The final part of the series which examines the passenger vehicles of Toyota Motor Corporation and its subsidiaries now turns to current and future Toyota brand crossovers, SUVs, pick-ups and sports cars. This includes hybrid models. This last chapter follows others on Daihatsu, Lexus, Toyota’s smaller models and MPVs plus another concerning larger cars and fuel cell vehicles

Crossovers and SUVs

Toyota has a huge hit on its hands with the C-HR, formerly project 560A. CH-R stands for Coupé High-Rider, Compact High-Rider and Cross Hatch-Runabout, the company claimed when launching this crossover in Japan in December 2016. It looks a lot like the second of two C-HR concepts revealed in the years before this car’s introduction. The first design study premiered at the Paris motor show in October 2014 and the second at September 2015’s Frankfurt IAA.

The C-HR, which at 4,350mm long is similarly sized to the Nissan Juke and others in that vehicle class, had its world premiere at the Geneva motor show in March 2016. For the moment, this remains the brand’s smallest crossover or SUV. In Japan, there might eventually be a Kei class SUV, and this would be logically outsourced to Daihatsu which supplies all of Toyota’s mini-vehicles.

As for an A segment SUV, Toyota is no doubt looking at the ever increasing success of the Renault Kwid series in Brazil and India but will likely hold back from launching its own rival, which would be in keeping with how slow moving the company is. Witness how it fell behind and remains smaller than Honda in China due to not having the right vehicles for that market and also how long it is taking to bring the Supra to market as part of a JV with BMW Group.

Amazingly, there is no diesel C-HR. Instead, it offers a 1.8-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain in addition to two other conventional petrol engines, one of which is TMC’s 8NR-FTS 85kW 1,196cc turbo and the other a 2.0-litre. The last of these is the standard engine for North America and is also available in a few of Toyota Motor Europe’s markets (e.g. Ukraine). There, the car was new for the region’s 2018 model year, going on sale in April 2017.

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The hybrid engines for Toyota Motor Europe markets would be manufactured in Wales, Toyota announced in February 2016. C-HR production commenced in October 2016. The first interior pics were released to the media in June 2016.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey’s Sakarya/Adaparazi factory builds the C-HR for not only Europe but also the USA, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa and Mauritius. TMMT, which additionally makes the Corolla and Verso, has an annual capacity of 280,000 vehicles. The car is also manufactured by Toyota Motor East Japan at its Iwate plant.

Each of TMC’s Chinese joint venture partners is expected to commence building the C-HR in due course. FAW-Toyota should be first, selling the car as the Toyota C-HR. Guangqi Toyota will use a new name for the model when it too commences making its own variant. An electrified C-HR is expected to follow in 2018, though this may just be the hybrid.

Toyota showed the C-HR Hy-Power concept at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2017. This might indicate a more powerful hybrid powertrain is under development. This will likely be added at the time of the car’s mid-cycle facelift in 2020. The second generation C-HR is due out in 2024. It should use an updated version of the TNGA-B architecture.

The larger RAV4 is now in its fourth generation. This five-door SUV had its global debut at the LA auto show in November 2012. Unlike the previous model, the tailgate is top-hinged and the spare wheel is under the floor (not carried on the door).

The model for Europe had its regional debut at the Geneva motor show, with the diesel-engined variants being world premieres.

Production in China commenced in July 2013, and local sales the following month. The previous generation RAV4 was built at a plant in Tianjin but the current car is made in Changchun.

In September 2013, it was stated by the company that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Russia (TMMR) would build the RAV4 at its St Petersburg plant (TMR-SP) commencing in 2016. The facility had its capacity doubled to 100,000 units per annum. The RAV4 is Toyota’s best selling model in Russia. Toyota has produced the Camry at TMR-SP since 2007. Also, the Land Cruiser Prado was assembled by Sollers-Bussan in Vladivostok between early 2013 and mid-2015. RAV4 production commenced in August 2016.

A facelifted RAV4 had its world premiere at the New York auto show in April 2015. In North America, this was the 2016 model year RAV4. No further changes are expected.

The RAV4 Hybrid was revealed at the New York international auto show in April 2015. It is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, and one electric motor. The latter sends drive to the rear axle. All-wheel drive is standard. The Hybrid was new for the 2016 model year in North America, going on sale there in October 2015 and in Europe during the first quarter of 2016. The petrol-electric variant was launched as part of a facelifted RAV4 range which also premiered at the NYIAS in April 2015.

