Toyota Middle East recently announced a solid 10% growth in 2013 sales at a press conference in Dubai, at the same time there is unrelated news that they’re shutting down their Australian production operation.
The Toyota 4Runner SUV, the Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup and the Toyota Tundra fullsize truck are not offered in the GCC, but we’re sure many here wish there were, given the number of grey imports running around on UAE streets. Built in the United States, Toyota is now offering each one with a Pro Series package there.
Toyota has launched an “interactive telematics service” called T-Connect in the Middle East, which is basically a navigation app for your smartphone, but with an on-call concierge. It will come with every new Toyota purchase.
While we could only hope to be on the receiving end of a sum of money amounting to SAR 3 million, an Egyptian expat in Saudi Arabia has reportedly refused to accept an offer for his exclusive number plate that reads “SSS 1”.
Here we are, trundling around in the all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla 2.0 Limited again. This time we have it for a longer period, so we can dig further into its features and mannerisms.
Toyota pulled off one of the surprises of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show by throwing the covers off their latest creation, the FT-1 Concept. The “Future Toyota”, which is what FT stands for, could very well be the next Supra Concept.
The Ford F-Series continues to perform strongly in the United States, coming in first place as the top-selling vehicle of 2013.
The fact that we’re running out of fossil fuels isn’t a joke. As a matter of fact, we’ve seen car manufacturers across the globe tighten the screws a bit, to achieve better fuel economy. However, according to some, the future of zero emission and zero fossil fuels is not electric cars, but rather hydrogen fuel cells. And that is exactly what Toyota showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show last month.
When we went to the 2014 Toyota Corolla launch event in Dubai, the last thing we expected to see was the original 1966 model. The fully-restored E10-generation coupe is a far cry from the Corolla of today, but in some ways, represents what the Corolla has been all about for nearly the past five decades.
What kind of people buy Toyota Corollas? Maybe the kind who walk into a showroom and the first thing they ask is “does it come with an automatic?” Maybe the kind who has a great job in the GCC and still keeps asking “how will I survive these high petrol prices?” Or maybe the kind whose first question to a Jaguar sports-car owner is “what’s the resale value?”