Toyota Trucks: Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV and FTX Full-Size Hybrid Truck

Toyota Unveils All-New Highlander Hybrid SUV and FTX Full-Size Pickup
Concept

Sunday January 4, 2:20 pm ET


DETROIT, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2005 Toyota Highlander
Hybrid gas-electric mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) made its
world premiere at a press conference today at the 2004 North American
International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The press conference also
featured the unveiling of the FTX full-size pickup concept truck,
offering a glimpse into Toyota's future full-size truck strategy.


"The Highlander Hybrid is the world's first seven-passenger hybrid
SUV and marks the launch of a second all-new hybrid vehicle from the
Toyota Division," said Jim Press, executive vice president and COO,
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. "The addition of a hybrid
system in our best-selling SUV provides further evidence that
Toyota's commitment to hybrid technology will continue to run deep
and wide."

Like the popular four-cylinder Prius gas-electric hybrid, the 3.3-
liter V6-equipped Highlander Hybrid will be powered by a new version
of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain. The system was
specifically developed to meet the load-carrying requirements of a
mid-size SUV.

The system features a larger-capacity battery that will deliver
nearly double the power of the battery in the Prius. An all-new high-
speed electric motor will operate at twice the speed and deliver more
than twice the power as the motor in the Prius. With combined peak-
system power projected at approximately 270 horsepower, the new
system will improve upon the V6 Highlander's already impressive less-
than-eight-second zero-to-60 acceleration.

In addition to providing the fuel economy of a four-cylinder compact
sedan, the Highlander Hybrid will offer the versatility, refinement,
and comfort demanded in a mid-size SUV. Highlander Hybrid will come
standard-equipped with front-wheel-drive and offer electric four-
wheel-drive with intelligence (4WD-i). Models with 4WD-i are equipped
with front and rear electric motors that will deliver balanced power
to all four wheels, providing instantaneous acceleration.

To enhance safety and all-weather capability, the Highlander Hybrid
will feature a Vehicle Dynamic Management (VDM) system. Monitoring a
variety of sensors, the system is capable of anticipating pending
vehicle stability problems and then correcting the situation with a
combination of braking and throttle control. The new VDM system is
less obtrusive than conventional VSC but acts quicker and more
effectively.

Additional safety features include a tire pressure warning system,
and optional front seat-mounted side airbags and front- and second-
row curtain side airbags.

The Highlander Hybrid will feature three rows of seats that will
include rear privacy glass, a rear heater system, and rear seat
cupholders. "Walk-in" steps and a second-row sliding seat make it
easy to enter and exit the third row. The third-row seat also folds
completely flat into the floor to create added cargo space. The
second-row 60/40 split-fold seat also reclines and folds forward flat
for added comfort and utility.

The exterior styling will be freshened with the addition of a new
front grille and bumper, and rear LED tail lamps. The Highlander
Hybrid will also ride on 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Highlander Hybrid will feature an array of amenities owners have
come to expect in their mid-size SUV, including standard air
conditioning, power windows, mirrors, and door locks, cruise control,
tilt steering wheel, and a deluxe 3-in-1 AM/FM/ETR cassette/CD sound
system with six speakers. A multi-function display is conveniently
located just beneath the speedometer that calculates and displays
various mechanical and performance information including instant and
average fuel economy, outside temperature, low tire pressure, and a
Hybrid Synergy Drive energy monitor. A navigation system will be
available on the Limited grade. Like the Prius, it will also monitor
the electric-gas power distribution of the Hybrid Synergy Drive on a
seven-inch touch-panel display monitor. All options currently found
in the 2004 Highlander will also be available in the 2005 Highlander
Hybrid.

"The Highlander Hybrid will join the Prius in early 2005, with the
Lexus RX hybrid arriving toward the end of this year," said
Press. "The trio will not only give consumers a broadband of hybrid-
powered choices, it will firmly establish this important new
technology in the hearts and minds of mainstream consumers."

FTX Concept

The FTX concept pickup truck was designed to provide a hint to the
direction in size, and styling of Toyota's next big-truck platform.

"The FTX concept was developed to make a bold statement about
Toyota's future full-size pickup truck plans," said Press. "It is a
statement that promises the brute-power to match its bold styling and
its simple proportions. And it's a statement we mean to back up."

The FTX concept was developed by the TMS Advanced Product Strategy
Group and Calty, Toyota's North American-based, research and design
center located in Newport Beach, Calif. The team was assigned to
explore future possibilities of Toyota truck DNA by developing a
truck concept with a double-duty personality and a trace of Land
Cruiser heritage that advances the mainstream American truck to the
next level.

