Toyota revealed to us that it is paring the 2013 Sequoia’s engine options
from two to one by eliminating the SUV’s base 310-hp, 4.6-liter V-8. The move
leaves the previously optional 381-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 as the 2013 Sequoia’s sole
engine choice, which is fine by us. In our most recent test of a
5.7-liter-equipped, four-wheel-drive Sequoia, the brawny V-8 launched the
6100-pound beast from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds.
Throw in the minor
fuel-economy penalty exacted by the 5.7-liter (rear-drive models sacrifice 1 mpg
in the city and 2 on the highway to the departed 4.6) and the loss of the
4.6-liter doesn’t seem so grave.
Toyota hasn’t finalized pricing for the
2013 Sequoia, but we suspect that the rig’s base sticker will rise to about the
same level as it costs to get into a 2012 model with the 5.7-liter. A similar
price increase was levied on the 2013 Sienna minivan, which dropped its base
four-cylinder this year. In the case of the Sequoia, that means you should
expect to pay at least $42,540 to drive away the current least-expensive,
rear-drive Sequoia equipped with the 5.7-liter.
Following the UK debut of the TRD GT86 at last month's Goodwood Festival of
Speed, we now have new photos and additional information on what is being
described by Toyota as the "ultimate road going evolution" of the brand's rear
wheel drive sports coupe.
First unveiled in Japan at the Tokyo Auto Salon early in 2012, the Toyota
Racing Development (TRD) GT86 is scheduled to go on sale in Britain as special
edition model in the beginning of January 2013.
The exterior modifications of the car include a lower front spoiler, complete
with aerodynamic ‘fins’ ahead of the front wheels, wider side skirts, a venturi
style under spoiler and a larger boot lid wing.
There's also TRD badged oil filler cap while the car rides on new 18-inch
forged alloy wheels finished in black and shod in Michelin performance tyres.
Inside, the TRD treatment brings new sports “bucket” seats, additional
instrumentation including the Sports Meter Link System comprising water
temperature, and oil temperature and pressure gauges, plus a red push button
start switch, and a TRD badged gearshift knob.
The GT86's car’s engine remains stock, but TRD has made modifications to the
chassis with a new adjustable suspension system and thicker anti-roll bars front
and rear, and a more powerful mono block brake kit larger calipers and 355mm
front and 345mm rear grooved and vented rotors.
A new exhaust system with quad tailpipes that Toyota says improves engine
response and sound completes the package.
Toyota unveiled the NS4 plug-in hybrid at the 2012 North American Auto Show.
Toyota is using the NS4 to demonstrate future safety features, connectivity
technology, efficient drivetrain, and design ideas. Many members of the crowd
were expecting to see another variation on the Prius theme and were surprised to
see one of Toyota’s most interesting designs.
Powered by the next-generation of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, the NS4
is NOT envisioned as a halo vehicle at the top of the Prius sub-brand, but
rather is meant to indicate that as public interest in alternative powertrain
vehicles increases, HSD will be extended to more non-Prius vehicles. As for that
“next generation” HSD, it features smaller and lighter components, improved
overall fuel economy, better acceleration, longer all-electric range, and a
short charge time, but does NOT adapt a Volt-style drive system that enables the
internal combustion engine to turn the wheels directly for improved efficiency
and permits full-range speed and acceleration in electric mode.
Connectivity is said to be elevated to a new level in the NS4 with a
user-interface that includes a multi-touch screen that looks and feels like a
smartphone. We’re assured that it will be simple and intuitive to operate,
conveying information quickly without distraction while maximizing driver
awareness (didn’t Ford say that about SYNC?). This system is supposedly capable
of “learning” driver preferences and habits to anticipate driver responses in
certain situations. Other interesting features of the liftback sedan include
doors that swing up and out to clear high curbs (like an Aston Martin Rapide’s),
and new hydrophobic glass (naturally sheds water and fog) that manages to reduce
glare and ultraviolet light transmission without blocking radio waves (did you
know that earlier anti-UV glass made some cars shield the signal from
criminal-tracing ankle-bracelets?).
On the safety front, there’s a suite of collision-avoidance systems that
use millimeter-wave radar and stereo-vision cameras to predict and avoid
lane-departure, rear-end, and pedestrian collisions. The headlights are fully
adaptive to provide high-beam illumination while preventing glare when other
cars or pedestrians are present. For now, the NS4 is purely a concept car and we
find all of the tech goodies reasonably interesting, but what we REALLY hope is
that cars like the Camry get a bit of this styling love by 2015–or earlier .