The next generation RAV4, 310B, will use the GA-C architecture. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) is to become the Toyota’s North American hub for certain sports utility vehicles, with a line-up consisting of the Lexus RX at Cambridge and the RAV4 at both Cambridge and Woodstock. The RAV4 will enter production in 2019. So as to build the next RAV4, Cambridge North is having significant amounts of money spent on it. Much of this is to make the plant compliant with the needs of manufacturing TNGA vehicles.

One major change for the RAV4 sold in European markets will be the likely end of a diesel engine option.

The rumoured TJ Cruiser is said to be in the planning stages. This D/E segment SUV will likely have a look inspired by both the FT-4X and Tj (Toolbox joy) concepts. These premiered  at this year’s New York and Tokyo motor shows. The TJ would be the effective replacement for the FJ Cruiser and a rival in North American markets for the Ford Bronco.

While the FT-4X was FWD/AWD and used the TGNA platform, the TJ Cruiser would instead have a body-on-frame architecture – either that of the existing Tacoma or else TNGA-F (the frame platform of the next Tundra and Tacoma).

The August 2017 announcement that the company would switch planned Corolla build out of an under-construction plant in Mexico and into a future JV factory that will be erected in partnership with Mazda in a US state means that Toyota will have excess capacity for Tacomas. The answer will likely be the addition of a Tacoma-based body-on-frame SUV which could be built at either Baja California or the forthcoming second Tacoma factory presently under construction in Mexico’s central state of Guanajuato.

The TJ Cruiser will most likely appear during 2020 or 2021 and have a life cycle of eight to nine years.

The Fortuner (Hilux SX4 in some markets) shares its architecture with the Hilux pick-up. It was simultaneously announced at press preview events in Australia and Thailand in July 2015. This body-on-frame five-door seven-seat SUV is 4,795mm long, 1,855mm wide and 1,835mm high.

The main engine is Toyota’s 1GD-FTV. This 2,755cm3 four-cylinder diesel develops 130kW of power @ 3,400rpm and 420Nm of torque (manual) or 450Nm (automatic). Both gearboxes have six ratios. The 4×4 drive is a part-time system.

Australia is one of the model’s most important export markets. Local sales commenced in October 2015.

Toyota’s Indonesian manufacturing operations began building the Fortuner at the Karawang plant in January 2016. This facility is some 70km east of Jakarta.

The Harrier and Harrier Hybrid are sold mainly in Japan. The first details and images of these models were announced in July 2013. These FWD/AWD SUVs are based upon a former Lexus RX. The Harrier has a 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the Hybrid has a 2.5-litre petrol-electric powertrain. The Harrier went on sale in December 2013, and the Hybrid from the following month. These models do very well in the Japanese market, with a combined 40,000 sold there in CY2016. Next generation versions, which would be based upon the current 760A Lexus RX and RX Hybrid, should be released in Japan around mid-2018.

The third generation of the Highlander had its global debut at the New York auto show in March 2013. It uses the same platform as the former model. The current model can seat up to eight occupants.

In North America, the base engine is a 2.7-litre four-cylinder, with a 3.5-litre V6 optional. Originally, there was a six-speed automatic gearbox for the latter. A mid-life facelift was new for North America’s 2017 model year. This debuted at the New York auto show in March 2016. As well as the styling changes, there was a new 3.5-litre V6 and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The current shape Highlander began to reach US and Canadian dealers in early 2014 for the 2014 model year. The Princeton plant also builds RHD vehicles, primarily for Australia and New Zealand. In those markets, the Kluger name is used, with a V6 engine standard. Unlike its predecessor, this generation of the Kluger is not sold in Japan.

Due to strong demand, Highlander production would be added at the East Plant factory of the TMMI complex at Princeton in 2016, Toyota announced in August 2014. Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC) also builds the Highlander.

The 440X Highlander and Highlander Hybrid are due to be in US dealerships in late 2019 for the 2020 model year. The public debuts should be at the 2019 New York auto show. Production of this GA-K architecture vehicle will be at the same Princeton, Alabama factory which makes the current 440A Highlander/Kluger and petrol-electric variants.

The 222N FJ Cruiser is a retro-styled SUV which is now in its final months of production. At one time it was relatively successful in North America, Australia, South Africa, Japan and China. Sales started first in Japan during December 2010.

