Japanese Car News

[kush]

Only place I could think 1L HR-V will be available is UK/ Europe

 

[iRage]

Teaser of the new GR Yaris  

So I hope you motor-heads noticed something about the drive train when it pulled off in the gravel....would be interesting to see if it will be available in the standard GR Yaris as well...

 

 

[priyanka]

Landcruiser; i guess it's a facelift 

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/motoring/toyota-s-2020-land-cruiser-tears-into-the-uae-here-s-a-look-at-the-brand-new-model-1.949419#6

Edited December 12, 2019 by priyanka

[iRage]

48 minutes ago, priyanka said:

Landcruiser; i guess it's a facelift 

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/motoring/toyota-s-2020-land-cruiser-tears-into-the-uae-here-s-a-look-at-the-brand-new-model-1.949419#6

Its the facelift that has been around for a while...I think the article has just been updated.

[iRage]

More pics of the new GR Yaris....it does look rather sleek and mean....specs are to be revealed on 10th January ?

In the past GR Yaris in Europe was the GRMN Vitz in Japan. GR Vitz in Japan was actually a lesser tuned vehicle (only suspension upgrades) followed on (down) by the GR Sport. So it would be interesting to see if Toyota will keep the old Gazoo designations in Japan and call this the GRMN Yaris in Japan and GR Yaris in Europe (as they did with the previous model). Either way, in the past the GR Yaris/GRMN VIts were limited production models and had to be sold off by lottery.

Edited December 21, 2019 by iRage

[kush]

Seats looks as if they are straight out of Corolla Sport

[Gummybr]

The Yaris GR looks good, the engine will be a 1.6l I think so that they can adhere to the WRC homologation regulations.

Sad part is Japan don't produce any small engined sports cars anymore (leaving out the 660cc's), Japan used to have the Swift GTi's, Daihatsu Charade GTti's (1000cc) and lately the Glanza's and the Starlet GT's. 

[iRage]

1 hour ago, Gummybr said:

The Yaris GR looks good, the engine will be a 1.6l I think so that they can adhere to the WRC homologation regulations.

Sad part is Japan don't produce any small engined sports cars anymore (leaving out the 660cc's), Japan used to have the Swift GTi's, Daihatsu Charade GTti's (1000cc) and lately the Glanza's and the Starlet GT's. 

Yes...it is probably going to be a 1.6L which was rumored to be in the Corolla as well. But for the Corolla there were rumors about it having to do something with BMW as well.

As for small sports cars...well...those vehicles were built during the bubble era and when Japan was in to cars. They made these models for young petrol heads who wanted practicality and a little bit of enthusiastic driving. When these kids grew up a bit and had families they got the sporty sedans starting from the Corolla all the way to the Crown. Now this generation is old and feable and if they ar a live have progressed to the larger cars or have retired from cars due to age. After this generation, the issue Japan is facing is that..for starters the population is aging, so there are lesser young people. To top that off...the young people are not in to cars these days. You seriously feel it when you go to the Tokyo Motorshow and such...a majority of the people are those who are 30+ and the young people who are there..most seem to be there for the show and not the cars (you realize these kids have no idea about cars when you listen to their comments). Granted..the young population that likes cars are still pretty large..but considering the production costs and such it simply does not make sense for manufacturers to invest so much money in to specialized models for a small market. It is interesting because one would think the Alto Works RS, S660, Copen and such are being bought up by youngsters...quite the opposite....60-70% of the buyers of these models are apparently old people ! That too shows because when driving around you are more likely to see an old couple in an Alto Works than a young couple.

If Japanese manufacturers wanted to..they really do have the tech to put out sporty models....and they try to to a limited extent. For example, you take most of the Hybrids these days in sports mode does have pretty good acceleration. Even the 1L engines and the 1.2L engines...it would not take much to tune them a bit different to make the car have a bit more punch (eg. 1.2L in the CHR feels quite different the one in the Corolla Sport). Its just a matter of putting it in a sporty package (like the GR , Mugen and Autech lineups).

