To regain leadership, Toyota has created a plan to release a lineup of new or redesigned products within the next two years. Under the timeframe that Toyota has given, there will be at least 10 products that will appear in dealerships by the end of 2012. Toyota will undertake a significant change in how it develops its products. Toyota will now lengthen the platform cadence. What Toyota did previously was for the models to be redesigned after every five years and for there to be a slight change in the fascia after the third year. With this new approach, the cycle could be extended to six years but at the midpoint, there will be more significant sheet metal revisions as well as powertrain upgrades.



Toyota revealed that the styling of the global subcompact Yaris will be more aggressive. It will arrive this fall, after having been slightly delayed as its Iwate plant was damaged by the March 11 earthquake. This new version will feature a 98.8-inch wheelbase, making it longer than the existing model by about two inches. Initially, Toyota will offer a three-door and five-door hatch. However, Toyota is also planning a sedan. Toyota offers the new 98-hp 1.3-liter engine overseas, but it’s likely that Toyota will keep the 106-hp 1.5-liter engine for North America.

For transmission, consumers can choose between a five-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. What Toyota plans for the Scion iQ is that by 2012, an electric version would already be available. Toyota is targeting a range of about 50 miles for this iQ EV. It will be offered to commercial fleets that have short routes and centralized charging systems. With regards to the much-awaited Avalon, Toyota announced that it will arrive in the fall of 2012. Last June, dealerships that attended the national meeting in Las Vegas became even more excited about the Avalon rather than the Camry. The Avalon’s styling is inspired by the Audi A7, Jaguar XJ and the Lexus lines, says Autonews. The Avalon will retain the 3.5-liter V-6 engine but its handling will be enhanced.