"Toyota has a strong heritage of building trucks that are rugged, yet
playful," said Kevin Hunter, Calty vice president. "This image is
especially strong in the U.S., thanks to the FJ Land Cruiser in the
60's and 70's and the phenomenally successful Toyota compact pickup
in the 80's and 90's. Our goal with the FTX was to capture the spirit
and soul of this legacy and reassert Toyota's truck brand image with
a full-size pickup aimed at the very core of the segment."

At nearly 19-feet in length, nearly seven feet in width, and six-and-
one-half feet in height, the FTX offers ample proportions. The FTX is
a full-fledged body-on-frame, "Super-C-Cab" 4x4 pickup truck. It has
the interior room of a double cab, yet opens 90 degrees with suicide
doors.

The FTX features a huge sculptural power-ball that emanates from the
rear wheels and visually pushes the truck forward. The massive front
end is proud and serious and integrates into the body-side, creating
a unified statement of power. The generous use of sculpture in the
body gives a rich high-quality feel that elevates the FTX beyond a
mere work truck. Massive metal extruded bumpers and rocker panels add
an element of toughness and durability.

The FTX was developed to raise the idea of functionality to a new
level by integrating a surprising array of sensible features aimed at
both work and play. Exterior features include bumpers with integrated
tow hooks and special hideaway universal carabiner-type tie-down
hooks in the truck bed. Underneath the rear skid-plate is a multi-
functional unit that houses an electric generator, an air compressor
and other outlets. Inside the bed is a solid metal collapsible hidden
job box that can be erected for safe storage of tools and supplies.
Finally, hidden away in the rear tailgate is a smooth operating
hideaway ramp that extends to the ground when the gate is open,
allowing heavy items to be rolled into the bed, instead of being
lifted.

"The FTX interior is a work station, a sports locker, or just a
luxurious sanctuary from the elements," said Craig Kember, Calty
senior designer. "Most of all it's an interior that prioritizes the
needs, and wants of full-size truck buyers."

The interior displays a pure fusion of brawny structure, luxurious
materials, and new technology specific to a big truck. The instrument
panel and center console arch bend outward, wrapping around each
occupant, forming two protective cells.

A wide center console separates at a large center display panel. The
console contains an armrest-mounted control-arm that includes all
instrumentation and an operational lever that is angled toward the
driver, in effect, creating an operator station.

The seat height and steering wheel angle of the FTX are positioned
extremely high, giving the driver a feeling of total command and
conveying the feel of operating a big rig. Suspension seats isolate
the driver and passenger from rough terrain and include deep center
pads styled after a horseman's saddle for comfort. Low effort control
switches and minimal operational levers are the key to operational
simplicity. All vital information is accessed through a central
display three-dimensional screen.

Floating, fold-away rear seats are styled after recreational boats.
The rear seat base is affixed to a center beam, suspending the seats
off the floor for under-seat storage. Over-sized door and pillar pull
handles and seat mounted grips assist in ingress and egress. A large
overhead track lamp can be pulled down and slid side-to-side across
the cabin.

The brawniness of the FTX is complemented with a powerplant that is
more than capable of hauling a heavy-duty pickup. Under the hood, the
FTX is powered by a large-displacement V8 hybrid gas-electric engine
that pumps out loads of torque while delivering V6 fuel efficiency.

The unveiling of the FTX truck concept comes on the heels of the
recent launch of the Tundra Double Cab. The Double Cab is the latest
addition of the American-built Tundra full-size pickup. Taller and
wider than both Tundra Regular- and Access Cab models, the new Double
Cab combines the interior roominess and appointments of the Toyota
Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicle. And, the cargo bed is
longer, and has more capacity, than the Ford F150 and Nissan Titan.

Tundra is currently built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana
(TMMI). Production of the Tundra will expand in mid-2006 with the
opening of a new pickup plant in the heart of truck country, San
Antonio, Texas.

"The recent launch of the Tundra Double Cab and the new FTX concept
offers a good indication to how Toyota's large truck evolution is
progressing," said Press. "And make no mistake about it. With our
expansion in San Antonio, we are on a serious mission to build big
truck market share."

CDEWITT Webtv.net wrote:
 

You mean Jim Press? I spoke to him personally, nice guy too!

--





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It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to
destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call
the police after his Oldsmobile sunk at Chappaquiddick.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in
Florida! TWICE!!!!!

Damn our military is GREAT!!