiasts wondering how they might find a way to secure the model there and ship it back across the Tasman.

Toyota New Zealand’s announced sticker of $54,990 has been undercut by our neighbour – and massively so during a programme designed to elevate the Gazoo image across the Tasman.

Toyota Australia’s car, which seems to be kitted identically to that coming here, will only be $1200 less expensive than here at full recommended retail – but to ensure it gets off to a smart start, the first 1000 sold will only cost $NZ43,400 drive away. A huge $11,590 undercut.

The Rallye is not included in that programme and how much of a premium it will carry over the GR has yet to be announced.

Toyota Australia’s vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, says the launch price was to incentivise support for the Gazoo Racing brand, which is probably newer to our neighbour than it is here.

The NZ awareness programme began even before the first GR car, the Supra, landed last year as it was used in a sponsorship association with the international single seater Toyota Racing Series since the end of 2018.

As for a discount start here? It doesn’t sound likely, from the tenor of comment from TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala.

His thought about what’s going on across the Tasman?

Says Lala: “Toyota New Zealand has not offered a Recommended Retail Price in New Zealand for the past 2.5 years to avoid this situation.

“This means our Toyota Driveway Price (TDP) provides our customers with an up-front and transparent transaction price which includes on-road costs and subsidised servicing.”   

BTW, he declined to comment on the potential of the Rallye coming here.

The GR Yaris is the first homologation special since the Celica GT-Four, the car that was used to find WRC rally success when Toyota was last involved in international rallying, becoming the first Japanese maker to win the WRC manufacturer’s title, in 1993. 

Toyota’s plan is for the GR Yaris to be an even hotter ticket for road use than the Celica and the hope is it will establish the same street status as such stage-to-road greats as Ford’s RS Escort Cosworth and Subaru’s Impreza WRX.

Into the hot zone

The GR Yaris has been priced to compete with some serious performance hatches.

TALK about landing in a whole heap of trouble … but potentially in good way. 

Toyota New Zealand making public that its first hotshot hatch in ages, the Yaris GR, will start out as a $54,990 buy cements earlier signal from the Palmerston North-based marque that it plans to be a massive disrupter in this sector.

Effectively, the price puts the mighty midge bang in the middle of the action; it’ll square up against some tasty, established and well-credentialed rivals with similar performance, if not exactly alike for technical presentation, dimension or even door count. 

Today’s story lists cars surely set to be considered competitors for the Gazoo Racing-prepped giant-killer. But first, a quick rundown on Toyota’s pint-sized pugilist.

GR Yaris.

THE second model is Toyota’s GR stable could well also be the smallest in that performance car sub-genre, but promises to be a heck of a firecracker nonetheless – and, despite being set to be in short supply to start with, ultimately surely has potential to make a bigger bang than the first model to bring Gazoo’s talent into NZ showrooms, the Supra.

Powered by a new 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine developing 200kW of power and 360Nm of torque, for 0-100kmh in 5.5 seconds, it’s the only new Yaris variant with a three-door body design, a manual transmission (six-speed) and GR specific aero adornments, suspension, drivetrain and braking hardware. 

Two ideals drive this 1280kg car. It’s another Toyota out to reset public perception about the brand; Japan HQ, under its new leadership, has realised reliability’ only works so well as a sales tool. It now needs to re-install the fun element as well. This promises to have an extra-large personality. Yes, being a Yaris makes it smaller than every other hot hatch in this sphere, but assuredly it should go so big in other ways to offset thinking about tighter size being a drawback.

One big draw is that it comes with a motorsport background. The car obviously presents opportunity establish a link with Toyota’s rising dominance of the World Rally Championship with the Yaris. In this respect, the GR is more than just about street image and reflected glories from the current WRC weapon. It is actually the basis of the present type’s replacement, being an official homologation model for the one that’ll start competing from next year.

Indeed, as rally-keen colleague and MotoringNZ contributor Colin Smith has noted, the GT road car will arrive with all the attributes required for owners looking to compete successfully in local rally competitions. Anyway, this explains the lowered roofline, widened track, trick suspension, very clever all-wheel-drive, huge brakes and advanced aerodynamics.

Keen to buy in? You might already be too late for the initial consignment. Yaris GR is basically hand-built in Japan, ‘takumi’ (basically, artisan assemblers) working on on a special line in the Motomachi factory, and is in high demand in every country it will be offered to. New Zealand was originally promised just five examples for 2020, but after receiving orders for four times that many, has been able to wangle a larger consignment. Assuredly, though, it’ll be fewer cars than it can sell and that situation is unlikely to clear up until next year.

So, anyway, what else is in the running at or around this money?

Ford Focus ST

LAST week’s test reminded that New Zealand’s association with fast Focuses/Focii has been a wild ride through history. It also reminded that everything became all the more exciting when Ford doubled the mix; keeping a front-drive firework – with ST badging - but also offering a more honed higher-tier RS that, by adding in the ingredients of four-wheel-drive, tricky differentials and even more explosive power really shook things up. 

In pure ingredient, the latter would be more a foil for the GR, but that’s semantics now, because only the ST has made into production this time. It lacks the skills and sheer wallop to stand as an RS replacement, but still comes across as a great plaything. That 206kW and 420Nm 2.3-litre has heaps of character and the new automated manual will broaden its appeal.

Still, as much as last week’s test cited it as the best ST yet, overall conclusion was the car could be better: The slightly cheap ambience for the money is a pity and while the transmission’s operability is fine, presentation is not brilliant, with the sports modes being more complex than they need to be.

Hyundai i30 N

You know how Hyundai cooked up the N: Created an i30 hatch as a VW Golf GTi competitor, poaching Albert Biermann, then head of BMW’s M Division,  and his crew to ensure the job was done right.

It was all so worthwhile. Hyundai’s hottie is a fantastic car that’s also the only one here to be exact-priced against the GR.

