Japanese Car News

[iRage]

Mazda is retiring the Atenza name plate and calling it Mazda 6 (to coincide with the Axela getting called Mazda 3) and having the same name across the globe. But the more exciting news is that the Japanese market will also be getting the 2.5L Turbo charged variant (which was previously limited to the US and few European and Middle Eastern markets..maybe a few others..).

[iRage]

On 7/1/2019 at 12:24 PM, kush said:

What is interesting is even this teaser site does not have images of the actual Japanese Corolla Sedan and Touring Wagon. There are apparently just indicative and are told will have the same styling as the Corolla Sports and European Corolla....apparently the Japanese variant will have a narrower body than the European and US versions which the picture is of...and that is about 45mm narrower than the Japanese Corolla Sport and shorter than the Eurpoean/US Corolla Sedan/Touring Wagon variants. The numbers might seem small but the things is this would effect the way the fenders and the wheel arches taper along with the overhangs (or the lack of it). So it actually might look better or worst  

Toyota Japan has stopped accepting orders of the current Axio (since 30 June) and the current Axio X grade apparently will be manufactured for business fleets for one more year. Apparently there are quite a few ex-stock sales of the current Axio going on with attractive discounts and people are also advised on the new model (apparently dealers ahve the catalogs for sales presentations but not for distribution)

Edited July 4, 2019 by iRage

[GK_007]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

Mazda is retiring the Atenza name plate and calling it Mazda 6 (to coincide with the Axela getting called Mazda 3) and having the same name across the globe. But the more exciting news is that the Japanese market will also be getting the 2.5L Turbo charged variant (which was previously limited to the US and few European and Middle Eastern markets..maybe a few others..).

?? 

Even the 2L will be outrageously expensive here.  Dont think they be ever imported to SL unless someone with a permit makes a sensible choice.  Which usually does not happen in SL. 

Haven't seen post 2015,  sixes or in that case many threes here. 

[kush]

27 minutes ago, GK_007 said:

?? 

Even the 2L will be outrageously expensive here.  Dont think they be ever imported to SL unless someone with a permit makes a sensible choice.  Which usually does not happen in SL. 

Haven't seen post 2015,  sixes or in that case many threes here. 

Sensible choice would be a E-Class, 5 Series or A6 when the duty you pay is same. And the Euro SUV range with 2.0L engines

[RWD]

48 minutes ago, kush said:

Sensible choice would be a E-Class, 5 Series or A6 when the duty you pay is same. And the Euro SUV range with 2.0L engines

yes sadly I feel that's the end of the road for the newer Mazda's under the current duty structure in SL. Since they are not into turbocharging and are sticking to their big displacements no chance of the newer 3's and 6's catching on. Which makes the old 2.5 6 a nice proposition to own. Still looks the part today. 

[iRage]

The Skyline sedan/coupe gets a face-lift with engine/, hybrid system and ProPiot tweaks...I love the fact that they went back to the Nissan logo instead of the Iinifinity logo for the Skyline
Best part !
We get to see another 400R !
It won't be as crazy as the original 400R but still nice for nostalgia sake...yay for 400+hp Japanese barge sedans !

Nissan has dropped the 2.0L Merc 274 and is going with the Vr30DDTT for the gasoline variants and VQ35 for the Hybrids.

The standard gasoline variants will have about 300hp (stock output of the VR30DDTT) and the 400R will have the same engine tuned up to put out 400hp.

#NissanSkyline
#400R

[iRage]

Acura's Type S concept..yes...it RWD 
Hope some of this actually makes it in to production models...

[iRage]

Toyota Thailand released the Toyota Majesty today....

The Majesty is the replacement for the HiAce Ventury; which was pretty much an Alphard like variant of the HiAce. It was released soon after the HiAce Premium Lounge (last 2 pictures) was showcased at TMC 2015...

Would be interesting to see if this will be launched in Japan as a big brother variant of the Alphard/Vellfire; or even if this will replace the Alphard/Vellfire in Japan completely as the sister vans are supposed to get merged in to one. Considering how large this thing is and that the Alphard/Vellfire is targeted more towards families, its hard to imagine that it will.

[iRage]

Nissan released pictures of a Juke test-mule today. Still seems to look like a joke....but then I suppose that is what its appeal is...

[kush]

[iRage]

4 hours ago, kush said:

THis has been posted so many times before....this first came out around June....unfortunately we still do not know what the actual Corolla sedan will look like as it is supposed to be a little bit narrower than every other market model but still look like the Corolla Sport...

[iRage]

Saw this funky little thing at the 2017 Tokyo Motorshow. Now Toyota has confirmed that they will produce this. The car guys in Japan believe that it will be launched at the 2019 TMS..the concept/prototype model was a bit large but the production model is apparently a bit smaller than the CHR

Any guesses to what TJ is ?

[iRage]

Honda will launch the new Freed and Freed+ in October. However, they are taking preorders right now

 

[iRage]

The New Nissan Juke

We finally get to see it ! The rear is not bad but the front is...well..still an "acquired" taste.The interior layout looks very ex-Mazda-ish and way too busy

So far the announced engine is a 1L Direct engine Turbo charged 3 cylinder engine with a 6MT or a 7-DCT.

