Toyota Of Wallingford

You know Toyota is head of all technology when it comes to automobiles. Their latest venture may help protect us from the sun. ?Toyota has invented an innovative glass technology that claims to reduce ultraviolet (UV) light penetration into the front of the car by approximately 99 per cent,? according to reports.

The front-door glass will be used in various new Toyota cars to be launched on international markets during 2011 ? and maybe set to launch in the United States.

?Combined with UV-reducing windscreens, the use of the new front-door glass will result in an approximate 99 per cent reduction in overall UV penetration through the front-door windows and windscreen. Toyota estimates that the resulting sunburn protection is equivalent to that of wearing gloves while driving.?

These windscreens, which use laminated glass, reduce UV by approximately 99 per cent through the use of a UV-blocking film between two sheets of glass in the laminating process. Door windows, however, generally use single-piece tempered glass that is often instilled with UV-absorbing material to achieve approximately 89 per cent UV protection.

For the new front-door glass technology, interior side of the window glass has been surfaced with a high-performance UV-absorbing film to achieve that UV-reduction.



[SOURCE] http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/cars/toyota/toyota-glass-blocks-uv-by-99-1.1002298

Toyota introduced its 2011 Sienna minivan earlier this year, with a smaller 4-cylinder engine, which produces decent horsepower and amazing gas mileage.

The four-cylinder Sienna promised an EPA rating of 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. Anyone who cares about fuel economy knows how to work greater mileage out with a "four-banger."

The base model Sienna LE lists from $24,260, undercutting the current model by $340. Buyers wanting the sportier SE model with a V6 goes for $30,550, while buyers of the range-topping Limited AWD model with have to shell out $39,770 (pricing does not include destination charges).

Toyota is aiming the updated Sienna at new families that need more space, but the van rides on Riding on the same platform as Camry, Prius, RAV4, Venza and Highlander. Toyota also hopes "empty-nesters" will give the Sienna consideration for its "luxurious and spacious interior."

Designed at Toyota's facilities in southern California, the all-new Sienna takes most of its styling cues from a 2006 concept. Up front the Sienna sport a face familiar to that seen on the Venza crossover, giving the minivan a more aggressive look than the outgoing model. Toyota engineers managed to hide the van's sliding door tracks, allowing for a slicker overall look. The rear of the new Sienna is highlighted by LED taillights.

Sienna buyers will be able to choose between a 265 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 or the same 187 horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder. Both engines come with a six-speed automatic.

Toyota seems determined to keep a promise that each model in its lineup will have a hybrid version. With the many vehicles ready to hit us next year, it's hard to tell which of them will have a bigger impact. For Toyota, high-profile models will come in the form of updated versions of already existing variants, including revised versions of existing technology.

Toyota is also planning a 'hatchback offensive' next year, with more than one model variant expected to hit the market. Among theses, a hatchback version of the Corolla should play a key role.

Expected to be equipped with the same engine-electric motor combination powering the Prius hybrid (a 1.8l Atkinson gasoline engine developing 98 bhp connected to an electric unit that also generates 80 bhp), the model was spied while testing in Italy.

There is no additional information regarding the model, not even a possible release date. Performance wise, it's unclear what the model is capable of. Auto Evolution used figures from the Auris, a model somewhat similar in shape and size in the UK, for comparison:

In Auris' case, the hybrid drivetrains an 11.4 second acceleration time for the 0 to 62 mph sprint and offers a top speed of 112 mph. The Auris Hybrid can run in all-electric mode for distances of up to 1.2 miles at speeds of up to 30 mph.

Check out the latest from Toyota in person at Toyota of Wallingford.

President and CEO of Toyota Motors North America, Yoshi Inaba, introduced the all new Toyota Prius Plug-in at a ceremony at New York City Hall. He presented models to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the city department of transportation.

This plug-in test fleet is part of a program in the city to reduce emissions of carbon and greenhouse gases. It is also part of Toyota's preparation for launching their plug-ins during 2012. The car maker is dishing out over 160 plug-in hybrids for similar programs across the US.

"New York City has one of the world's most aggressive and comprehensive sustainability plans - PlaNYC, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030," Mayor Bloomberg said. Developing a more efficient fleet of vehicles is a major component in reaching that goal, he said.

It takes three hours to fully charge a Prius plug-in using a standard 110-volt outlet, or half that time using a 220-volt outlet (think the type used by clothes dryers). Once charged, the car runs about 13 miles at speeds up to 62 mph. Beyond that,Prius Plug-in switches to  hybrid mode, running on a combination of gasoline and battery power, much like a standard hybrid. Over the past five years, New York has bought more than 2500 Toyota hybrid vehicles for official use, mostly as taxi cabs.

During the new test program, Department of Transportation officials will gather data on how the cars are used and how they perform. Early next year, data from the program will be posted online, allowing people to follow the cars and get an idea of how the plug-in systems are working in everyday real-world driving.

You can check out the current run of Toyota's Prius today at Toyota of Wallingford.




[SOURCE] http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/12/02/toyota-delivers-prius-plug-in-hybrids-to-new-york-city-officials/

Toyota is revving up more electric vehicle news, with the release of the RAV4 and Plug-in Prius. There's also a new, small Toyota iQ headed to the US in 2012.

Details are yet to be revealed, since the concept is still in project form. But more information is likely to emerge in the following months. Toyota will probably show a preview at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"TMC will continue to improve the fuel efficiency of its conventional combustion-engine cars, which account for the majority of its sales, while raising performance, reducing costs and expanding the company's product lineup," Toyota said in a statement.

"Within these efforts, hybrid technologies-consisting of the basic technologies necessary for development of various eco-cars-are positioned as key technologies to achieve both high fuel efficiency and driving performance, and to facilitate the use of various fuels with the aim of creating a low-carbon society through response to the need to diversify energy sources."

Meanwhile, the company is making the final touches to the RAV4 EV model, capable of achieving a range of about 100 miles. Production of the car is expected to begin in 2012.

Test drive all the latest from Toyota now at Toyota of Wallingford.




[SOURCE] http://www.autoevolution.com/news/electric-toyota-iq-coming-in-2012-26837.html

There's an app for...well pretty much everything these days. And now an Internet Radio app on new Toyota models can help you out of a bind. The Japanese auto maker announced it is working with Clear Channel to integrate a mobile app, iheart radio, into some of its vehicles next year.

The iheart app is currently available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Phone 7. It lets you listen to more than 750 Clear Channel stations, mostly from specific cities, with a few genre-oriented stations not tied to a particular market. Live music streams over the phone's data connection.

The new app could act as an interface in the car, allowing one to control the app on a phone. This also opens up the possibility for Toyota to include interfaces or other apps, like those which act as emergency 911 or accident devices.

After the app is installed in the car, it will require a data connection. This could point toward a new strategy by Toyota to build modems into its vehicles - or the app could rely on a data connection provided by someone's smartphone brought into the car. Toyota says it will will reveal details in January 2011.

Check out all the latest car tech from Toyota now at Toyota of Wallingford.