You’re probably also aware there’s now also an Nth degree N in the $4000-dearer Fastback; every bit as ferociously fast and feral, yet more finessed and, of course, more functional in delivering as a five-door hatch whereas the still available original is a three-door.

Both are awesome. With 202kW and 353Nm, Hyundai’s 2.0-litre isn’t the most fiery offer in this sector, but it has brilliant flexibility and it is fun.

 Yet there are drawbacks are clearly containing consumer excitement, unfortunately. It’s stuck in the same niche that might yet bog down the Yaris in being manual only but also suffers perhaps for a lack of visual excitement. Hyundai also runs in the WRC, of course, and yet as much as this car could leverage off the brilliant results from the i20 WRC – plus, of course, the Hayden Paddon association – fact is, it doesn’t. Indeed, Hyundai NZ really doesn’t do much to remind that it has this marvellous model in its ranks.

Honda Civic Type R

 Again, slightly more expensive that the Toyota, with the standard model sitting just $10 under $60k and this year’s Mugen-enhanced (if only in bodykit) version another $5000 above that, the Civic probably still rates as as contender simply because it’s also a Japanese berserker whose extreme character isn’t just expressed by its grunt but also the packaging. The whole look is an outrageous origami that really polarises.

Honda isn’t kidding in calling it a car kitted to meet the thrill of driving. But wow, there are no half measures here. The car has a ton of go, no argument, and the 228kW/400Nm 2.0-litre’s effervescence is enthralling, but among everything here today, it’s the one that asks most of its driver in order to entertain. You’ve really got to stir that manual six-speed to make it work. Get into the zone and it is stunning … but it’s almost too race car for its own good: The ride is very rigid and even the seat design is unremitting.

Renault Megane RS

A shift from three to five-doors and three pedals to two might have stunned some fans, but overall it’s been a sensible shock. A more family-friendly shape, a more convenient transmission with the six-speed EDC, even if this dual-clutch tranny isn’t quite as good as the Volkswagen direct-shift gearbox whose consumer favouritism compelled Renault to follow suit. When the EDC car came on test, there was still a manual on offer, for $3k less than the $62,990 sticker attached to the press model.

The sheer Frenchness of the recipe will cause some to hold back and, as much as the new body shape offers greater convenience, it just doesn’t look as chic as the previous edition. What it has in common with the Yaris is a rarity factor. Few are sold, so if you see one, it commands attention. 

Subaru WRX Saigo

Just announced today, it’s the final version of the current WRX (Saigo is Japanese for ‘last’).

Subariu NZ is trying to rev up enthusiasm  by calling it “an exceptionally limited, limited-edition collector’s car” however, really, that’s sounds a bit tenuous, regardless just 18 are heading this way.

Why? Well, for one, ‘last’ doesn’t mean last of the kind … it’s more accurate to call it the final special edition. Subaru NZ has acknowledged the ‘regular’ WRX is actually going to be available here until well into next year.

Also, it’s really just a dress-up; no additional performance is promised, which is a bit of a shame. Everything additional is for show rather than go and of these the best bits – 18 inch STI wheels and red Brembo brakes – are restricted to the manual version, otherwise the additions of value amount to a Harmon Kardon stereo and Recaro seats. Nice to have, and the body trim enhancements are nicely done, but as a collector’s item, it’s not exactly at 22B level, right?

On top of this, the current generation WRX arguably hasn’t been one the true greats anyway; though in fairness no modern WRX has really felt as resolved as those produced in the era of WRC involvement. The car has become better for road driving since it hung up its helmet, no argument, and the all-wheel-drive ingredient is a cool vibe, it’s also lacked a certain edginess, particularly when the Lineartronic CVT is optioned over the six-speed manual. It nowadays struggles on stonk (197kW and 350Nm) plus it’s starting to date in look. Still, at $55,990 in this new trim it’s in the zone.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Also in its final year of production, with a replacement already on the road in Europe and destined for introduction here in 2021, the GTI nonetheless rates consideration simply because it has been the car that has set the standard in this scene for so long.

VW NZ is keeping the type on the boil with an exciting final blow-out TCR edition (above) that primarily attracts through having extra 44kW additional power over standard plus 235/35 rubber on 19 inch rims and an enhanced trim level, but realistically at $65,990 it’s less likely to be considered a GR competitor than the standard GTI, which starts at $56,990 and, though ‘only’ making 169kW, has the same 350Nm torque as the race-inspired special and, based on all past experience, will be just as much fun on a challenging road.

Sure, we’re talking front-drive, of course, but the chassis is sweet and that six-speed DSG is the box all others tend to be measured against. Though it’s not really playing the same game as the GR, fact is that established cred alone makes a GTI hard to turn down.

Hilux to debut ‘DPF drama’ cure

It took years and huge effort here, but Toyota reckons it has finally smoked an emissions control issue dogging a core diesel engine.

Spencer Morris with the updated catalytic reduction system and particulate filter that will not only feature on the impending 2020 Hilux, Fortuner and Prado but will also become a retrofit for pre-face NZ-new examples of those models.

NO more white smoke, no longer a risk of a blackened reputation – that’s the expected outcome of a fix for an engine powering Toyota’s recreational and utility vehicle push.

 Toyota New Zealand is confident the refreshed version of the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel progressively rolling out over the next few months – initially in the upgraded Hilux on sale imminently then its sports utility sibling, the Fortuner, and lastly the LandCruiser Prado - has reconciled an emissions technology failing that has affected examples of those models for some years. 

A remedy that has been on trial here since last year is good news for those customers who own pre-facelift examples of those cited vehicles, too, as the brand intends to retrofit these with the fix, as well.

