Hybrid trio centre stage at Toyota
2008 Sydney Motor Show: Australia's number one car brand had an uncommonly quiet show, but pushed its hybrid credentialsHybrids are us! That was the message at Toyota's stand at the 2008 Australian International Motor Show. Indeed, while the carmaker sneaked facelifted HiLux, RAV4 and Yaris models on to the market at the show, it was a trio of hybrids that took the limelight.
The Hybrid X is a view into Toyota's future, says the carmaker, and will influence the styling of future hybrid and conventional models alike
Created and developed by Toyota's European styling centre ED² in the south of France, the four-door, four-seat concept car is said to be a strong pointer to aspects of the new Prius which will be launch at January's Detroit Motor Show.
A vision of Toyota's hybrid performance potential is the Supra HV-R. The pole-setter and winner of last year's Tokachi 24-hour enduro in Japan, Toyota claims the HV-R is "the first -- and only -- hybrid car to win an officially sanctioned motor race".
Powered by a 350kW 4.5-litre petrol engine working in tandem with a 150kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle (as well as small electric motors in the front wheels), the HV-R previews some of the technology that could make its way into future performance cars from the Big T.
Instead of being fitted with the heavy conventional rechargeable batteries, the HV-R uses "a quick-charging capacitor system designed to cope with the high energy flow of the massive acceleration and braking during a long race", says Toyota. It weighs in at just 1080kg in race trim.
Camry Hybrid meantime was on hand to emphasise its production reality -- just over 12 months away from job one at Toyota's Altona (Vic) plant. Toyota boss Dave Buttner put aside worldwide economic woes and a plummeting Australian dollar to reiterate the company's commitment to build the car.
Buttner dismissed any suggestion a low value Aussie dollar would jeopardise the Synergy Drive-sequipped Camry's production Down Under.
"There's been peaks and troughs in the currency for ever -- I've been in this industry for 32 years and it's never changed... Hybrid Camry will be built in this country and be on sale in 2010.
"That's a commitment we've made to the Australian market and it's important to our future marketing and our strategy in this country," Buttner stated
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