The Frankfurt Motor Show has been a popular venue for car companies to show off their latest cars and prototypes. That includes Toyota, and the brand certainly impressed with their presentations over the past couple of days. Curious what they had to show? Luckily, we’ve got all of the information for you below! Sure, it might not beat actually being at the event, but we think it’s a pretty reasonable alternative.
Before you head out to your local Toyota dealership, check out the biggest news coming out of Germany. Maybe it will convince you to hold off from purchasing a car for a few years…
Hydrogen-Fueled Mirai
Toyota revealed their hydrogen-fueled Mirai, and it’s expected to hit the market relatively soon. While the concept may sound too extraordinary to be possible, let’s not forget that this was the same company that “pioneered the hybrid gas-electric powertrain,” as Colleen Barry of the Associated Press writes. In fact, the company is so confident in their vehicle, Chevy’s CEO Johan van Zyl said that “it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when” this hydrogen technology will truly go mainstream
Barry’s report noes that the company is expected to sell between 50 and 100 Mirai’s between the rest of this year and next, with 47 units having already been ordered. Van Zyl expects sales to improve following the launch of the RAV4 small SUV, which was also unveiled at the Frankfurt show. This car will be offered with a hybrid powertrain.
Sales will be limited to Britain, Germany, Denmark and Belgium, as the report notes those are the areas that Toyota is looking to add hydrogen pumping stations. Furthermore, the majority of the customers will be involved in government, as well as those involved in companies that are focused on reducing carbon emissions. Karl Schlicht, Toyota’s European sales chief, expects hydrogen-fueled cars to be “affordable for average consumers by 2025.”
2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid
The newest Prius made it’s official debut in Frankfurt, but there had been pictures floating around of the hybrid vehicle for some time. While these types of vehicles have yet to hit it big in Europe (diesels account for more than half of all auto sales), the brand is hoping their different, innovative sedan will transform into a commodity.
As Schlicht explained (via John Voelcker of GreenCarReports.com), Toyota had never had the capabilities to compete with some of those stronger diesel engines in Europe, so they decided to shift their focus. The brand will be hoping that the vehicle’s technology sets it apart from rival cars, but Voelcker notes that the company will also be focused on the potential measures being taken against older diesel cars. If these are proven to be hazardous (the European Union is currently fining cities that “don’t comply with air-quality regulations”), hybrids could become a reasonable alternative.
There was no additional information released regarding the vehicle, but the writer refers to information passed along during the Las Vegas event. The Prius will feature “a more efficient hybrid system [and] a higher-efficiency engine,” and the company has also promised that the vehicle’s “drive quality and roadholding” would also improve.
There is also expected to be a Prius Eco Model (featuring a rumored lithium-ion battery pack), and the vehicle is expected to deliver a fuel economy that’s better than the 55 mile per gallon spec that was rumored in the United States market.
Toyota C-HR
Toyota will soon be starting production on their C-HR, a vehicle that Motoring.com describes as a “tiny Juke-like SUV that will fall in the manufacturer’s range below the RAV4.” Furthermore, the company revealed that the newest addition to the nameplate is actually closer to the production model than the initial C-HR shown in Paris last year.
The vehicle shown in Frankfurt featured five doors, and the writer notes that the “trailing-edge shutlines of the rear doors can be observed in the complex real wheel arch design and just forward of the tail lights.” There was also an abundance of sheet metal, and while the company claims the second car was only designed to gauge consumer reactions, the website notes that the material seemed pretty locked in place. Adding further fuel to the fire regarding a final design is the fact that the vehicle has been spotted driving on public roads.
Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing, Tony Cramb, is optimistic that the vehicle would beat out the rival Nissan Juke.
“The stunning looks, compact packaging and outstanding agility inherent in the C-HR Concept mean the production car is definitely on our wish-list for Australia,” he said in a statement. “Given the right specification, pricing and availability for our market, we would expect the C-HR production model to accelerate the already-hot demand for vehicles in the small SUV segment…Toyota is obviously keen to compete in what is the fastest-growing category across the entire Australian market, with sales up more than 30 per cent so far this year.”
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
The European model that was shown at the Frankfurt event greatly resembled the North American version, writes Cristian Gnaticov of InAutoNews.com. It was revealed that the vehicle will be available in both front-wheel or all-wheel drive versions, with an additional motor being added to the all-wheel drive version to power the rear wheels.
Featuring a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Atkinson Cycle petrol burner (as well as an electric motor that gets it’s power from the “nickel-metal hybrid battery”), the vehicle also had a continuously variable transmission. The revealed specs suggest a fast, powerful vehicle that can produce 197 horsepower. The car is expected to accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in 8.7 seconds, and it can reach a top speed of 111 mph. You should expect about a 48 mile per gallon fuel economy, as well as an impressive economy from the CO2 emissions.
That’s not it for the impressive features. In a press release, Toyota revealed that “the RAV4 Hybrid AWD has a second, rear mounted electric motor that offers increased traction and a 1,650 kg towing capacity without the added weight and complexity of a central prop shaft.”
Toyota Aygo X-clusive Special Edition
We’d bet you haven’t heard of this one before. As Gnaticov notes, the “Electro Grey” exterior, “black canvas roof,” and “Silver Sparkle accents” makes the vehicle instantly recognizable. The small vehicle also features tinted windows, a chrome belt line trim, and 15-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.
The Aygo is expected to include the 1.0-liter three-cylinder VVT-I petrol burner, which can produce 69 horsepower and 70 feet-pounds of torque. As the writer notes, the system can be connected to either a manual or automatic transmission.
What did we tell you? Toyota truly pulled out all the stops as they looked to impress at the Frankfurt Auto Show… and based on initial reactions, we’d say they were successful in their endeavor.
While none of these vehicles are imminent, it’s still exciting to see what may be coming to our local car lots! It’s also fascinating when you recognize all of the projects these brands are actually working on. You may be focused on the ten or so cars the company has released for consumers, but you forget about all the work they’re doing behind the scenes. Luckily, these engineers can also be recognized for their innovative work!