[RWD]

20 hours ago, iRage said:

The New Nissan Juke

We finally get to see it ! The rear is not bad but the front is...well..still an "acquired" taste.The interior layout looks very ex-Mazda-ish and way too busy

So far the announced engine is a 1L Direct engine Turbo charged 3 cylinder engine with a 6MT or a 7-DCT.

can see this becoming very popular in SL with the 1.0 litre

[sathyajithj99]

5 hours ago, RWD said:

can see this becoming very popular in SL with the 1.0 litre

With DCT phobia,  it might not. 

[iRage]

Mazda, the company who put most of their energy in to developing the ICE and claimed the HSD from Toyota was just a temporary step, is now focussing on EVs..full and Hybrid...(Toyota seems to be one of their partners...)

[Hyaenidae]

Mazda is just putting some of their eggs in the EV basket in case the eggs they've put in the ICE basket don't make it

[iRage]

JDM Corolla Sedan and Wagon

After much waiting we finally see the JDM variants of the Corolla sedan and Wagon.

Its a little bit narrower and shorter (length wise) than the global model, so things seem to rake in slightly different.
Power trains are
1.2L Turbo (114hp/185Nm)
1.8L Gasoline (138hp/170N.m)
1.8L Hybrid (150hp/lot of torque)

The 1.2L comes with a 6MT  (the 6MT on the Corolla Sport Hatch was quite fun...and the CVT was surprisingly less stringy). All other variants come with only a CVT (for now and that probably will never change).

There is a choice of FF or AWD (just to get you through the slippery snowy roads).

 

For Sedans, the 1.8L starts from 1.9mil yen onwards....Hybrid starts from 2.4mil yen onwards and the turbo sits in between. So in essence the pricing falls in the bracket of where the Allion/Premio used to be. I suppose with accessories, delivery charges and taxes they will run into the upper 2mil yen price segment

Edited September 17, 2019 by iRage

[iRage]

Interesting to see the size difference between the old Axio and the export variant of the same car.

	Corolla (sedan)			Corolla touring
	New	Difference from conventional type (Axio)	Difference from overseas models	New	Difference from conventional type (Fielder)	Difference from overseas models
Total length (mm)	4,495	+95	-135	4,495	+85	-155
Full width (mm)	1,745	+50	-35	1,745	+50	-45
Overall height (mm)	1,435	-twenty five	0	1,460	-50	0
Wheel base (mm)	2,640	+40	-60	2,640	+40	-60

[kush]

So no 1.2L CVT like the hatch, soo glad i went with the Sport without waiting for the Sedan

What a loss for SL no replacement for the Axio and Allion, may be we will have to lobby with the new presidential candidates to get the tax adjusted to get this cars at reasonable prices.

Go and grab your Axio or Allion before they start shooting up in prices.

 

[kush]

So the new one is marginally larger than the Axio but at the same time marginally smaller than the Allion/ Premio apart from width

(L -95mm, W +50mm, H -40mm, WB -60mm) which means leg room (especially rear) and boot space maybe significantly smaller)

Sharing the same wheel base of the Hatch, it will have the same issue of mediocre rear seat / legroom, getting in and out of rear also will be difficult with small and narrow opening rear doors.

This may not be ideal replacement for Allion/ Premio for someone with requirement to carry adults in the back seat.

I wonder why they did not opt for the extended wheel base of the Saloon as in US and Europe.

[iRage]

1 hour ago, kush said:

So the new one is marginally larger than the Axio but at the same time marginally smaller than the Allion/ Premio apart from width

(L -95mm, W +50mm, H -40mm, WB -60mm) which means leg room (especially rear) and boot space maybe significantly smaller)

Sharing the same wheel base of the Hatch, it will have the same issue of mediocre rear seat / legroom, getting in and out of rear also will be difficult with small and narrow opening rear doors.

This may not be ideal replacement for Allion/ Premio for someone with requirement to carry adults in the back seat.

I wonder why they did not opt for the extended wheel base of the Saloon as in US and Europe.

Yes...the leg room space in the back is apparently limited than the Allion/Premio and less well utilized than in the Axio. 

The reasoning for the size to be smaller for Japan is so that it will fit and be easily maneuverable in typical Japanese streets. Toyota has no concern for what people wanted from the Allion/Premio because the model (and the segment) has been dead for the last 6 or 7 years (so yes....it is only countries like Sri Lanka who were hungriy purchasing 12 year old tech for 12 years).  So for a Japanese market model, it made no sense to try meet what was required of a sedan the size of the Allion/Premio as that segment is been taken over by crossovers and MPVs

Edited September 18, 2019 by iRage

[CNX]

It may be the end of an era for Sri Lankan motoring. Unless they offer a 1.2 CVT later or the present tax structure changes, the new version of the corolla which dominated the Sri Lankan market for over 30 years will end up being more expensive than a BMW 3 series, mercedes C class or an Audi A4!

[Hyaenidae]

2 hours ago, CNX said:

It may be the end of an era for Sri Lankan motoring. Unless they offer a 1.2 CVT later or the present tax structure changes, the new version of the corolla which dominated the Sri Lankan market for over 30 years will end up being more expensive than a BMW 3 series, mercedes C class or an Audi A4!

 

What if Sri Lankans start preferring MTs over Autos so they can own a BN Corolla