- Toyota will redesign the front end of its cars for a more familial look.
- Cars will still carry subtle differences for specific markets.
- The design strategy is part of a larger movement to improve Toyota's reliability.
LONDON — As part of its mission to fulfil boss Akio Toyoda's wish that Toyotas have more emotional appeal, the company is developing a new global product philosophy that will apply across all models worldwide. That philosophy has yet to be decided, explains new Toyota Europe boss Didier Leroy, but what has been confirmed is a plan to develop a new grille and front-end look for Toyotas.
The new look will be applied globally and will make the model range look more consistent, says Leroy, who adds that it will be designed to make the smaller models look bigger, rather than the larger ones appear smaller. There will be variation within this face to give individual models some character, as well as product groups such as SUVs and sports models.
Consideration will also be given to regional requirements, so a Camry-class car would get more chrome for the China market, for example.
Part of the process of giving more character to the cars will be about ensuring that existing customers aren't alienated, adds Leroy, not least because most of them are very happy with their cars despite the company's recent recall troubles.
He also believes that Europe will play an increasing role in the development of new Toyotas, both those made in Europe and those conceived in Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere. The reason: European customers tend to be more demanding, and what works in Europe is likely to work elsewhere. So expect interior quality to rise, for example, even if that means a Toyota is significantly better than the class norm in some markets, despite the cost burden that it will carry.
This strategy is part of Toyota's wider plan to improve quality, both in terms of reliability and freedom from faults and in improving functional and materials quality through customer feedback.
Inside Line says: Some serious navel gazing has prompted Toyota to reconfigure everything from the character to the quality of its cars. But they won't lose their essential dependability. — Richard Bremner, Correspondent
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aston_dbs says:
01:52 PM, 07/27/2010
Yawn... It's a Toyota... How exciting could they be?
The only Toyota worth wasting my breath (both pros AND cons) are the LFA and IS-F.
tdiluv says:
07:12 AM, 07/26/2010
Great cars as the USA and global markets have proven over the years !
However, where is the DIESEL PICK-UP that they have in other countries, smaller than Tacoma and very high milage and reliability. They must be sleeping, ZZZZZZZZZZZ!! And they really bombed on the BEHEMOTH TUNDRA!! FORD and CHEVY trucks own the big guzzler market !
hyundaismoke says:
02:38 AM, 07/25/2010
Toyota should leave the Economy cars to Scion/Diahatsu, and Move upmarket between Lexus and Scion. Toyota should become the Old School Lexus, while Lexus SERIOUSLY Fights the Germans.
Toyota is a Premium (Near Luxury) Automaker in many parts of the World already. It might as well do the same in America too.
Corollas with Leather seats and Alcantara Dash are commonplace outside of North America while NA gets Fisher Price Toyota interiors with overfliated MSRPs, and Motel 6 Carpets with Chinese Car Cloth Seats.
That's exactly why Hyundai decided to stop copying them by moving upmarket and doing its own thing. When Hyundai played Cat and Mouse with Toyota, Hyundai's werent good enough. Even though every Hyundai for the last 10 years before had more features and better HP than a Comparable Toyota.
Pretty Hypocritical. Hyundai's werent good enough, but Toyota's (America's Car Company) was GOD. I guess the Toyota Owner was hating on Himself, since he hated on better equipped more powerful cars.
Nobody cared about Hyundai until they started benchmarking their cars between VW and Audi.
Proves my point that America has too many Toyotas, even Toyota itself is too many.
By the way, this Toyota Slash and Burn Marketing Campaign is starting to really piss me off, and it makes me hate them more.
Toyota in the past 3 years has gone from Rival to Disgusting. Absolutely Disgusting this company and their product have become. Buy a KIA!!!
rhalder says:
01:27 PM, 07/24/2010
"This strategy is part of Toyota's WIDER plan to improve quality". Jeez people read the darn article before posting things like "How does changing the front end of cars improve reliability" Duh, obviously it doesn't.This story was about restyling the grill not it's affect on reliability.
alman08 says:
10:22 AM, 07/24/2010
easym1 says:
09:31 PM, 07/23/2010
Toyota has been a victim of it's own success....but watch those Koreans...they are producing nicer cars and the quality is at par with the big 3 if not better
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Which big 3 were you referring to? If you're talking about the Detroit big 3, being at par with them is not a difficult task.
easym1 says:
09:31 PM, 07/23/2010
Toyota has been a victim of it's own success....but watch those Koreans...they are producing nicer cars and the quality is at par with the big 3 if not better.
ant14 says:
04:42 PM, 07/23/2010
So by giving their front fascias a familiar look, they are hoping to improve reliability? That makes no sense...I hope that at least this time around they don't copy design cues from other manufacturer's. They need to focus on reliability and improving interior materials, and driving dynamics while we are at it, oh and maybe some more sophisticated technology, there's no SYNC like Fords systems, or any safety gadgets (something they really need at this time).
thejohnp says:
04:30 PM, 07/23/2010
I never understood why car makers spend so much time designing front ends/grille designs for cars. Most people who drive their car see two things:
- the interior
- the backs of other cars
Sure you see the front ends in your rearview or in oncoming traffic lanes, but if you pay attention while you drive then the majority if what you see are the back ends of the cars ahead of you.
redgeminipa says:
03:42 PM, 07/23/2010
They should worry about more than looks if their goal is reliability.
nutsaboutcars says:
03:18 PM, 07/23/2010
I agree the interior materials need to be much improved in toyota products...I went minivan shopping a few days ago and the interior of the 2011 toyota sienna screams cheapness from the climate controls to power window switches and the gear shift...The interior of the honda odyssey is much more refined but that van rides rough and there was alot of tire noise...The climate controls of the toyota camry feels like it was made by a toy company who sells there goods at those cheap 99 cent stores....Its a shame because the sienna I was intrested in retails for 35 k but the interior looks and feels like a bargain basement special...When is toyota going to wake up ?