Toyota recalling 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans over brake light bracket issue

Toyota has issued a voluntary recall for approximately 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans produced before the beginning of November 2010. The recall is a result of a Stop Lamp Switch Bracket placed near the parking brake. When the parking brake is fully applied it may deform the switch bracket. This could result in the brake lights remaining lit or even partial engagement of the brakes resulting in a reduction of brake effectiveness over time.

No other vehicles have been affected by the issue and no accidents or injuries have been reported as of a result. Owners of affected vehicles will receive a notice in the mail by the middle of January, which contains instructions on how to handle any affects they might feel if their switch bracket has been deformed. A second notice will be sent out in February to inform customers that replacement parts are now available and appointments can be made with local Toyota service departments. Hop the jump for the full details.

Toyota Prius has been Japan’s top-selling car for 18 straight months

The Toyota Prius has been the top-selling vehicle in its home market of Japan since its redesign in 2009 for the 2010 model year, due partly to a series of incentives created by the Japanese government to promote fuel efficient vehicles – more specifically, hybrids. Those incentives ended in September, leading many to wonder if Toyota’s hybrid hatchback could maintain its stranglehold atop the sales board.

Apparently, the answer is yes. According to data provided by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association, Toyota managed to sell 21,400 Prius hybrids in November, more than enough to earn the fuel-sipper the top sales spot over the second-place Honda Fit (16,677 units).

It seems that the end of hybrid vehicle subsidies did take something of a toll on Prius sales, however. Though still on top, sales of Toyota’s hybrid hatchback were down by just over 20 percent when compared to the same period one year ago, when the Japanese government’s incentives were in full effect. Still, Toyota’s green jellybean has enjoyed 18 months at the top and still has quite a few carlengths on the Fit, and that’s nothing to be sneezed at.

Toyota Etios joins India’s B-car ranks

Toyota will officially join the Indian B-car segment with this, the 2011 Etios sedan. A hatchback version, Etios Liva, will follow in April. While the styling is decidedly sedate, Toyota hopes to attract shoppers with the Etios’ low price point – 496,000 Rupees, or just under $11,000 USD based on current exchange rates.

Power comes from a 1.5-liter inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Tuned specifically for fuel efficiency, athe engine produces just 89 horsepower and 97 pound-feet of torque. The Etios is capable of achieving 17.6 kilometers per liter, or roughly 41.2 miles per gallon.

Inside, the relatively spartan interior uses a center-mounted instrument panel, and amenities like steering-mounted audio controls and red seat inserts are available in the more upmarket models. The Etios is offered in four trim levels – J, G, V and VX – with pricing as high as 686,000 Rupees (roughly $15,287) for the top-tier Etios VX.

Hit the jump for Toyota’s official press release, and scan through the gallery below to see high-res images of the India-only Etios.

Toyota Etios joins India’s B-car ranks

Toyota will officially join the Indian B-car segment with this, the 2011 Etios sedan. A hatchback version, Etios Liva, will follow in April. While the styling is decidedly sedate, Toyota hopes to attract shoppers with the Etios’ low price point – 496,000 Rupees, or just under $11,000 USD based on current exchange rates.

Power comes from a 1.5-liter inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Tuned specifically for fuel efficiency, athe engine produces just 89 horsepower and 97 pound-feet of torque. The Etios is capable of achieving 17.6 kilometers per liter, or roughly 41.2 miles per gallon.

Inside, the relatively spartan interior uses a center-mounted instrument panel, and amenities like steering-mounted audio controls and red seat inserts are available in the more upmarket models. The Etios is offered in four trim levels – J, G, V and VX – with pricing as high as 686,000 Rupees (roughly $15,287) for the top-tier Etios VX.

Hit the jump for Toyota’s official press release, and scan through the gallery below to see high-res images of the India-only Etios.

Toyota Corolla will debut in LA with new nose

Toyota has given the Corolla a quick refresh for 2011, and we can expect to get our first in-the-flesh peak at the design at the 2010 LA Auto Show later this week. Toyota says it sought help from styling studios in Turin, Italy, in shaping the small sedan’s revised nose and tail section. 

With a new bumper cap, grille and headlights, the 2011 Corolla now wears a face that’s a bit more differentiated from the much larger Camry. Out back, Toyota designers also gave the car a reworked trunk lid and rear bumper.

Next year will also bring a host of standard safety tech, including vehicle stability control and traction control. Otherwise, buyers can expect to be met with the same 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine as the 2010 model. 

While we have no qualms with the company’s workhorse four-pot, we are more than a little disappointed to see that the archaic four-speed automatic will stay on for 2011 as well. At least the five-speed manual gearbox is still available. Hit the jump for a look at the press release.

Toyota gets its sport hybrid on with Prius Plus Performance Package

Looks like Honda isn’t the only automaker trying to cash in on the idea of a “sport hybrid.” Toyota has just debuted its new line of Plus performance parts at this year’s SEMA show, and the first vehicle to benefit from these new accessories is the Prius hybrid.

