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Toyota Presents New Avensis and Prius Family World Premieres at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show +VIDEO


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2012 Toyota Avensis Tourer and Saloon

•Toyota unveils revised Avensis range with improved styling, quality, powertrains and driving dynamics

•Updated Prius joined by Prius Plug-in and Prius+, Europe’s first full hybrid seven-seat vehicle

•New-look 2012 Hilux and three-door version of new Yaris also on show


FRANKFURT - September 13, 2011: Toyota presented several new models at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show today, with world premieres for both the new Avensis and the new Prius family of full hybrid models. The new 2012 Hilux will also be making its European debut and the three-door version of the recently launched new Yaris will be on public view for the first time.

The changes to the British-built Avensis include revised exterior styling, incorporating a frontal treatment that follows Toyota’s new design language. The quality look and feel of the interior have been improved and strategic changes have been made to the powertrains and driving dynamics. Together, these changes represent the largest mid-life investment Toyota has made for any model.

With more than 2.3 million worldwide sales, Prius’s success story is well established. At Frankfurt a new chapter will open with the world-first introduction of the new Prius family of models. Toyota’s full hybrid model has been updated and is joined by the production version of Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the seven-seat Prius+. The introduction of these models will make Prius the first full hybrid to be offered as a complete, stand-alone model range.

Each new model has been developed to expand the Prius customer base by catering for specific customer needs. Prius Plug-in Hybrid is the most technically advanced Prius yet, with CO2 emissions potentially as low as 49g/km. Prius+ will deliver sub-100g/km CO2 emissions and is the first vehicle in Europe to offer the versatility of seven seats with the benefit of a full hybrid powertrain.

Hilux, Europe’s best-selling pick-up, has undergone major restyling for 2012, reinforcing its credentials as a vehicle cut out for hard work and for leisure driving. The exterior changes are complemented by a new-look interior that offers the comfort and convenience of a passenger car.

Completing the new Toyota arrivals at Frankfurt is the three-door version of new Yaris, making its public debut.


Watch the complete Toyota Frankfurt 2011 Press Conference


New Avensis Brings More Efficiency and Sophistication

The new Toyota builds on the spaciousness, practicality and fuel efficiency of the current, third generation model. It features a bolder and more refined exterior design, and interior improvements to finish quality, comfort and Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH). Driving dynamics have been enhanced, and a revised grade structure offers even greater value for money.

The best-selling variant of the Avensis’ six engine line-up, the 2.0 D-4D turbodiesel, has been revised to deliver significant improvements in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. With a tax threshold set at 120 g/km in almost a third of European countries, the 2.0 D-4D’s 119 g/km brings generous tax benefits to both private and fleet buyers.

With a choice of two body styles, three diesel and three petrol engines, three transmissions and four model grades, the new Avensis has been specifically tailored to the European market. The D-segment demonstrates a 70% focus on diesel powertrains, a 64% bias in favour of fleet sales and a preference for the wagon body style with over 50% of customers.

Designed, engineered and built in Europe, the Avensis was first launched at the end of 1997 and has since firmly established itself in the European D-segment. It sold 70,585 units throughout the region in 2010, representing a 5.8% segment share.

Unparallelled Prius Success Leads to Introduction of Prius Family

— Prius is the world’s best selling hybrid – 3rd generation has already sold more than 1 million units since its launch only 2 years ago

— Toyota to launch some 10 new hybrids by 2015

— Introducing the Prius family: Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Prius+ and new Prius

Over four decades of research and development, Toyota has continuously been in search of the ultimate eco car. The company’s early decision to develop mass-production hybrid vehicles, available to the broader consumer base, has proven to be an unparalleled success story.

The Prius’ unique Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ (HSD) powertrain established a major industry milestone in sustainable mobility, and its name, meaning ‘to go before’ in Latin, quickly became symbolic of a car that was launched even before environmental awareness became a mainstream social concern.

Maintaining its environmental and technological leadership for over a decade, the multiple award-winning Prius is the world’s best-selling hybrid with over 2.3 million units sold. Prius is now more popular than ever, and the third generation model, launched in 2009, has already sold over 1 million units.