[Gummybr]

4 hours ago, iRage said:

 

As for small sports cars...well...those vehicles were built during the bubble era and when Japan was in to cars. They made these models for young petrol heads who wanted practicality and a little bit of enthusiastic driving. When these kids grew up a bit and had families they got the sporty sedans starting from the Corolla all the way to the Crown. Now this generation is old and feable and if they ar a live have progressed to the larger cars or have retired from cars due to age. After this generation, the issue Japan is facing is that..for starters the population is aging, so there are lesser young people. To top that off...the young people are not in to cars these days. You seriously feel it when you go to the Tokyo Motorshow and such...a majority of the people are those who are 30+ and the young people who are there..most seem to be there for the show and not the cars (you realize these kids have no idea about cars when you listen to their comments). Granted..the young population that likes cars are still pretty large..but considering the production costs and such it simply does not make sense for manufacturers to invest so much money in to specialized models for a small market. It is interesting because one would think the Alto Works RS, S660, Copen and such are being bought up by youngsters...quite the opposite....60-70% of the buyers of these models are apparently old people ! That too shows because when driving around you are more likely to see an old couple in an Alto Works than a young couple.

 

I do understand that Japan has an ageing population, but then again they have been bought up with so much of a car culture and the young ones not being interested means its bad for the Japanese Automotive Industry, as in they will not have any exciting vehicles coming out for the younger generations when all the others are moving towards more youthful vehicles (included the German cars). Seems like that its all turning back to what the British motor industry of the 80's and 90's which had more laid back cars which were not exciting at all.

[iRage]

16 hours ago, Gummybr said:

I do understand that Japan has an ageing population, but then again they have been bought up with so much of a car culture and the young ones not being interested means its bad for the Japanese Automotive Industry, as in they will not have any exciting vehicles coming out for the younger generations when all the others are moving towards more youthful vehicles (included the German cars). Seems like that its all turning back to what the British motor industry of the 80's and 90's which had more laid back cars which were not exciting at all.

Well...for starters...there are exciting models. For a car to be exciting (especially daily driving cars) you do not need a lot of horse power (which the little cars did not have in the first place). Everything from the S660 to the Alto Works to the Aqua GR line up and the N-One Mugens to the Fairlady to the GT86 are pretty fun and nibbly to drive and for those who want to push these cars to the limit, there are plenty of after market (power to drive train) stuff to plug in to them. It is just that we in Sri Lanka are hung up on the old cars because..well..we are stuck with old cars like the Glanza because that is all we got and the new interesting cars do not come to our shores. Apart from that we are stuck on paper-back, newspaper headliner cars like the Skyline, Supra and RX7; which were only a very small part of the Japanese car culture scene.  We see more European interesting cars because..well those who can afford an interesting Japanese car would rather spend a bit or on a Euro for its pedigree. People in SL would much rather spend their money on a C or E Class with an AMG body kit (not the AMG variant..but the kit) than an equally priced Mark X GR Sport.

As for the car culture...I believe that by itself is the issue.We outsiders do not get it. Japan's car culture is much more younger than the car cultures in Europe and the US  but the car culture grew and matured a lot more faster than their European and American counterparts (i.e. rapid growth in a short life span). So where Japan is concerned people are more interested in holistic transport solutions than individual cars. Considering the world we live in and where the world is headed to..we have to accept that this might actually be the next evolution in car cultures for all of us. It is just that Japan reached it before we all did. We are living in a world that is fast running out of land space and parking spaces  and road networks for cars are becoming a high priced commodity. Japan (and places like Singapore, New York, London) in many ways has reached that point already. Parking in cities cost quite a lot (at least 60,000 yen a month..which is what most new graduates pay for their tiny studio apartment). Expressways are pricey (costs me 2950yen in toll fees during off peak to travel a distance of 147km...costs met 1850 to do the same trip by high-speed train...++ if I want to reserve a seat). When other countries hit a point of having to choose between forest areas vs. urban living space vs road networks....something's got to give and the most logical is for the individual car. So even if there is a portfolio of interesting cars (which there is to be honest...) and there is a large enough young generation to buy it...it does not mean that people have the ways and means to buy and use them nor that it is practical to do so (Think Singapore....only a small percentage of the car enthusiasts actually have cars...those who don't rent or car share or jump over to Malaysia for some automotive fun). So the next evolution of car culture does not include a car ? 