Optimism voiced by the Palmerston North-headquartered brand’s technology expert and after-sales manager, Spencer Morris, that problems with the engine’s catalytic reduction system and the diesel particulate filter (DPF) intrinsic to its operation have finally been nailed has come along with frank discussion about how much time and effort – primarily here, ultimately in Japan - has gone into reconciling an issue that might have caused customer disquiet. 

the updqted hilux, now just weeks from going on sale, will be first to debut the big fix.

“It’s been a complex problem to solve,” Morris acknowledged.

“It has not been easy for us. We have had a number of Japanese visitors out to assess the issue and have had quite hard conversations about how to get on top of this.

“Every time we did something (remedial) the fail rate went down, but we never got a 100 percent cure until now, with a new DPF.”

Fitted between the engine and exhaust, DPFs collect soot and dangerous particles from diesel. 

Because DPFS, like any filter, only have a certain capacity the captured pollutants – some carcinogenic (meaning they can cause cancer) – have to be burned off, a process called regeneration.

All going well, the system will reduce particulate emissions by around 80 percent compared with your diesel-powered vehicle not having one, but the process requires the engine reaching a certain temperature and maintain it for the period of regeneration.

The system previously used by the 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre from 2015 until now has proven problematic in its original design, though curiously just within Australasia.

In saying that, while around 2000 New Zealand-new vehicles have returned issues, our market has come off lightly compared to how our neighbour appears to have fared.

The total count of vehicles showing issues here represents just 10 percent of total Hilux, Fortuner and Prado volume achieved over the past five years.

This suggests a much lower impact than is reported in Australia, where the issue has triggered a class action lawsuit, yet to be reconciled, on behalf of angry owners.

For its part, TNZ has determined to be highly proactive – not only will the updated models of the affected product have a new combined DPF and catalytic converter that provides resolution, but that part is also to be issued as a retrofit to all the vehicles it sold within the time frame where it has potential to become an issue. 

“Now we have a fix our intention to over time replace all of them. Our priority (to date) has been problem vehicles and we have pretty much worked through them.”

The redesigned DPF that Toyota Japan has created for the updated models coming soon has been trialled here since last year.

“We have fitted it to the very worst affected vehicles since last year that we couldn’t (previously) fix and it has provided a satisfactory fix … we’re very happy with the outcome and, more importantly, the customers were happy with the outcome.”

Morris reinforced that TNZ always took the issue seriously and was absolutely committed to finding a resolution as customer satisfaction was always the highest priority.

“We replaced some vehicles because we inconvenienced some customers so much. We had a number of attempts of fixing their vehicles and, in the end, we said ‘we have mucked you around too much.’ So the conversation went down the route of replacing.”

updated Prado is also due to take the refreshed technology.

What might have saved us could be the weather: Simply, the hotter the climate, the worse the problem seems to be. Also, it seemed less prevalent on automatics than the manual.

Says Morris: “From what I understand, this was not a global problem. It was very much our markets.

“Ambient temperature is an issue … we have certainly not seen it as a nationwide issue. The further north you go, the worse it seems to get.”

 However, it’s not the sole factor for failure. Another is a common challenge for all diesel powertrains with DPFs struggle to cope with: Long-term idling and vehicles being driven short distances and at low speeds also accelerated the build-up of particulate matter.

Either way, the Toyota problem at its worst was impossible to ignore; blockages and the tell-tales of foul-smelling emissions from the exhaust, poor fuel economy and greater wear and tear on the engine – culminating in copious output of white smoke from the exhaust.

Toyota’s first try to get on top of this was an update to the engine software, the introduction of a DPF custom mode, and a manual inspection of the DPF for built-up particulate matter.

When that didn’t deliver as hoped, the factory stepped up to adding, in 2018, a button on the dashboard for owners to be able to manually regenerate the system if it was not automatically doing so at the required moment.

This button remains as a fully factory-fitted item in the 2020 models, which also gain more specific software and hardware improvements that, the make says, further improve the way the DPF operate and how it regenerates. 

The button is a good back-up to the vehicle’s regenerative programming. “Automatic regeneration happens when the system determines it needs to be done, but it has to complete the cycle.

Some operators found that was an inconvenience, because the process requires a period of time to complete. The manual control therefore was better for them.

“If you’re operating in an environment where you don’t want it to regenerate during that time, you might prefer to action that process in a more convenient place. 

“But I don’t know if our issue was entirely about just the regeneration, because it’s not just a DPF – that’s all part of a catalytic reduction system and it also requires a diesel oxidation catalyst, a catalytic converter.

“The DPF and catalyst are one unit. Exhaust gas passes through the catalytic converter first and then the soot is captured in the DPF.

“There are a number of different system designs but what you’re basically trying to do is poke fuel into the exhaust and get that to do the burning.

“You can do it in a number of different ways. One that is not uncommon is to inject fuel on the exhaust cycle, so you’re not combusting it, but putting it down the exhaust pipe. 

“That’s problematic because it can also cause your oil to be diluted, and some brands have had that problem. We have had it in the past, on some used import vehicles.

“The Hilux uses a system that injects fuel directly into the manifold, using a fifth injector, and one of the problems we were having was seeing a certain amount of blockage in the oxidation catalyst. 

“That caused white smoke and is what Hilux became known for.”

How to fix this? That was a frustration.

“We had a number of counter-measures … we tried a number of remedies along the way, all of which we thought would work … but they worked for some cases, but not for others.

“Our fault rate diminished over time, but we didn’t have a complete fix, so we weren’t able to satisfy all customers. It was frustrating for them and for us.”

But, finally, a breakthrough. “We are pretty confident now we have solved the problem.” 

The end cost in dollars? Morris has no idea, but imagines it wouldn’t be paltry.

“It has been an expensive exercise but we’re all about ensuring people have a great customer experience. We regret that some people have not had a great experience in this case, but we have never given up.

“We have worked on solving the problem and stuck at it until it has been resolved.”