The FJ Cruiser, a fresh body on the Toyota 4Runner, was previewed by the FJ concept at the 2003 Detroit show. The production version, which followed at the 2005 Chicago auto show, uses the Tundra platform and is powered by a 4.0-litre V6. It went on sale in the USA and Canada in March 2006 and in Mexico in September 2007.

A convertible version that had been under development was axed. A concept premiered at the SEMA show in November 2006, powered by a TRD-developed 4.7-litre supercharged V8.

The FJ Cruiser remains one of the few vehicles on sale anywhere to have three wipers for the windscreen.

The US importer confirmed in August 2013 that 2014 would be its last model year there.

Even though the Australian importer announced that Hino had built the F J Cruiser in August 2016, Toyota continues to sell it in Japan. This September, TMC announced the Final Edition. Production will likely finish in February and there will be a hiatus until a sort-of replacement appears. That is likely to be a model based on the recent Tj concept (see above).

The Land Cruiser 70 Series (‘Land Cruiser 76’ in South Africa, and also the ‘Land Cruiser 79 pick-up’) is a rugged off-roader and is easily the oldest model which Toyota sells. The model code is 029N. This 4×4, first seen in 1984, was the first Land Cruiser with coil-sprung rear suspension. It was discontinued some years back in Japan but was reintroduced in August 2014 as a special edition powered by a 170kW (213PS) version of the 1GR-FE 4.0-litre V6.

There was a facelift in February 2007, while Toyota’s first diesel V8, a 4.5-litre unit, also premiered in this revised 70 Series.

The Australian importer announced a new bodystyle, the LC79 Double Cab, in July 2012. There are two model grades, each with a 130l fuel tank, the 4.5-litre turbo diesel V8 engine, five-speed manual transmission and part-time 4WD with two-speed transfer case. The 70 Series originally came with a 4.2-litre straight six petrol engine.

The LC79 Double Cab was specifically developed for Australia’s enormous and enormously profitable mine operators. In mine pits, the vehicles and their owners have to cope with extreme dust in the dry and thick mud in the wet. Some vehicles are also fitted with rail arms to travel on train rails.

The 70 Series range now consists of four body styles: Wagon, Single Cab, Double Cab and Troop Carrier.

An upgraded 70 Series was announced by Toyota Australia in June 2016. No further changes are expected. The next generation 70 Series will likely be released in relevant countries in 2020.

The current Prado (Land Cruiser or Land Cruiser Prado in some markets) went on sale in Japan in September 2009 as the fourth generation Land Cruiser Prado (model code: 611L). Both five- and seven-seater formats are available and each has a side-swing tailgate. A day after its Japanese market launch, it premiered at the Frankfurt motor show badged for European markets as the Land Cruiser.

In the home market, only the five-door bodystyle is offered, in combination with 2.7-litre four-cylinder or 4.0-litre V6 petrol engines. In certain countries, a four-cylinder diesel is available, as is a three-door body. The original 3.0-litre diesel was replaced by a 450Nm 2.8-litre unit in 2015. This was announced in June of that year and it also features in the latest Hilux.

Hino, Toyota’s commercial vehicle subsidiary, builds the Prado at its Hamura plant in the western suburbs of Tokyo.

As Australia is such a large market for certain Toyota models, the local importer launched its ‘150 Series’ Prado in November 2009. TMAu was the first to reveal images of the three-door bodystyle, while Toyota Motor Europe started sales of the then-new Land Cruiser from December 2009.

Production of the current Land Cruiser Prado (4.0-lite V6 gasoline engine only) in China commenced in April 2010. There, it is known as the ‘Puladuo‘. As with the previous generation model, this is part of the Sichuan FAW Toyota (SFTM) 50:50 joint venture.

In October 2013, Toyota announced plans for an expansion of the SFTM venture’s Chengdu plant. Annual capacity rose from 30,000 vehicles to 50,000 from March 2015. At the same time, a 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine option was added to the existing range of 4.0-litre V6 Puladuos.

The Lexus GX 460, a model traditionally twinned with the Prado, was revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in November 2009 and went on sale in major markets soon after.

A facelifted Prado was announced by Toyota in August 2013. It went on sale from the following month. Its public debut outside Japan was at October 2013’s Johannesburg motor show.

