With the promise of more exciting new vehicles from Toyota around the corner, we want to know what kind of car you would like to see the most!

Toyota Overhauls Its R&D Efforts

Toyota's new research and development structure will aim for quicker decisions and lower costs.

The changes to core engineering and design programs bolster the authority of the company's chief engineers, consolidate research and development into three groups based on geographical regions and limit final design decisions to smaller teams. Toyota, Japan's largest car maker, dubs the effort its new "global architecture."

The revisions come as the auto maker seeks to recover from a series of setbacks during the past several years that have eroded its global market share, forcing it to relinquish its crown as the No. 1 car maker by sales volume.

"We are gradually starting to see the results of our reform efforts," President Akio Toyoda said during a news conference at the company's headquarters in Toyota City, citing as examples the recent launches of the new Prius C hybrid hatchback and remodeled Camry midsize sedan in the U.S. and Japan, and the Etios subcompact in India.

Toyota said the R&D changes are expected to improve the company's' competitiveness vis-à-vis global rivals, as costs are reduced through more parts standardization and sales are increased by improvements to the vehicle lineup's design and functionality.

"In order to build better cars, we are remaking the way we develop them," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's executive vice president in charge of R&D.

Mr. Uchiyamada said a major challenge for Toyota is cutting costs while improving product design, a seeming contradiction that he aims to resolve by using more common parts and working more closely with key suppliers.

"We won't feel we've succeeded until we raise the use of standardized parts to about 50% among similar-size vehicles in our lineup," Mr. Uchiyamada said. He added that it will likely take "several years" to achieve that goal.

Using more standard parts reduces the need for smaller lots of dedicated components that can't be shared among models. Greater volumes of common components help auto-parts suppliers spread out the cost of production.

To spur that drive, Toyota has shrunk the number of regional managers for the Toyota brand to three groups: North America and China; Japan and Europe; and Australia, Russia and emerging markets. Consumers in these geographical categories tend to buy the same type of vehicles, Toyota officials said.

The company said that organizing development according to the three regional groups is likely to promote parts sharing across similar vehicles and help streamline procurement of components from global suppliers. For example, Toyota has worked to cut the variety of radiators it procures from suppliers to just 21 specifications, down from more than 100 previously, said Shinichi Sasaki, another Toyota executive vice president.

The changes, which were implemented starting last year, also allow Toyota's chief engineers to report directly to top product-planning executives instead of intermediary development-center chiefs, as had been the case previously. Toyota said that will eliminate bureaucracy and allow new vehicles to get to market faster than before, though the company didn't detail any specific development time frames.

Final decisions about vehicle styling will be limited to smaller teams of executives and designers newly empowered to approve more ambitious designs, but who also will be held more accountable for flops, Toyota officials said. Mr. Toyoda said that shift will help avoid the pitfalls of a "too democratic process," which he blamed for uninspiring vehicles and an overly lengthy approval system for new cars.

                                          Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

The Sensational New 2013 Toyota Avalon Makes World Debut at the 2012 New York International Auto Show

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. revealed the all-new 2013 Avalon premium mid-size sedan today at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The new Avalon is re-conceived for the premium mid-size sedan segment with a progressive and emotionally styled exterior design.

When it arrives to dealerships late this year, the new Avalon will offer improved dynamic performance, a greater degree of refinement, and a highly spacious, comfortable interior experience with an abundance of outstanding convenience technologies.

The new 2013 Avalon is the result of a North American-focused design and engineering effort. The new sedan’s dramatic exterior and interior design was conceived by a youthful and talented team at the Calty Design Research Inc. facilities in Southern California and Michigan. The car’s engineering development was principally led by a passionate and dedicated group based at Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Continuing a North American focused theme, the 2013 Avalon will be assembled at Toyota’s facility in Georgetown, Ky. True to the future product mission set forth by Toyota Motor Corporation President, Akio Toyoda, the new Avalon’s more stylish, bold, sporty exterior design and luxurious interior styling are matched by an enhanced dynamic package, a combination that foreshadows the more compelling and passionate nature of future Toyota products.

Enhanced Avalon Dynamics
In addition to its stunning design, numerous structural and chassis improvements were made to the new Avalon to enhance the ride quality, straight-line stability and handling. The body structure gains improvements in torsional rigidity thanks to additional and strategically placed welds, improved body bracing, and high-strength steel in key areas in order to provide a stiffer chassis and optimize suspension performance. The new Avalon suspension relies on MacPherson struts with advanced valving and rebound springs to balance handling and agility with ride comfort. Coil spring rate and front and rear sway bar stiffness was increased from the current model to help improve body control and body roll. The Avalon’s electric power steering (EPS) system has been tuned to help deliver enhanced controllability and vehicle agility while also realizing superior linear stability.

The new Avalon offers three distinct drive modes that help tailor dynamic performance to the driver’s needs. The drive modes - Normal, Eco, and Sport -are made available through driver-selectable switches. In Sport mode, throttle response is enhanced and steering effort is weighted from center to offer a sportier character. Eco changes throttle response and A/C power usage to help improve fuel economy. Steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters help provide a sportier drive while in the D or S Mode, where the revised throttle helps improve shift response to help maximize engine power and vehicle performance.

Dynamic Exterior Styling
The new Avalon’s dynamic exterior styling defines a sleek and expressive profile that helps communicate a sense of motion for the vehicle even when it is at rest. The beltline has been lowered to accentuate a strong stance. Compared to its predecessor, the new Avalon is a bit more compact yet displays better proportions with a longer, sloping roofline, flared front fenders, and reduced front and rear overhangs, lower vehicle height, and reduced body-to-tire gap. New 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheel and tire combinations fill the wheel well to enhance the vehicle’s dynamic exterior expression.