Meantime, as well as a resolution to this issue, the 2020 update powertrain also delivers a performance upgrade, with the engine now producing 150kW at 3400rpm and 500Nm at 1600-2800rpm when mated to the automatic transmission, whereas the manual transmission option develops a lesser 420Nm at 1400-3400rpm.

Now there are three?

Landcruiser Prado looks set to be a candidate for the newly-updated 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel announced for Hilux and Fortuner.

UPGRADES similar to those confirmed for the mid-life updated Hilux and its Fortuner sibling will spread into the Prado four-wheel-drive.

Toyota New Zealand has yet to respond to a call asking about latest revisions, however information shared in the venerable Landcruiser’s core market, Australia, spills the beans.

The big change is that it achieves the same upgraded 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel in identical tune to that already announced for the Hilux and Fortuner – for Prado, that means 20kW more power and 50Nm extra torque.

There are also improvements to the equipment level, in respect to safety as well as comfort – and, yes, no surprise that it’s another Toyota to finally achieve Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. 

Prado’s latest refresh follows a mostly cosmetic update meted two years ago and comes as it enters an 11th year of production – that’s almost twice the normal life span for a passenger car but is par for the course for large off-road machines. The larger Land Cruiser 100-Series, whose update has already been revealed overseas and has a good chance of showing here before year-end, has been around for even longer.

TNZ has not shared its thoughts about the future sales prospects for Fortuner, however it is probable some re-evaluation will be required as it has been among models that have been pitched heavily into the rental scene, mainly for winter use, particularly in Queenstown. Same goes for Prado.

Vehicle registration stats show 542 of the 816 Fortuners plated-up in 2019 were for rental. With Covid-19 having destroyed international tourism, the hire scene penetration has unsurprisingly completely eroded this year and, with 154 units registered to date, buyer interest in general is also well down,.

Prado, meantime, claimed 1056 registrations in 2019, of which 586 were rentals, and since January 1 this year has so far found 173 registrations, of which three are noted as heading into rental use. 

The engine update is as touted for Fortuner and Hilux. Maximum outputs are now cited at 150kW and 500Nm in all three models when married to the automatic transmission that is standard to the wagon variants.

The Prado being the heaviest model with this engine will likely be the slowest off the mark to 100kmh, and potentially might be the thirstiest, though in that respect there is still improvement.

Toyota suggests the combined fuel consumption has been reduced and combined CO2 emissions are also down, this coming from adoption of a variable flow control power steering device and modifications to turbo design and cooling system.

A new water-cooled, heavy-duty ball-bearing turbocharger with a newly developed variable nozzle vane mechanism features, while cooling and efficiency have both been stepped up thanks to “optimised pistons and piston rings, changes to the cylinder block and head, higher fuel-injection flow rate and the adoption of high-performance materials for the exhaust manifold”. 

As before, drive is sent permanently to all-four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with a low-range transfer case.

Maximum braked towing capacity also holds firm at 3000kg for Prado; with Fortuner this increases from 2800kg to 3100kg.

Both model lines gain changes within the cabin. With Prado, the touchscreen is upgraded to an 8-inch display and the instrument cluster and multi-information display have been revised with new information displays including front wheel turning angle.
 
The Fortuner range has two specification levels – the GXL, and the Limited. Both variants gain parking support alert, which includes two front and four rear parking sensors. 

With Prado rain sensing wipers have also been added across the range and features contained within the Toyota Safety Sense system upgraded.

The autonomous emergency braking system has been expanded to now detect cyclists in daylight and pedestrians at night (previously only in the day) while the lane departure warning system can now brake one side of the vehicle to help the driver remain in their desired lane.

Road-sign assist with speed sign recognition also joins the package with the new function able to reset the Prado’s cruise control setting.

Crumpy spirit ... and the pride of Aussie

Everything good arriving with the update of a Kiwi icon ute is due to Ocker influence. Apparently.

 "I'M sure if Hilux could talk, it would definitely have a strong Aussie accent." 

Yes, he really said that. ‘He’ being Toyota Australia's general manager of product planning and development.

Rod Ferguson claims a one-tonner whose Kiwiness is a core sales strength here is “more Australian than ever.”

The comment is based on the high degree of development work behind the model’s mid-life facelift having been undertaken across the Tasman.

Now just weeks from national introduction, the updated line – whose NZ pricing was announced today - is core to Toyota New Zealand putting any effort into renewing effort to regain ute market leadership.

It held that position with ease for more two decades until the pesky Ford Ranger turned up and nabbed the crown more than half a decade ago.

Hilux conceivably has a chance to get back on top, not this year but perhaps in 2021, which will be when Ford ends sale of the current Ranger and swaps to a new model that becomes a co-share with Volkswagen. Ford is leading that project, so the new Amarok will be a Ranger in engineering though probably not in look. 

Toyota NZ has worked hard to cement Hilux as a Kiwi icon; that effort beginning in earnest in the 1980s with advertising involving total Kiwi bloke, Barry Crump.

Back then, too, it used to host Japanese engineers keen to understand what New Zealanders wanted from their utes. Occasionally, pre-releasing testing was undertaken here.

However, what happened then – and hasn’t happened here for years – pales into insignificance in comparison with the rework job of the current Hilux that Japan headquarters has entrusted to Toyota Australia. 

Detail of that project has been revealed to an information pack that has circulated to media across the Tasman. 

Ferguson claims his design and engineering teams were entrusted with undertaking significant styling, development and evaluation work that finetunes the international specification.

In other short, that means the Hilux coming to us is all thanks to them.

Ferguson says Toyota Australia played a considerable role in styling the exterior of the Hilux range, as part of an international team, to the extent they had transformed the styling to align it more closely with the global Toyota ute and truck family.

Engineers from the brand’s Melbourne-based operation had focused on evaluating and helping to develop upgrades to power and torque, suspension and steering.