Since 1997, Toyota Motor Corporation has sold more than 3.3 million full hybrid vehicles worldwide. This represents more than 80% of all global hybrid sales, and gives the company an unquestionable lead in the drive towards sustainable mobility. As concrete, tangible proof of HSD’s environmental record, these sales have already contributed to a reduction in automotive emissions of some 21 million tonnes of CO2.

Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ has been specifically designed to be modular and adaptable to diverse energy sources. Its application in the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and Toyota’s ongoing research into Electric Vehicles (EV) and Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV), offers the potential for even greater reductions in vehicle emissions in the immediate future.

Toyota’s clear lead in hybrid technology has recently been reinforced by an independent study which establishes the company as being the most widely recognised amongst consumers as a manufacturer of hybrid and electric vehicles.

In a joint survey by Automotive Business Intelligence company EurotaxGlass’s and UK-based marketing and research institute Harris Interactive, some 30% of those questioned demonstrated an interest in electric or hybrid vehicles, with Toyota standing out in all markets as the company with the highest brand awareness.

When asked to name an electric or hybrid brand, some 15% of survey participants cited Toyota, with only 6% naming the closest rival hybrid manufacturer. Moreover, Toyota’s environmental flagship proves to be the single best known electric or hybrid model, with 16% of those questioned being aware of the award-winning Prius, and only 6% naming the closest rival vehicle.

Reinforcing Toyota’s belief in the strong potential of the full hybrid technology, the study finds that European consumers are far more open to alternative powertrains than the latter’s current market share might suggest.

Pre-empting this conclusion, the recent launch of the Auris HSD marked the start of a significant expansion in the company’s full hybrid model range, which will see the launching of some 10 Toyota hybrids by 2015. Toyota aims to offer most of its European models with a Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ powertrain derivative as early as possible in the 2020s.

One important facet of this expansion in HSD vehicles, the 2012 Prius will now become the first full hybrid vehicle available as a complete, stand-alone model range – Prius, Prius+ and Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Respective CO2 emissions of 89 g/km, 99 g/km and just 49 g/km represent unprecedented environmental credentials from an entire model range.

The three models will significantly expand the Prius customer base and subsequent sales; the Prius Plug-in Hybrid appealing to a new group of environmentally conscientious early adopters, the Prius+ targeting growing European families who require the space and flexibility of a larger, seven-seat vehicle.

The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid - The Greenest, most Technically Advanced Prius Yet

— CO2 emissions of only 49 g/km and fuel consumption of just 2.1 l/100 km

— EV driving range of approximately 23 km1

— Fully rechargeable in just 1.5 hours

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2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to go on sale to the mass market, makes its production vehicle world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Toyota’s focus on PHEV technology meets current consumer requirements. Recent Accenture research, entitled ‘Plug-in electric vehicles: changing perceptions, hedging bets’ on the electrification of private transport, suggests that consumers may favour PHEVs over full EVs because they require fewer changes to current driving habits and levels of convenience˛.

The next major milestone in Toyota’s ongoing, 40 year quest for sustainable mobility and the ultimate eco car, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid represents the latest development of the company’s modular Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ platform – credible, trusted and reliable full hybrid technology with a proven track record garnered over some 200 billion kilometres of driving worldwide.

Offering a considerable expansion of the Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ system’s capabilities, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid incorporates a lithium-ion battery to offer an EV driving range of approximately 23 km1. Beyond the electric driving range, it can be used as a conventional full hybrid with all the efficiency of a standard Prius, and fully recharged from a domestic source when convenient, in just 1.5 hours.

With a total HSD system power output of 100 kW, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 10.7 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h. Its EV cruising range of approximately 23 km1 enables it to achieve remarkable fuel efficiency of just 2.1 l/100 km1, and to lower CO2 emissions to an unprecedented 49 g/km1.

At approximately 1,420 kg, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is only 50 kg heavier than the regular Prius, and no heavier than any comparable diesel or petrol engined car in the segment.

Addressing the specific needs of drivers commuting to urban areas, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid will appeal to very similar customers to those who were early adopters of the first generation Prius; forward-thinking, ecologically-aware individuals attracted to the new vehicle’s unique concept, environmentally-friendly credentials and advanced, highly sophisticated technology.