A second facelift premiered at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2017. This should be the last update for the model before the arrival of the next generation Prado/Land Cruiser/Land Cruiser Prado/Puladuo, which will likely be in 2020. The replacement model is likely to also be available as a hybrid. The architecture should be NG-F, the frame chassis which will underpin the next Tundra pick-up.

The 151N Land Cruiser is yet another aged large Toyota 4×4. It first went on sale in Japan way back in October 2007. The Australian importer was the first to announce a then-new 4.5-litre V8 diesel variant as part of its Land Cruiser 200 Series range. This reached dealers a month after the model’s Japanese market release. There, the sole engine was originally a 4.7-litre gasoline V8 but a 4.6-litre V8 replaced it in early 2012.

European sales commenced in January 2008. In some markets it is or was sold as the Land Cruiser Amazon. In China, there is also a 4.0-litre V6 as well as the (petrol) V8.

After one in 2012, a second facelift was announced in August 2015. As part of the revisions, the 4.5-litre diesel engine gained new injectors, revised mapping and a particulate filter (DPF) fitted with a guard to protect it over rough roads. The changes saw power rise by 5kW to 200kW while peak torque remains 650Nm. For the 4.6-litre petrol V8, the air-injection system was adapted to reduce emissions by inducing secondary air through the exhaust ports for faster catalyst warm-up from a cold start. With variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust ports, the petrol engine maintains its peak outputs of 227kW and 439Nm. North America’s 2016 model year Land Cruiser was the facelifted vehicle.

No further changes are expected.

The next generation of this big SUV is expected to once more have a body-on-frame construction. As is the case with the existing model, the replacement for the Lexus LX will be closely related to the future Land Cruiser/200 Series, just as the current models are twins. The platform will likely be NG-F and the model should enter production at Tahara in Japan during the second quarter of 2018.

The 200L Sequoia is a giant US-made SUV which has a ladder frame chassis. It had its debut at the Los Angeles show in November 2007. Sales of this second generation model commenced in North America in January 2008.

The Sequoia uses the Tundra’s platform and has independent rear suspension. A 4.7-litre V8 was originally standard, with a 5.7 optional. Thanks to the hitch being incorporated into the frame, the Sequoia can tow up to a claimed 10,000 lb.

Of interest from a manufacturing point of view, the RWD/4WD ladder-frame Sequoia is built on the same line as the unibody FWD/AWD Sienna minivan and Highlander crossover.

For the 2013 model year, Toyota dropped the smaller V8 and made the 5.7-litre engine standard. There have been no other changes of note since then.

The next generation Sequoia should debut for the 2020 model year. It is expected to use the same body-on-platform as the future Tundra. Both these vehicle programmes have a chief engineer based in the US, not Japan. The Avalon, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra are the other models which are developed at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Production should remain at the Princeton plant in Alabama.

Pick-ups

The eighth generation Hilux was revealed to the media by TMT (Toyota Motor Thailand) in May 2015. It was also announced by Toyota Australia on the same day. While it uses the same basic platform as the previous Hilux, it has a new frame. TMT notes that the pick-up has three types of suspension specification to suit driving conditions all around the world:

  • Standard (suited to all road conditions the world over);
  • Heavy duty (for heavy loads); and
  • Comfort (mainly for driving on paved roads)

The Hilux is 5,335mm long, 1,855mm wide and 1,820mm high. The first engine to be available in the Thai market was a new 130kW (177PS) 2,755cc diesel, codenamed 1GD. Torque is quoted as 450Nm and the standard transmission is a six-speed automatic.

Sales in Australia, which is the model’s largest market, commenced in October 2015. There, the HiLux is available with four engine choices, two of which are GD Series four-cylinder diesels (the 2.8 and a 2.4-litre unit with 400Nm). The other two are petrol engines: a revised version of the 2.7-litre four-cylinder and a carried over 4.0-litre V6 from the seventh generation truck. As well as the automatic gearbox, a six-speed manual is offered.

There are 31 variants of the HiLux in Australia, with 4×2 and 4×4 drive options, three cabin styles (single, extra and double) and three equipment grades (WorkMate, SR and SR5). The expansion from the former 23 variants is focused on adding more double cabs, more 4×4 variants, more diesel options and the reintroduction of the 4×4 WorkMate verison. For the first time, the HiLux range includes Hi-Rider variants – a 2WD with the ride height and heavy-duty suspension of a 4WD model. The double cab HiLux revealed in Australia features 18-inch wheels on a body that is 70mm longer and 20mm wider, with a slightly lower roofline. The range also includes 16 and 17-inch wheels, and in response to customer feedback, an 80-litre fuel tank.