The combined effort from the Australian teams – who worked extensively with their Toyota counterparts in Japan and Thailand – has delivered the bolder looks while offering even stronger performance, enhanced ride comfort and a more precise steering feel.

"Being awarded this project was a real feather in the cap for our team - and a tribute to the level of design capability we have at Toyota Australia," Ferguson said.

"In addition, our vehicle evaluation team was instrumental in the global development of the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine and improvements to the way it rides and handles across a wide variety of conditions," he said.

"I'm sure if Hilux could talk, it would definitely have a strong Aussie accent."

Toyota Australia's product design manager Peter Elliott said the brief was to develop a simple and strong athletic pick-up truck, a vehicle that was tough and genuine.

"From the beginning, our sketches investigated bold and tough themes that centred on a larger, more vertical trapezoid grille enhanced by an upper bonnet moulding and lower bumper components that lock into the grille surround," Mr Elliott said.

"The headlamps have been moved outboard and they now connect with the distinctly chiselled bumper corners, linking the design. We progressed through clay models and CAD, evolving the idea to be cohesive with the rest of the vehicle, while maintaining maximum visual impact.

"The final design was milled as a full-size clay model and shipped to Japan, where it was well received as a bold step forward with a strong Toyota DNA."

Development and evaluation of the 2.8-litre engine - which now develops 150kW and up to 500Nm with a recalibrated six-speed electronic automatic transmission (and 420Nm with the six-speed manual) - suspension and steering in Australia was conducted in collaboration with teams from Japan and Thailand, as well as representatives from ‘other’ markets. Presumably that means someone from Toyota NZ got to ride along.

Toyota Australia's vehicle evaluation manager Ray Munday said Australian road conditions cover more than 80 percent of the different environments around the world, and local customers are some of the toughest Hilux users.

Munday said higher engine output, particularly with a wider and flatter torque curve, had resulted in significantly improved acceleration, overtaking and towing.

Toyota engineers claim to have improved performance and fuel economy simultaneously by adopting a larger, heavy-duty turbocharger with a ball-bearing cartridge for exceptionally crisp and strong throttle response, and a new common-rail injection system with a higher maximum fuel pressure of 250 MPa.

Fuel economy is also said to benefit from a new combustion chamber that reduces cooling losses and more efficient exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in the intake manifold. A water-cooled double-pipe pre-cooler results in optimum EGR gas temperature.

On SR and SR5, drivers can choose two modes: ECO which reduces throttle response in favour of fuel economy and reduces power consumption for heating and cooling; and POWER to provide sharper acceleration response for a more engaging drive on undulating and winding roads.

Munday said the six-speed automatic transmission had been recalibrated to allow earlier lockup for improved acceleration and cooling performance, especially while towing.

HE has also opened up about the suspension rework. The models introduce longer leaf springs to suppress road vibrations, wider spacing of the springs for stability while cornering under load, and revised attachment points to promote steering stability.

The 2020 facelift has resulted in retuning of spring rates, shock absorbers and suspension bushes as well as revised cabin mounts. These improvements are designed to deliver a more agile handling response and improving ride comfort, particularly when unladen on country roads and over speed humps.

"The ride comfort of the rear suspension has been noticeably improved when driving without a load. Importantly, the vehicle maintains the Hilux DNA of being able to carry heavy loads with excellent body control, both on sealed and dirt roads.

"We also confirmed that Hilux maintains its acknowledged off-road traction with the combination of high wheel articulation and traction control systems which have previously been tuned in the real-world customer conditions of Australia.

"In addition, we adopted a variable flow control power-steering pump to provide a more direct steering feel on narrow winding country roads and to reduce steering effort when parking."

Each part of the new package was tested in Australia to confirm that it met the performance targets in real-world customer conditions as well as on test benches and test tracks.

"Importantly, we were able to confirm the cooling performance was maintained in every test we could throw at it - including uphill highway towing with an ambient temperature well over 40 degrees.

"If a vehicle can survive the Australian customer and the Australian environment, it can survive anywhere," Munday said.

MotoringNZ has previously touched on the spread of driver assists incoming, but to remind it has the usual full range of electronic braking and traction-control technologies, emergency stop signal (hazard lights), reversing camera (pick-ups), seven airbags, and seatbelt reminders for all seats. On double-cab variants, the rear seats have two top tether anchors and two ISOFIX points.

Downhill Assist Control is standard on all 4x4 SR5 variants and 4x4 automatic SR double cabs (including cab-chassis). Toyota Safety Sense technologies in HiLux are: a pre-collision system that can also detect pedestrians (day and night) and cyclist (daytime); high-speed active cruise control, and lane-departure alert that offers steering assist (via the brakes) to prevent unintended wandering into another lane. Road-sign assist can now recognise speed advisory signs. New for SR5 double and extra-cab pick-ups are front and four rear sonars to support parking. When the system detects objects, it alerts the driver with a buzzer and a message in the multi information display.

By the way, Ranger fans who see this Aussie influence as something funny should stop smirking now. Their favourite truck underwent exactly the same process and will again, with Ford Melbourne having maintained its role as the Ford model’s primary development centre.

Toyota NZ proposes to launch with 18 Hilux variants, evenly split in rear and four-wheel-drive. The rear drive models start with a 2.7-litre Workmate single cab chassis with automatic at $28,990 and topping with a 2.8TD PreRunner SR5 Cruiser Double Cab automatic for $47,490. The four-wheel-drive range is totally wed to the 2.8-litre and starts with a single cab chassis at $44,990 and tops with a $58,990 SR5 Cruiser double cab auto.

TNZ boasts market-beating emissions counts

The market leader and its luxury offshoot are cleaning up among car brands when it comes to CO2 emissions.

RAV4 hybrid has been a huge success for TNZ

COMBINED average fleet emissions from Toyota and Lexus product sold here are already below the national standing and should fall even more in coming months. 

