Toyota at Geneva: Three New Vehicles
Like Paris, Frankfurt, Detroit or Tokyo, the Geneva Motor Show is an auto extravaganza that attracts attention from all corners of the globe. This year’s event looks promising with a number of critically important introductions from the world’s leading manufacturers. Toyota will be contributing three global debuts at this year’s show, including two production vehicles and a third concept car.
Starting with the concept, The Urban Cruiser is a new subcompact SUV designed by its French ED2 Design studios, the same group that penned the new Yaris and many other European Toyotas. The concept, which in essence is a design study, doesn’t advance any new technologies in particular, but nevertheless explores new areas of styling which could possibly be applied to Toyota SUVs. The Urban Cruiser has some of the rough ‘n tough styling attributes which are often featured on classic off-road sport ‘utes, including metal-finished skidplates and trim, and blends them together with tall fenders and large wheels. With growing gas prices, and an increase in demand for compact, urban runabouts, vehicles like the Urban Cruiser are sure to arrive on our streets in no time at all.
More excitingly, Toyota will also be using the Geneva Motor Show to launch its Yaris T-Sport, the performance version of the Yaris subcompact. Unlike the previous T-Sport, which was powered by the 1.5-litre four-cylinder that was previously standard equipment in the North American Echo, a car that sold as our Echo Hatchback ‘RS’ model, the new T-Sport is the most powerful Yaris created to date. The upcoming T-Sport will be powered by a 1.8-litre inline-four with a performance-tuned variable valve timing system. Though outputs have yet to be announced, expect them to be around 140-horsepower, a good boost over the car’s current 106-hp mill. To go along with the bigger engine, the Yaris T-Sport gains more distinctive front and rear bumpers, a lowered suspension and larger alloy wheels. It is possible something similar will make it to North America, especially now that Nissan has announced its 125-hp Versa subcompact.
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