In the Aussie market, this vehicle has always been known as the HiLux and this continues for the eighth generation. This ‘ute’ (a shortening of Utility, the term used in Australia for a pick-up) made local history in 2016, becoming the first best selling vehicle not to be a car. The HiLux achieved 42,104 sales.

The UK, which is a small if improving market for the Hilux, draws its Hilux from TSAM’s plant in a suburb of Durban.

A facelifted model should be released in 2021. The ninth generation Hilux is expected in 2026.

Even though both models are sold in Mexico, but not Canada and the USA, the Tacoma can be thought of as North America’s equivalent of the Hilux. The current model, 989A, had its global debut at the Detroit auto show in January 2015 and was new for the 2016 model year. The standard engine is a 2.7-litre four-cylinder, with the previous generation Tacoma’s 4.0-litre V6 having been replaced by a 3.5-litre Atkinson Cycle V6. The former five-speed automatic was replaced by a six-speeder. The auto gearbox is standard with the 2.7-litre engine and optional on the V6: a six-speed manual is standard for the 3.5-litre V6. US market model grades are as follows: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro (added for the 2017 model year) and Limited. A rival for the future Ford Ranger Raptor and Tacoma Hybrid are said to be under development.

This latest Tacoma was primarily developed in Michigan by an engineering team at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor. Starting with the frame, they added high strength steel to enhance rigidity and overall strength. Ultra-high strength steel was integrated into the body shell using a new hot stamping process that reduces weight. The truck’s tailgate, meanwhile, features an integrated spoiler and a stamped Tacoma logo. The tailgate also has an easy lowering feature, which allows it to slowly retract, preventing it from slamming down. A tri-fold hard tonneau cover is an option.

In September 2016, Toyota stated that it would spend US$100m to add yet more Tacoma capacity at Baja California in Mexico. What started out as a small plant making pick-up beds had its annual capacity lifted from around 90,000 Tacomas to 160,000. Toyota’s San Antonio plant in Texas also makes this pick-up, on the same line as the larger Tundra.

The Tacoma will be additionally manufactured at TMC’s under-construction plant in Baja California. This follows a January 2017 tweet by US president Donald Trump: “Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.”

On 4 August 2017, TMC announced that it had changed its plans and that it would instead manufacture the Tacoma pick-up at the Mexican factory. Also, it would be having a new US plant erected at a yet to be named site. This will build not just the Corolla but also a Mazda SUV. As part of this collaboration, TMC and Mazda Motor undertook a share swap, and their US plant will be co-owned and have an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. In return for a 5% holding in Mazda, TMC gave its Hiroshima-based rival and partner a 0.25% holding in itself.

The Tacoma is due to have a facelift for the 2021 model year. The next generation model will likely appear during CY2024. Its basis should be an updated TNGA-F platform.

Toyota’s biggest pick-up and another truck which is sold mainly in North America is the Tundra. The second generation model was new for the US’ 2007 model year.

The Tundra Regular Cab and Double Cab bodystyles went on sale in North America in February 2007, with the CrewMax variants following a month later. As the US vehicle market surged pre-crash, production was expanded from the Princeton plant in Indiana that built the previous Tundra to a second facility in San Antonio, Texas.

Toyota revealed in January 2008 that it had the capacity, but not the staff, to build a combined 280,000 Tundras a year at Princeton and San Antonio. However, due to a sales drop off, Tundra build at both plants ceased in August 2008. It restarted only at San Antonio three months later. The 2009 range was then announced, which was largely carried over.

As well as the three bodystyles, until the 2010 model year, there was a choice of 4.0-litre V6 and 4.7-litre V8 engines plus the Huntsville, Alabama-built 381hp 5.7-litre V8. CrewMax variants before the 2010 model year had a standard 4.7-litre V8 and the 5.7 was optional.

The maximum payload, depending on vehicle grade, ranges from 1,410 to 2,060 pounds. The 5.7-litre V8 can tow up to 10,800 pounds, which is close to that of some three-quarter-ton pickups. Even the 4.0-litre V6 could tow 5,000 pounds. The hitch is installed to the frame on the assembly line, before bed installation, rather than being a dealer-fit option.