This contention comes from the brands in a spruik relating how its hybrid models are achieving increasing popularity, in part driven by enhanced fleet interest.

Toyota and Lexus say their combined carbon dioxide emissions profile year to date stands at an average of 167.5 grams per kilometre. The industry average across all manufacturers is sitting at 175.9g/km year to date, the makes claim.

 Toyota New Zealand says introduction this month of the new Yaris in its hybrid state will further reduce Toyota’s fleet emissions profile. The car is claimed to deliver fuel efficiency of 3.3 litres per 100km and emissions of just 76g/km in optimal test conditions.

The Palmerston North-based market leader says it is selling, on average, 15 hybrid models a day.

It also states that it has gone from selling 1337 hybrids in 2017 to 5159 in 2019 and is on track to increase further in 2020, with 3627 petrol-electric cars sold by the end of July.

Neeraj Lala, chief executive officer for Toyota and Lexus here, says parent Toyota Motor Compnay in Japan is on a mission to reduce greenhouse gases.

Neeraj Lala is pleased with his brands’ increasing petrol-electric presence.

“It’s satisfying to report that the high number of hybrids sold is helping Toyota achieve two objectives – reducing our overall emissions as a brand and helping us support the New Zealand Government’s target to reduce gross carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.”

“CO2 reductions are a journey for Toyota and our customers,” he says. 

“This is why hybrids help us achieve reductions as we transition to alternatives when supply, infrastructure, and demand is ready.

“The customer transition has been more evident as the new generation of hybrid have the capability to outperform traditional petrol alternatives.” 

One particular hybrid hit has been the RAV4, with demand outstripping supply. Forty-nine percent of the 8313 examples sold since the model released in March 2019 have been with the hybrid drivetrain and interest has grown this year to the point where those types accounted for 81 percent of RAV sales in July. That translates to 2141 units.

TNZ cited an example of one customer, beverage supplier Frucor Suntory, being so convinced by hybrid technology it is transferring its entire Australasian fleet to the battery-electric RAVs.

The Griffin’s Food Company has also adopted a Toyota hybrid fleet for its vehicle eligible employees while Silver Fern Farms has a fleet of 39 Toyota RAV4 Hybrids. 

Lala says that while the extra technology required for a hybrid vehicle makes the car more expensive to build, but Toyota has intentionally kept the price differential between a petrol and hybrid versions of vehicles minimal.

“We deliberately keep the price difference down as we genuinely want people to access our fantastic hybrid options,” says Lala.

“We have seen through customer demand for hybrids that our pricing strategy has paid off.”

Yaris hybrid is expected to be influential for the remainder of the year.

Extra electric-involved product for TNZ

A plug-in version of the RAV4 and a fully electric car have been cited to join more mild hybrids heading into Toyota’s local showroom.

is one of these concepts shown last year destined to become toyota’s first electric car sold in new zealand?

FIVE more mild hybrids, a plug-in replenished battery-assisted model and a fully electric car are on Toyota’s national agenda, though sign-off for several – including the EV – has yet to be fully sorted. 

What’s being sought and when it might arrive, all going to plan, has been shared by Toyota New Zealand.

Aside from the Yaris Hybrid covered extensively this week, the roll-out starts with another hybrid CH-R, but in a sportier-looking format that leverages the GR (Gazoo Racing) pitch that TNZ continues to develop. It’ll be here before the end of the year.

Following, apparently in the first half of 2021, are two vital volume products. The heavily revised Camry and a new Highlander, are also primarily – if not wholly – running battery-fed petrol drivetrains next year. So, if you still prefer a petrol V6, act fast. That choice will not transfer to the new lines.

Also tied down for New Zealand introduction, but with time yet to be fully sorted, is a hybrid Hilux. Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive, Neeraj Lala, says he hopes to see it in the latter part of next year, but accepts release could yet spill into 2022.

So that’s five: What else is in the thought stream? Two potential big-hitters that draw off mains power.

There’s the RAV4 PHEV/Prime, which replenishes its plug-in petrol-electric drivetrain off the grid. After debuting in North America last year, it’s now being built in right-hand-drive in Japan, but only for sale there at this time.

the rav4 prime was introduced to North America last year but has now entered right hand drive production, but just for Japan. TNZ has pitched for it. The car’s drivetrain (below) delivers around 90kms’ pure electric operation. It’s also designed to give a performance edge.

In this variant the front motor and inverter achieve more powerful output than the RAV4 hybrid system, the maximum system output cited at 225kW, which Toyota says, facilitates a 0-100kmh time of six seconds and “sporty, powerful driving”. 

The make also claims a wholly electric driving range of 95 kilometres. That’s well above the cited range for Japan’s only logical competitor already sold here, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The EV range, and the car’s claimed total range of 1300km, is a calculation based on Japan domestic market processes.

Lala is keen to see it and says introduction as a domestic Japan model is a good thing.

“We’ve asked Toyota Motor Corporation if that car can be made available to New Zealand. We have not had confirmation yet but it is a car we would definitely like to have in our market. 

For 2021? He hopes so. One alternate option for TNZ is to introduce it as a brand-backed used import, via the Signature Class channel, but Lala’s preference would be to represent it as a brand-new product.

But that can take time. “Introducing a new car isn’t easy … there has to be a lot of testing and compliance to ensure it meets our conditions. But generally, if something has been available as Japanese domestic it has been pretty much a safe choice for NZ compliance so we’re hoping there won’t be too many hoops to jump through.”

And then the ultimate step …  a fully electric product. Which is what exactly; a completely new model or something based off an existing product?

No help here, from Lala. He’s sworn to absolute secrecy. “I cannot tell you anything about it.”

