Category: Toyota

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TOYOTA KLUGER 2003 – 2015

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2010 Toyota Kluger

Toyota has dominated 4WD and SUV markets in Australia for many decades. In October 2003 it introduced yet another vehicle to its range, the Toyota Kluger. It sits neatly in the gap between the smallish RAV4 and the relatively serious chassis-mounted Prado. Kluger is based on a car platform, similar to that of the Camry at the time. It was toughened up to let it take part in mild to medium off-road driving. Initially it was driven by all four wheels, but a 2WD (the front wheels) was added to… Read more

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TOYOTA STYLE PARIS FASHION

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Safety and style: it appears Toyota is covering all bases with its revised light passenger vehicle, the Yaris hatchback. It has class-leading safety systems available across the range and is clothed in an interesting shape from the Toyota ED2 design studio in the south of France. The result is premium safety that’s standard on the top-of-the-range Yaris ZR we drove, and a $650 option on the Ascent and mid-range SX variants. Yaris hatches are well equipped, featuring cruise control, a display audio system with controls on the steering wheel spokes,… Read more

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TOYOTA’S ULTRA-STYLISH C-HR

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Late last century Toyota took the chisel to several models and carved a series of cutting edge designs that had the automotive world sitting up: think the curvy Celica; Tarago ‘egg’ people mover, the first RAV4 and the Prius petrol / electric hybrid. Other than that the Japanese penned plenty of rather bland shapes. That has dramatically changed. In parallel with the rapid sales rise of SUVs, Toyota has come up with the radically-styled C-HR, standing for Coupe High Rider. To say the C-HR is different is the mother of… Read more

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TOYOTA COROLLA JUST KEEP ON KEEPING ON

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When the last Ford Falcon rolled off the company’s Broadmeadow production line in October last year it surrendered its title as Australia’s longest-running current passenger car. Replacing it on the number one place on the podium was the Toyota Corolla which has been on sale here since 1967 including around a decade in which it was locally-produced. Despite its longevity Corolla has never been more popular topping the annual passenger vehicle sales chart for each of the past four years. To celebrate its 50th anniversary Corolla sedan was given a… Read more

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TOYOTA PRADO 2003 – 2016

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2003 Toyota Prado GXL

Toyota imports a large number of 4WD, SUV and crossover vehicles to Australia and dominates our market here. Indeed, it can trace its first efforts back to the days of the original Snowy Mountain Scheme in the 1950s. The Toyota Prado sits a couple of steps down in the range, beneath the tough LandCruiser 70 Series light truck and the rugged LandCruiser station wagon. To further complicate irefully things the full title of the Prado is LandCruiser Prado. Beneath the Prado comes the Toyota Kluger, then the Toyota RAV4. Do… Read more

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THAT’S NOT AN SUV …

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1953 FJ Holden panel van

To paraphrase old mate Crocodile Dundee, “That’s not an SUV … this is an SUV!” Early in 2017 SUV sales in Australia overtook those of passenger cars. This doesn’t make sense to me because it’s blindingly obvious that many so-called SUVs are nothing but tall hatchbacks. I decided to research the origin of SUVs in Australia and was stunned and delighted to find that the first ever Australian designed and built SUV was … wait for it … the FJ Holden. Yep, the good old FJ panel van can be… Read more

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TOYOTA CELEBRATES HILUX SUCCESS WITH A TONKA TRUCK

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We’re all familiar by now with the ‘Mad Monday’ phenomenon where boofy blokes dress up in outrageous costumes and make pests of themselves to celebrate their sporting victories. Having just taken out the motoring equivalent of a grand final win with its HiLux ute – outselling all its rivals in the 2016 sales race – Toyota has decided to celebrate in ‘Mad Monday style by teaming up with toy truck maker Tonka to built an outrageously styled concept ute. Both Tonka and Toyota are household names and celebrate significant anniversaries… Read more

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TOYOTA C-HR: WOW!

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And now for something completely different. Toyota C-HR answers the critics who say the Japanese giant makes nothing but boringly sensible vehicles. Akio Toyoda, the current head of the automotive company started by his grandfather, issued orders to his stylists, and you see the result here. Toyota C-HR is like nothing else we have seen before, with sharp diagonal lines, inside and out, standout wheelarches, and a rear that’s so complex it initially confuses the mind. Even better, C-HR is offered in interesting colours to hopefully the 500 shades of… Read more

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TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 70 SERIES

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Australian Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series buyers want a tough vehicle, whether it’s for farming, mining, exploring, heavy-duty off-road holidays, or getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. Huh, what was that last one? I can vouch for the Guinness Book entry, having driven a LandCruiser Troop Carrier for a huge 2724 kilometres on a single fuel fill in 1992. There’s a certificate on my office wall to prove it. Anyhow, enough about me, let’s talk about the latest version in the Toyota 4WD that first went on sale here… Read more

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UPGRADED TOYOTA KLUGER: MORE POWER, LESS FUEL

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Toyota Australia has something for just about everyone in the SUV / 4WD field. The Kluger is aimed very much at the SUV lover who wants to transport the family in more comfort than the heavy duty LandCruiser 100 and the almost heavy-duty Prado. Kluger sits midway between Prado and RAV4 and has been popular during its 14 years downunder to date. Now Kluger has been updated, with a facelift, new technology and increased in-cabin comfort. By far the biggest news in the latest Kluger is that the long-running petrol… Read more