For MY2010, a 310hp 4.6-litre V8 replaced the 276hp 4.7 and there was a minor range facelift (new grille and tail-lamps). The 2010 Tundra went on sale in April 2009. The 2011MY Tundra was carried over, though 4.0-litre variants gained a more powerful engine.

North America’s 2012 model year Tundra was carried over, as was the 2013 Tundra. The 2014MY Tundra premiered at the Chicago auto show in February 2013. It featured a new interior and an exterior update but both engines and gearboxes were carried over. The updated model entered US showrooms from September 2013. The V6 was dropped for the 2015 model year. The 2016MY Tundra was carried over. The same applied for the 2017 model year.

It isn’t clear why Toyota has allowed the Tundra to become so old. A new model isn’t expected until the 2019 model year. The next Tundra (954A) should gain a new frame (TNGA-F) and new engines. For the first time, there should also be a Tundra Hybrid. There have also been claims that a Cummins V8 diesel will be optional. The engine specialist already supplies Nissan with a 5.0-litre V8 for the Titan. The Tundra’s chief engineer is based at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Sports cars

Toyota is reportedly working on a new, additional rear-wheel drive sports car to sit below the 86/GT 86. It would be a rival for the Mazda MX-5/Roadster. The S-FR concept from October 2015’s Tokyo motor show might have been a preview of some of the thinking behind such a project.

The S-FR (Sports, front-engined, rear-wheel drive) concept – see image above – is said to have used the same architecture as that of the Toyota 86/GT86 and Subaru BRZ. The concept’s measurements were stated by TMC as being 3,990mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,320mm tall, with a 2,480mm wheelbase. The production car is rumoured to be due in late 2018 although some say the project faces delays. It would also make sense to add this model after Toyota has launched the Supra, so 2019 seems a safer bet. Next year would see the arrival of the Supra, then the MX-5 in 2019 and the next 86 in 2020.

The 86 (Eight Six), known in some countries as the GT-86, is a sports car project which was personally championed by Akio Toyoda. The ???? (hachi roku is eight six in Japanese) had its global debut in pre-production form at the Tokyo motor show in November 2011. The hachi roku went on sale in Japan in April 2012, powered by a 200bhp 2.0-litre engine.

This rear-wheel drive 2+2 is built by Subaru Corporation on the same line as its twin, the BRZ. In the US and Canada, the rest of the world’s Toyota 86 or GT86 was sold for multiple years as the Scion FR-S. Scion was phased out at the end of North America’s 2016 model year and the FR-S then became a Toyota in those markets.

The 86/GT86 replacement could become part of BMW and Toyota’s JV to develop sports cars. In that case, it would use the architecture which TMC and BMW Group developed for the Supra and Z4. That might also mean production could be potentially outsourced to Magna Steyr. There is another alternative, which is discussed below.

Some sources were suggesting in 2014 that the Subaru BRZ, the twin of the current Toyota 86, might not be replaced, given that its sales have been only modest and that its lack of all-wheel drive is an issue for many dealers. However, in July 2014, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, then president of Fuji Heavy and now Subaru Corporation, denied these rumours, telling a US automotive trade magazine that the car would definitely have a second generation. There are also rumours that the replacements for the 86/GT86/FR-S and BRZ may utilise the same architecture as the Mazda Roadster/MX-5 courtesy of TMC’s shareholding in and influence over Mazda Motor. If that is happening, then the original release date of 2019 would have to be pushed back to 2020.

BMW AG and Toyota Motor Corporation signed an extension of their technology alliance in June 2012. As part of this MoU, the partners said at the time that they would jointly develop a new ‘sports vehicle’. This has since evolved into a project for two cars: the Toyota Supra will be a hatchback and the BMW Z4 will be a roadster.

It is believed that Magna Steyr will manufacture both models from the first quarter of 2018, on the same line, at a combined volume of up to 60,000 vehicles per annum. The Supra and Z4 are said to have been developed on a bespoke rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive platform. 

Future model plan reports for other manufacturers can be viewed in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.

Future product program intelligence

Additional data on vehicle lifetime and future product plans, such as code names, production plants and expected annual build, are available in PLDB from QUBE.

The next OEM for just-auto’s in-depth examination of current and future models will be Mitsubishi Motors.