Highlander hybrid has already been confirmed for 2021 launch.So has Camry (below)

That doesn’t mean nothing is known. Toyota’s determination to branch away from being the global kingpin in hybrid drivetrains and start plugging into the zero emissions EV-sphere was announced 14 months ago, when it announced intention to create pure electrics not only for itself but also for other Japanese marques in which it has tech agreements.

Toyota then unveiled a new platform with enough flexibility to entertain what could be a very wide span of different kinds of vehicle – from small city cars to large sports utilities – using a "next step" solid state battery it also racing to get into production.

The starter project is an all-electric platform for midsize and large vehicles jointly developed with Subaru. Those brands are also working together to produce an electric crossover far more advanced than the mild hybrid Forester and XV recently launched here.

That vehicle, which will be sold separately under each brand, will debut in the early 2020s and, though the US is cited as a main target market, other countries where Subaru performs well (and that’s NZ) are expected to stand a chance.

Toyota is also working with Suzuki and Daihatsu to jointly develop a compact EV.

It revealed last year that its new platform would initially underpin six variations in all - a large SUV, a medium SUV, a medium crossover, a medium minivan, a medium sedan and the compact. Styling concepts of these proposals were presented at a forum on June 7.

TNZ’s intention to take an EV is an acknowledgement, after years of denial, that nothing less than a fully electric car with actual external recharging functionality has become a must-have in this market.

Even though it has long delivered battery-involved cars across the Toyota and Lexus line-ups that have a degree of regenerative capability, presently only one product in the showroom – Prius Prime PHEV – even counts as an EV.

That’s why Government departments and companies looking to include EVs in their fleets have had to bypass the Camry, Corolla, RAV4 and Prius mild (non mains-replenished) hybrids.

plug-in capability is a requirement to achieve electric vehicle status.

Toyota Motor Corporation has said its EV deployment plans will not slow down its hybrid imprint; hence why TNZ – which has 17 already, just two less than Lexus – is able and keen add more.

Yet Japan headquarters has also acknowledged a "sudden surge" of international EV popularisation – and the repercussion of increasingly stringent emissions requirements in China and Europe - has meant it has to reconsider its thinking, which until now has been that electrics are an unnecessary step between its petrol-electric hybrids and the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles it still sees as being the ultimate cars of the future.

Accordingly, it cites that of the 5.5 million battery-assisted vehicles it aims to build by 2025, almost one million might well be pure EVs.

TMC had intended to showcase unveil a solid-state battery for electrified vehicles ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were to have begun this week but instead have been delayed until 2021, assuming the world is by then on top of the coronavirus crisis that has caused so much disruption since March.

Solid state technology promises lighter, more powerful and safer batteries and could well be a breakthrough in popularising EVs.

Toyota is still forging ahead with a plan to start making EVs in China, purely for sale in that country. The first was expected to be a variant of the CH-R.

The new dedicated EV platform it has developed with partners is dubbed e-TNGA, a play on the company's new-generation Toyota New Global Architecture modular platform used by Corolla, Camry, RAV4 and the latest Yaris, also about to come on sale here, including in a mild hybrid form.

Toyota’s decision to also give Hilux a hybrid drivetrain was announced some months ago. Lala ‘s enthusiasm for this product is very high; he sees a big potential. Some others in the sector are looking to going all-electric – just this week the New Zealand importer for the LDV brand reckoned it will have a purely battery-compelled edition of the current T60 ute here next year. Production is set to kick off in the second quarter, with NZ market arrivals stated to start in the third quarter. Detail about the potential range, outputs and price ate still under wraps. LDV already has an electric van in the market with another on the way.

It’s far from clear whether a Hilux hybrid will be petrol-electric or diesel-electric. The latter would be a first for Toyota, which favours petrol-electric hybrid technology over diesel in its passenger car line-up.

Toyota out to cuff police contract

Commodore today, Camry tomorrow? Toyota NZ is investigating if it can join the thin blue line.

will the 2021 Toyota Camry report for duty as a Commodore replacement?

PROVISIONING police with a patrol car remains a Toyota New Zealand consideration, particularly in the wake of the collapse of rental car business.

The Palmerston North brand has acknowledged it is on the hunt to snare lucrative Government fleet opportunities including the biggest plum of all – delivering a replacement for the Holden Commodore police car, whose days on the beat are numbered with its production having ended and its maker soon to become extinct.

It is understood police are now trialling potential replacement cars for frontline duty and that they have renewed interest in the Camry sedan, thought to have been the runner-up to ZB Commodore when the tender was last contested, four years ago.

One example configured by the brand for front-line duty as part of the trial still appears to be operational in the Wellington area.

The Camry as tested by the thin blue line previously was a potent six-cylinder but perhaps the determination to use only four-cylinder ZBs is a sign police tastes have changed. TNZ’s certainly have. The distributor signalled some months ago that the V6 won’t feature in an update Camry arriving early next year.

However, it believes its 2.5-litre full petrol four-cylinder engine – which TNZ now suggests might yet provision in the update range, should perceived demand warrant it -and the hybrid would be just as good.

Do police agree? A reluctance to employ anything other than fully fossil-fuelled cars in the line of duty was expressed in the wake of last December’s announcement about Commodore production ending, when a spokesperson said that while they wanted to use as many hybrid and even fully electric cars as they could, it would only be in non-patrol roles.

TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala isn’t sure that attitude still applies.

“My understanding of that is a little bit different. They have specifications, like a 0-100kmh specification, that they would need for a pursuit car, but currently we have a hybrid that would meet that. 

“The 2.5 also meets the standards they expect of pursuit cars.” Lala acknowledged the wholly petrol engine was initially not expected to be provisioned in the 2021 Camry update but could yet show if there was enough support for it, if just to meet all-of-Government contract requirements. “When we talked about being hybrid-only for Camry from next year it was before we knew about the Holden situation.”