Yes it is a problem for the auto industry but the Japanese auto industry is actually changing for Japan....for example the last few major motor shows focus more on mobility rather than cars and the auto manufacturers themselves are focusing more and more on mobility rather than the actual cars themselves. What they showcase on are mobility solutions and the "car" (in many forms it comes in) is just a small piece of the puzzle (one reason why European car manufacturers do not exhibit in Japanese car shows anymore because they really do not have much to showcase at these motor shows and their themes).  This year's Tokyo Motor show's Toyota booth did not have any of their production models ! They were all concepts that plug-in to day to day lives that have a mobility aspect to it (the cars were spread across the shopping mall next door). I do believe it is a global phenomenon though. Considering the world we live in and where it is headed to,I do believe that traditional form of cars are going to be more of a novelty rather than an integral part of transport. 

Edited December 24, 2019 by iRage

[iRage]

....and she is no more  

On 23rd December the last Mark X rolled off the production line...

https://www.gqjapan.jp/cars/article/20191227-toyota-mark-x

 

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/toyota-has-ended-51-years-of-mark-ii-mark-x-production/?fbclid=IwAR1egMMSW8T_HDOYN8o_OyrrL_uAT8ZVQfzfTg3Wr2j-uf08NkMN2JIlgAo

[Hyaenidae]

38 minutes ago, iRage said:

....and she is no more  

Sedans are being killed off one by one...

WHYYYYYYYY

[iRage]

19 hours ago, Hyaenidae said:

Sedans are being killed off one by one...

WHYYYYYYYY

Its the people...every average tom, dick and harry; who are the masses, are flocking towards SUVs and MPVs....

[kmeeg]

20 hours ago, iRage said:

are flocking towards SUVs and MPVs....

Even the suv are rare nowadays. CUVs seems to be the demand.

[iRage]

So we finally get to see the GR Yaris in all its glory and all its 270hp.

Pre orders are being accepted from till June when delivery will start...so if you have 3.9 (RZ First edition) - 4.5mil (RZ First edition high performance) yen. (Pre-orders cost an extra 100,000yen and you get a original mini-car to match your car)

Quite pricey comparing how these homologation models were priced in the past. To put it in perspective..a 200 series Celica SS-1 was about 1.9mil yen..a SS-2 variant about 2.3mil yen and the GT-Four 3.2mil yen....
A base 1.5L Yaris X is about 1.7mil yen...a Z is about 2 mil yen...and then you have the GR that is 3.9 mil (double the price as the highest grade). True..the GRMN Vitz was 4mil+ yen..but at least that was a limited edition car....a bit disappointing...but then considering this does not have any competition from any other Japanese manufacturers anymore and there is a large JDM fan base...I suppose it will fly off the shelf. 
Now..can you please have a sporty standard version too ! Like a GR Sport variant ?
 

 

https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/gr/yaris/?_ga=2.236355209.969624781.1578601495-571037150.1575820747

[kmeeg]

6 hours ago, iRage said:

So we finally get to see the GR Yaris in all its glory and all its 270hp.

I was pretty pumped to see it on news but when I saw it's a 3cyl 1.6L Turbo all that excitment was gone..?

For some reason when ever I see as 3cyl my brain tend to think it's not a Toyota engine it's a Daihatsu engine.

[iRage]

48 minutes ago, kmeeg said:

I was pretty pumped to see it on news but when I saw it's a 3cyl 1.6L Turbo all that excitment was gone..?