Key exterior design elements include the square Double-eye PES (Projector Ellipsoid System) headlamps with HID (High-Intensity Discharge)and elegant DRL (Daytime Running Lights) feature available that provide excellent night time visibility while helping define a narrower, more taut and muscular exterior expression. A wider, more assertive grille design provides a bolder front perspective. At the rear, high-performance LED combination tail lamps are adopted which are more integrated with the revised rear-body styling. The dual rear tailpipe outlets further the more cohesive design theme.

Modern Interior Experience
Design elements enhancing comfort, convenience and technology help create the luxurious experience that will prove tempting to buyers of the next Avalon. The 2013 Avalon offers a modern, spacious, premium interior highlighted by abundant rear seat legroom, while featuring a myriad of available features. Beyond mere dimensions, the new Avalon’s interior design enhances the cabin’s sense of spaciousness and comfort. The front seat’s hip point has been lowered by 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) to help create improved headroom. The new power front seat design with increased side bolstering is more supportive and offers an expanded range of downward adjustment. In addition, the structural components of the sunroof and the headliner design have been optimized to help increase the cabin’s roominess. A concave dash panel design, located in front of the passenger, helps create an expansive feeling. While the rear overhang has been reduced by 1.7 inches, the luggage compartment capacity is 16.0 cubic feet, an increase of 1.6 cubic feet as compared to the outgoing model.

The Avalon’s premium interior attains a high level of refinement by reducing wind, engine and road noise inside the cabin. The resultant interior is even significantly quieter and more comfortable than the current Avalon and it creates an ideal environment to enjoy conversation, music or Toyota’s available multimedia system, Entune™. Sound absorbing materials have been strategically placed around the cabin and body structure while not inhibiting a reduction in overall vehicle weight. The windshield and front side-glass panels utilize acoustic glass that helps control sound intrusion into the cabin. Reductions in wind noise have been realized by optimizing exterior shape, specifically cowl and louver sealing, outer mirror shape and position, and wiper-blade position, which have all been developed to dramatically reduce wind noise generation. Exterior gaps and steps have also been minimized to reduce wind noise around the door glass areas.

The new Avalon’s interior utilizes premium materials and a high degree of craftsmanship to offer an upscale experience. Rich, supple leather trims the steering wheel, shift knob, and seat upholstery helping add visual and tactile appeal. Hand-crafted, decorative stitching is adopted for the steering wheel, and soft-touch materials on the dash panel and door trim elevate the vehicle’s sense of tactile luxury. Smoked chrome-metallic accents are applied to the instrument panel, center console, door panel, and steering wheel surfaces to help add distinction and exceptional feel. Available push-button controlled soft white ambient lighting illuminates key regions of the interior to help convey the sense of luxury. The new Avalon’s center console includes a convenient console tray that is ideal for the storage of electronic hand held devices. The new Avalon’s console area is equipped with a USB port, AUX input terminal and three 12-volt power outlets to help facilitate device interface and charging.

The new Avalon will offer innovative technologies such as advanced capacitive touch switches with positioning and sensitivity that makes them ideal for vehicle system controls. Other premium in-car technologies include three color display screens that support the multi-information display, the audio/navigation interface, and the climate control panel. An easy to use Display Audio system with 6.1 inch touchscreen is standard on the new Avalon; while a JBL Synthesis Premium Audio system, HDD Premium Navigation with 7” screen, dynamic radar cruise control, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, and a three-zone air conditioning system are also on the list of available features and equipment.

Safety
Like all Toyota models, the new Avalon will feature Toyota’s Star Safety System™ standard, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, and Smart Stop Technology brake-override system.

The new Avalon helps to prioritize occupant safety with a best-in-class10 airbags system. A Pre-collision system is also available that is designed to “sense” an impending frontal collision and can help mitigate damage. A variable ratio brake pedal is adopted that varies the initial and final pedal effort ratios to help realize excellent brake pedal feel.

In addition to a rearview monitor, Avalon offers an available Blind Spot Monitoring system which is designed to help detect vehicles behind the outer mirrors and to help alert drivers in addition to a new Rear Cross Traffic Alert system (RCTA) that can alert drivers of cross traffic when they are backing up.

Courtesy of ToyotaMediaNewsroom

We have the new Scion iQ, stop by Spitzer Toyota today and see it in person!

Click here for details!

2013 Toyota Venza refreshed, Entune optional

Toyota has been teasing us with glimpses of the redesigned 2013 Venza over the last month, and now we get to see its modest makeover just before the vehicle's New York Auto Show debut.

The new, less fussy grille is the first thing you'll notice. Fewer horizontal bars above the bumper and a chrome accent goes some way toward below classing up the crossutilitywagon thing. The headlamps are new, and the fog lights have also been blacked out with chrome accent ring. Finishing off the new light fixtures are reworked door mirrors fitted with the obligatory built-in turn signals.

In back, the taillights have been slightly updated, but everything else seems to be much the same as the 2012 model. Venzas can now be ordered in Attitude Black, Cypress Pearl and Cosmic Gray Mica.

Interior changes also seem to be minimal except for updated steering wheel buttons and the option of adding Toyota's Entune package that integrates your smart phone with the vehicle's dashboard display. The interior is also available in black for 2013.

Engine choices stay the same, with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6 on offer.

Courtesy of AutoBlog

If you could take this beastly antarctic tuned Toyota on an expedition anywhere in the world, where would you go?

April is National Car Care Month, so keep your Toyota in tip-top shape by scheduling your next service appointment today!

Click here for details!