In any event, it wasn’t just about get up and go. There was a host of criteria to meet, including technical standards to ensure nothing in the applicant vehicle conflicted with police equipment, especially the frequencies electronic law enforcement hardware operated at.

“As infotainment gets more complicated, as powertrains become more complicated with sensors, radars, safety equipment, hybrid and EV batteries … testing and compliance tends to become more structured and rigid. And there have been issues in the past,” he said.

TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala

He believes one area Toyota has a lead on is with backup; the national sales network was fully up to pace on  keeping any fleet operational with excellent parts, service and support. 

Police are also building up their fleet of unmarked cars and Toyota has recently provisioned some Highlander SUVs, also currently V6 and set to revert to a hybrid-only format with a new 2021 model. It also provision Land Cruisers for specialist work and some hybrid cars for community constable work.

Lala explained that was not a signal of any favouritism in respect to the patrol car pitch.

“It’s been made clear that it’s certainly not a confirmation that Toyota has won the tender but we certainly have some cars in their fleet and we are working hard to see if Camry can be an alternative.

“I’ve been quite firm that I think the relationship needs to be mutual for us to engage. It’s certainly not something that we are chasing hard, but it certainly something that we would appreciate if it came towards our brand.”

Holden’s contract with police goes back many years – it started with the Kingswood in 1968, but really cemented with Commodore, with VT, VX, VZ, VE and VF lines siting as generic road vehicles of choice, outlasting the Ford Falcon and Nissan Maxima.

Terms of the association are never discussed but the fleet size alone suggest it will be lucrative.

Certainly, it was so highly prized by Holden that police were allowed to trial the ZB in Australia in secrecy more than a year before it became production ready. The current contract was also signed off well ahead of the car’s public release here, in May of 2018.

The car proved controversial – with complaint about the lack of headroom in the rear of the sedan causing a shift to the station wagon edition – yet announcement of Commodore’s demise was a shock to police.

It clearly still held hope of seeing through the latest contract with Holden, which conceivably ran to around 2023, according to past brand acknowledgements, by taking other products in the brand’s portfolio, including the Acadia and Equinox SUVs and Colorado ute. However, that’s now no longer a goer with GM having killed Holden completely, with the retail arm set to cease very soon.

Holden had formed a really strong marriage that in any other circumstance would have been hard to break up, TNZ’s boss suggests.

“We’ve been pitching to police for as long as I’ve been with the company; we’ve put our best foot forward and been unsuccessful because they have had a really good relationship with Holden and they clearly felt no need to move.

“For us in the past it has been about good due diligence – just making sure they were testing other products in the market for when, and if, a change was needed.

“Obviously all this has moved up a gear given Holden’s departure.”

Discussion about this arose from TNZ revealing how hard it has been hit by the virtual wholesale collapse of the rental car sector as result of the coronavirus lockdown kyboshing international tourism.

A sector that took 9619 new Toyotas and accounted for 31 percent of the Palmerston North-domiciled make’s sales last year has this year taken 172 cars for a two percent slice of sales to date.

TNZ’s response has been to divert energy into building up sales to the private sector and to fleet operators, primarily the Government, with positive result. It says it has just won a tender to provision a significant count of vehicles, mainly hybrids, to the Ministries of Justice and Education.

It’s also pumping up private sales, with particular success with the RAV4 hybrid. Fleet sales, either facilitated directly through TNZ or via its dealer network, including those to Government have collectively grown from delivering 41 percent of registrations to 63 percent.

Of course, while the percentages are up, actual sales counts are down. For instance, while private sales now represent a 35 percent share of current trading – so almost double the 2019 imprint – the counts are much lower; 235 units to date in 2020 against 6001 for all of 2019. As of end of June, fleet and Government have accounted for roughly a quarter of the just over 16,000 Toyotas they secured for all of last year.

the zb commodore has transferred police drivetrain allegiances from six-cylinder and rear-drive to four-cylinder and front-drive. However, police have yet to put a hybrid into the front line.

How will the rest of the year pan out? Notwithstanding that last month was huge for new car sellers and the Japanese giant had the top-selling car (RAV4), retained comfortably as the passenger sector leader and enjoyed the biggest monthly retail count (1755 units) since the launch of the new Drive Happy business model in April of 2018, its long-term forecast is cautious.

The entire market is down almost 25 percent year-on-year and industry perception that today’s rush is being fuelled by a short-range fuel – people are spending money on cars that they had set aside for overseas travel that cannot be taken – seems to be accepted by the leader, which believes a rocky road is ahead.

Even though TNZ has identified that the loss of the rental car market and a subsequent significant de-fleeting of stock by some operators had synched with a considerable market shift in used car tastes, away from ex-overseas used (which are in short supply) to low-mileage, late model NZ-new, Lala says it’s fair to say this is “experiencing changes like we’ve never seen before.”

An industry that had recorded a decade of quite considerable growth, reaching peak of just over 161,000 units in 2018 before softening slightly last year, was now facing a further 35 percent decline.

Or worse? Lala is confident Toyota is on target in predicting 100,000 registrations this year, even though others have suggested lower returns.

“Some of our competitors are suggesting a reduction more dramatic than 100,000 but I personally cannot see that happening … even if the wheels completely fall off in the fourth quarter, I can’t see the market fall below 95,000, maybe 90,000 as an absolute worst case scenario.”

When and if the rental car market would re-open was a question without any quick resolution, he suggested, and obviously TNZ, as the dominant supplier, was hard hit.

“When you remove 30 percent of our sales overnight … well, it’s never easy losing that volume.

“The pain of that tourism loss in the lockdown has certainly transferred throughout our entire business. It’s probably safe to say that this volume will not return … while the borders remain closed.”

As for the long-term forecast for car distributors? “We are, I think, heading toward a tough time – whether that’s late in the fourth quarter or early first quarter (of 2021) we have to wait and see - but at this stage we will go as hard and as strong as we can.”