2012 Toyota Camry Appears in Different Form in Ukraine

After this week's world premiere of the North American market 2012 Camry, Toyota is now preparing the debuts of its mid-size sedan in other regions of the world. First up is the Ukrainian version, which will most likely be offered in the same form in other surrounding markets including Russia.

While both iterations of the 2012 Toyota Camry share the same body and platform, the Ukrainian model sports a different and more prominent front-end design with bespoke headlamp units, bumper, hood, grille and front fenders.

The profile remains the same while at the rear Toyota's designers extended the tail lamps and restyled the deck lid that now features a subtle lip.

Inside, the changes seem to be limited to the region-specific trim and color options plus a different glove box design.

Toyota Ukraine said the new 2012 Camry will be offered locally with a choice of 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter six-cylinder gasoline engines, and prices starting from US$33,050, with more details to be available before the end of the year. 

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2012 Toyota Tacoma Facelift Revealed

While Toyota may be taking its time to release information on its 2012 portfolio in the United States, pictures and video of its upcoming models are already making the internet rounds. Following the early reveal of the 2012 Camry, the folks over at the PickupTrucks website found an allegedly official promotional video on Vimeo featuring the 2012 Tacoma facelift.

The clip was removed but not before the website took a few shots of Toyota's subtly refreshed pickup truck. If this is indeed the 2012 Tacoma, then the changes on the outside are minimal and mostly concentrated up front with the newly shaped chrome grille and black trim on the bumper.

Of course there may be more changes in the interior as well as the pickup truck's hardware, but we'll have to wait for the official announcement to learn more.

Story source: PickupTruck

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Japanese domestic market [JDM] 2012 Toyota Camry

We've seen official teaser shots and unofficial video footage of the next generation of the 2012 Toyota Camry that give us a rough idea of what the North American market version will look like when it arrives in showrooms later this year.

However, the USA and Canada aren’t the only markets expecting the new Camry. So is the Asia Pacific region, albeit in a slightly modified form.

Now, thanks to a forum member of VW Vortex we have what appears to be scans from an unnamed magazine allegedly featuring brochure shots of the Japanese domestic market [JDM] 2012 Toyota Camry.

If these pictures do indeed show the real thing (we can't be 100 percent sure), then the JDM Camry will get a different fascia with reshaped headlamps as well as modified tail lights.

In the brochure we see that there are two engines listed, a 2.5-liter unit codenamed 2AR-FXE and a 2.4-liter powerplant identified as the 2AZ-FXE. Both engines are linked to an electric motor (hence the two different output numbers) and will be offered on the Camry Hybrid.

Under the engine list, we find a fuel economy rating of 26.5 km/lt that equals 62.3mpg US and 3.7lt/100km, however, this number denotes the Japanese driving cycle and as such, cannot be directly compared to U.S. or Euro figures.

Story source: VW Vortex

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Toyota to Debut 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid

The final production version of Toyota's long anticipated Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle –or PHEV for short- will make its first public appearance at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show on the 15th of September.

The Japanese automaker has been field-testing the Prius PHEV for quite some time now, but starting from next Spring, it will go on sale in Europe as well as other markets including select dealerships in the U.S. with a nationwide launch to follow in 2013.

The addition of a compact lithium-ion battery with plug-in capability increases both the efficiency as well as the car's all-electric driving range to around 13 miles or 21 km at speeds of up to 62mph (100km/h). Once the battery is depleted the PHEV reverts to its hybrid mode and operates as a regular Prius.

According to the automaker, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle can be fully charged in approximately three hours from a standard 110-volt electrical outlet, and in 90 minutes with a 220-volt connection.

Toyota said that based on the European homologation cycle, the Prius PHEV returns up to 128.4mpg UK (equal to 106.9mpg US and 2.2lt/100km) with corresponding CO2 emissions of 49 g/km, almost half the standard model.

"While some debate the relative merits of electric cars, the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid offers drivers the best of both worlds; extended EV driving range for shorter journeys in towns and cities, while the efficient hybrid petrol engine gives the car uncompromised long range capability and the very low fuel consumption of the standard Prius," Toyota said in a statement.

In Europe, the new Prius Plug-in will join an expanded Toyota hybrid range consisting of the Prius, the British-built Auris hybrid, the new, seven-seat Prius+ and the soon-to-be-released Yaris hybrid.

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Toyota FT-86 Concept

Inspired by the sports coupe based on the Corolla AE86 80, was the FT-86 conceptcar developed by the manufacturer ED2 design in France and has a strikingresemblance to the FT-HS concept car shown at the Detroit several years ago.

Since it is a "concept" is, has not revealed much about the Toyota FT-86, however,but we know, is powered by a Subaru Send derived 2.0-liter boxer-four to the rear wheels. Toyota focused on maintaining the ideal weight for better handling and,according to one source, is the platform that is unique to the concept. The engine is smaller in the engine room to help the aerodynamics, while the control center of gravity, and the dimensions of the new 2 +2 Toyota is 163.78 cm and 69.29 cm long and has a wheelbase distance of 101.18 cm.

After FT-86 bows in concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, the production model next year with revenues of at some point in late 2011 had a pricesomewhere north of $ 20.000

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TOYOTA "HC-CV" CONCEPT

Now the word "Camry" and "Hybrid" is generally not the one you hear too often on Speedhunters, but this car might actually be interesting enough to warrant a second look.

This concept is called the HC-CV which stands ...." Camry Hybrid Concept Vehicle ". The name Crazy is not it? Mechanical HC-CV is the standard Camry Hybrid, but it comes with several unique cosmetic modifications that make this car look surprisingly decent.

These changes include car bumpers and side skirts unique, custom paint job of white, and blue accents throughout the exterior and interior. I'm not sure about touching the blue, but the body did a good job to add some character Camry and cold wheel in the "car of the future" kind of way. It actually looks a bit like the new Crown Athlete from certain angles.

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Hybrid Pioneer Toyota Looking To Catch Up On Turbo Charging And Direct Injection

Despite the company's affinity for hybrid electric powertrain, Toyota's technological eggs are not placed solely in one basket. In fact, the automaker doesn't expect hybrids to even account for 20 percent of its global volume by 2020. As a result, the company's expanding its interests to refining the internal combustion engine, notably via direct fuel injection and turbocharging.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of R&D, told Automotive News that, "in the next five years, the general trend is downsizing of engines and the use of turbochargers."

He must have been referring specifically to Toyota, because downsizing and turbocharging is a general engineering trend that's been underway for the better part of the past decade. Companies such as Volkswagen, Audi, Ford, Hyundai, and Mazda to name a few have been using direct injection and turbos for years to increase fuel economy.

Uchiyamada-san also explained that he foresees Toyota using the new engine tech across its range -- meaning you'll see it rolled out in everything from a Corolla to a Crown --, and that stop/start systems and variable valve timing improvements will also be a part of the solution.

If Toyota's renewed focus on conventional engines tells us anything, it's that there's no one single solution to improving fuel economy and curtailing emissions while keeping manufacturing costs low. Finding the best combination of technology for every application is key to Toyota's -- or any automaker's -- future success.

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