For some reason when ever I see as 3cyl my brain tend to think it's not a Toyota engine it's a Daihatsu engine.

 

Well....for starters it makes no difference as Toyota is Daihatsu and vice versa....the paranoia is pretty much what is created by the local car sale mafia. As the the G16E....it is a Toyota developed engine as one of its TNGA engines...would some parts have been taken from Daihatsu...possibly...because it is the same company...

As the car fanatics (especially the JDM car lovers) go crazy over the new GR Yaris; here is an interesting comparison against its competitors...

Also...a side note...here are Toyota's fastest production cars : 0-100kmph in
1. GR Supra 4.8secs
2. GR Yaris 5.5secs
3. RAV4 PHEV 5.8secs (yes...Toyota's fastest car is powered by BMW  )

https://www.caradvice.com.au/818502/2020-toyota-gr-yaris-worlds-most-powerful-three-cylinder-unveiled-performance-figures-confirmed-still-no-price/?fbclid=IwAR3s-oZTeHjaAPwY-xlVeH8-9s6Qq19ZVSKEYzqpBamhUc4h3ETDvhIpn1A

Edited January 10, 2020 by iRage

[john cooper]

This is very good news for all the NZ AWD car lovers. not sure the price yet but maybe it's worth investing on a one. 

https://www.driven.co.nz/reviews/previews/revealed-four-wheel-drive-toyota-gr-yaris-hot-hatch-confirmed-for-nz-market/

Edited January 13, 2020 by john cooper

[iRage]

9 hours ago, john cooper said:

This is very good news for all the NZ AWD car lovers. not sure the price yet but maybe it's worth investing on a one. 

https://www.driven.co.nz/reviews/previews/revealed-four-wheel-drive-toyota-gr-yaris-hot-hatch-confirmed-for-nz-market/

Well...it is going to be 36,000USD+ seems like it....and for the performance pack going up to about 40,000USD plus local taxes I suppose....whether the investment is worth it or not also depends on what else is there...

[john cooper]

10 hours ago, iRage said:

Well...it is going to be 36,000USD+ seems like it....and for the performance pack going up to about 40,000USD plus local taxes I suppose....whether the investment is worth it or not also depends on what else is there...

Hmm about 54k + 15% tax + freight so it probably starts from 60k in that case. If this is a limited production then I am sure it's worth investing.

[iRage]

21 hours ago, john cooper said:

Hmm about 54k + 15% tax + freight so it probably starts from 60k in that case. If this is a limited production then I am sure it's worth investing.

The GRMN Vitz, which was the rally clone for the previous Vitz/Yaris was limited edition. Seems like this one is not....

[iRage]

Subaru Japan announced the last order dates for the Megacy B4 and the BRZ. the BRZ is known to have a replacement planned later this year/early next year. However, it seems like Subaru ill not be launching the new B4 in Japan

 

 

[iRage]

On to more happier news

Toyota released information on the new Harrier today (13th April).

The Urban Crossover COupe'SUV is pretty beautiful (although the rear lights look very F-Pacey). The car is based on the same TNGA platform as the RAV4. So the Harrier ill continue to be the Urban crossover whilst the RAV4 re-enters being the outdoorsy crossover

[AVANTE]

25 minutes ago, iRage said:

On to more happier news

Toyota released information on the new Harrier today (13th April).

The Urban Crossover COupe'SUV is pretty beautiful (although the rear lights look very F-Pacey). The car is based on the same TNGA platform as the RAV4. So the Harrier ill continue to be the Urban crossover whilst the RAV4 re-enters being the outdoorsy crossover

That Feng-shui interior. Me gusta

[Devinda_Z]

11 hours ago, iRage said:

Subaru Japan announced the last order dates for the Megacy B4 and the BRZ. the BRZ is known to have a replacement planned later this year/early next year. However, it seems like Subaru ill not be launching the new B4 in Japan

 

 

@iRage do we get to blame Toyota for this as well?

The Subaru a lot of enthusiasts are so fond of doesn't exist anymore