The Prius Plus Performance Package (say that three times fast) includes a seven-piece aero kit that still allows the sleek hatch to maintain its 0.25 coefficient of drag. The new front and rear bumper spoilers, side skirts and rear diffuser are rounded off with an attractive set of 17-inch forged wheels wrapped in slick 215/45-series tires.

In an effort to keep things as economical as possible, the Prius’ hybrid engine does not receive any upgrades, but the hatch’s suspension has been tweaked to provide better overall handling. Sport-tuned lowering springs have been fitted and a rear sway bar has been put in place to keep things flat and stable during cornering.

Toyota will be offering the Plus Performance Package in limited quantities beginning in April of next year. Follow the jump for the official details and see the modded-up Prius for yourself in the galleries below.

Toyota brings some swagger to Sin City

Seven million. That’s how many times Toyota’s much-loved Swagger Wagon rap video has been viewed on YouTube. 

Well, actually, it’s 7,154,749… but who’s counting? With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the Japanese automaker has chosen to outfit its official SEMA floorspace with a customized Sienna dubbed, appropriately enough, Swagger Wagon Supreme.

Actor Brian Huskey, otherwise known as Swagger Dad, was on hand to introduce the stretched and lowered metallic blue Sienna minivan. 

He started his speech from inside the Wagon, which is decked out with a nicely finished wood floor along with plenty of cabinetry, televisions and computer paraphernalia. See it for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

Toyota Prius C&A Custom is the new definition of all show, no go

Can a Prius be sporty? Toyota’s latest offering here at SEMA proves to us that it can certainly try to look the part. The Prius C&A Custom Concept wears an aggressive, lightweight carbon fiber body kit and rides on 18-inch forged aluminum wheels. What’s more, the C&A has been substantially lowered thanks to a TIEN setup that drops the hatch’s ride height by four inches in front and six inches out back. The result is a Prius that has been transformed from a do-good hybrid into what looks like the anime version of a Lamborghini Reventón.

The upgrades have continued inside the Prius, where the cabin has been covered (and we mean covered) in Alcantara suede. The headliner, A and B pillars, door trim, rear seat, console box, front Recaro seats, steering wheel and even the aluminum shift knob all wear Alcantara.

This Prius certainly echoes the SEMA theme, as odd as it may be. See for yourself in our high-res gallery below, and read Toyota’s own words about the C&A Custom in the press release after the jump.

2011 Toyota Prius is EPA fuel economy leader for one more year

The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have released the latest Fuel Economy Guide, listing the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the States. Once again, the Toyota Priustops this chart, besting the competition with its EPA ratings of 51/48 miles per gallon city/highway.

Beyond the Prius, the list of fuel economy leaders is rounded out with the usual cast of characters, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid (as well as its Milan and MKZ counterparts), Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus HS 250h and more. You won’t find Volkswagen’s oil-burning Golf TDI or Jetta TDI on the list, though, even though their 30/42 mpg is immensely respectable.

As for newcomer EVs like the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, the EPA states that “no 2011 model year electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have completed testing as of publication of this list.” Once the EPA decides how it is going to rate electric vehicle fuel economy, we’ll see these vehicles included in the list of fuel economy leaders, and the Toyota Prius will likely lose its first place crown.

2010 Toyota RAV4 EV Concept

Toyota RAV4 EV Concept released at LA Auto Show. Good performance its which added a major powertrain option, along with minor feature and cosmetic changes. The demonstration vehicle weighs approximately 220 pounds more than the current RAV4 V6 yet it will accelerate from zero to sixty nearly as quickly.

The Toyota is currently testing is powered by a lithium metal oxide battery with useable output rated in the mid-30 kwh range. However, many decisions regarding both the product, as well as the business model, have not been finalized. Battery size and final output ratings, as well as pricing and volume projections of the vehicle Toyota plans to bring to market in 2012, have not been decided.

The Toyota RAV4 EV received several distinct exterior styling changes including a new front bumper, grille, fog lamps and head lamps. New EV badging and the custom “mutually exclusive” paint color, completed the transformation. The interior received custom seat trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button shifter and dashboard meters. The RAV4 platform brings a 73-cubic-foot cargo area with rear seats folded down – no cargo space was lost in the conversion to an electric powertrain.

Toyota’s comprehensive technology strategy is a portfolio approach that includes a long-term commitment to hydrogen fuel cells, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics all driven by the further proliferation of conventional gas-electric hybrids, like Prius, as its core technology.

Toyota has announced that coinciding with the arrival of the Toyota RAV4 EV in 2012 it will launch, in key global markets, the Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) and a small EV commuter vehicle. It will also launch, in key global markets, its first commercialized hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in calendar year 2015, or sooner.