Sales will start in early 2012, mainly in Japan, US and Europe, with anticipated sales of approximately 50,000 units annually.

Urban Powertrain Electrification - The Case for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles It is estimated that the majority of Europeans will live in urban areas by the end of the decade. As a result, the demand for environmentally-friendly commuter vehicles is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Based on current conditions, industry attention is now focused on electricity as the most practical energy source.

Many EU member states are struggling to achieve the required EU air quality standards, specifically in urban environments. This has resulted in city authorities introducing criteria to restrict the entry of specific types of vehicles to city centres. Following a direction recently proposed in the EU Transport White Paper , some cities are going further and considering a ban on conventional vehicles from city centres and the promotion of electric vehicles.

The environmental merits of electric vehicles (EVs) as urban commuters are well proven, but their further development is currently handicapped by a number of factors. On the technical side, inappropriately large, heavy and costly batteries are required to offer a driving range which only satisfies the needs of those with a very specific usage pattern. Perhaps more significantly, from the customer perspective, no adequate recharging infrastructure yet exists, and range anxiety remains a major concern.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid addresses each of these issues, making it the most feasible short- to mid-term solution for the electrification of powertrains.

Building on the core technology of Toyota’s renowned Hybrid Synergy DriveŽ, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid sets a new benchmark in environmentally–friendly mobility by offering customers commuting to urban areas the best of both worlds.

It offers an extended, EV driving range, yet it can be driven without any concerns over exceeding the electric power range. At this point, it can be driven as a regular, full hybrid vehicle offering the same environmental credentials and true long range capability as a standard Prius.

A full hybrid capable of operating in petrol and electric modes alone, the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid delivers a truly 21st century driving experience. It rewards customers with the pleasure of uniquely stress-free, relaxed and remarkably quiet operation, while returning unparalleled fuel efficiency and the lowest possible CO2, NOX and PM (Particulate Matter) emissions.

The reduction of CO2 emissions has been a mainstream global issue since the 1990s (the 1997 Kyoto Protocol outlining specific numeric goals), and vehicle taxation based on CO2 emissions is now commonplace. However, the focus on curbing CO2 emissions has meant that legislation to limit the pollution of the urban environment through road traffic-generated NOX and PM emissions remains, thus far, significantly less stringent.

Although Euro 6 exhaust emission regulations will bring the diesel engine NOX emission limits closer to those of petrol units (80 versus 60 mg/km on the NEDC), the Prius Plug-in still generates significantly lower NOX emissions than diesel engine cars and undercuts the Euro 6 standards by 98%. Moreover, when operating in its extended EV mode, it generates zero CO2, NOX and particulate emissions.

PHEV European Limited Lease Project
Toyota initiated its Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) project in 2007, with road trials of a prototype vehicle in France and in UK in 2008. In 2010, the project entered its second phase when a limited production vehicle, based on the third-generation Prius equipped with a Lithium-ion battery, was used for pan-European road trials.

As part of a global Toyota project, 200 vehicles have been leased to selected partners and customers in 18 European countries. France, the UK and Germany are operating a total 150 PHEVs between them. The largest single group of vehicles is located in Strasbourg, France, where a 70 PHEV-strong project is underway in collaboration with Toyota’s partner, French energy provider EDF, and the City and Urban Community of Strasbourg (CUS).

After nearly a year, the PHEVs involved in the project have been intensively driven both in the urban environment and on longer journeys out of the city. With an average yearly mileage of 13,180 km, project participants have acquired nearly 800,000 km of PHEV driving experience.

With two thirds of commutes covering under 20 km, the zero emission, fully electric range of the PHEV satisfies a significant share of the users’ daily requirements. 35% of users also completed long distance trips of more than 100 km at least once a week, and the PHEV’s ability to operate as a full hybrid eliminates the range anxiety associated with journeys of this length in a fully electric vehicle.

Fuel efficiency figures obtained under real-world conditions show that the PHEV consumes 36% less fuel than the comparable, best-in-class diesel vehicle and almost 50% less than the best-in-class petrol vehicle. Users that maximised the potential of the PHEV and made optimal use of the existing recharging infrastructure were able to return average fuel consumption figures of less than 2.0 l/100km.