Highlights from Toyota 2016 North American Environmental Report
The Japanese automaker wants to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its products, as well as reach other big goals, by 2050.
The Japanese automaker wants to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its products, as well as reach other big goals, by 2050.
The popular compact car has come a long way since its original release in 1966.
New versions of favourite small SUVs, as well as an exciting electric concept, all made their debuts at this year’s LA Auto Show.
Automakers unveiled everything from a minivan on air suspension to a 1,000-plus horsepower SUV at this year’s SEMA Show.
Similar to the contemporary family unit, the family vehicle segment too has evolved, reflecting the wants and needs of 21st century living. Now, models come in a plethora of shapes and sizes catering to wide variety of customers, and are safer, more comfortable and better equipped than their predecessors. We’ve included three of our favourites from 2016 here — one each from the sedan, crossover SUV and minivan categories — and have taken into consideration the attributes above, as well as price.
The Sonata is a particularly versatile sedan that has a lot going for it. The design was completely changed last year, and the car is offered in gasoline, Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid flavours (Hybrid pictured here). Parents will appreciate the convenience of options like rear window sunshades for little ones or pets riding in the back, a power trunk for easy storage of cargo, and programmable driver’s seat memory taking out the guesswork of adjustment when there are multiple drivers. Prices start at $24,749.
Plenty of interior space, reliability and onboard entertainment are just some of the 2016 Toyota Highlanders strong suits. Grownups and children passengers alike will be kept busy with a multimedia system consisting of a 6.1-inch touchscreen, USB and 12-volt ports for electronics and an available Blu-ray DVD player and 9.0-inch screen in the back. There’s also room for either seven or eight occupants depending on the configuration.
Toyota makes this list twice, but that’s simply because they’ve got the family vehicle formula down pat. The best-selling Sienna is successful for a reason, or several reasons actually, among them being a load of tech and massive carrying capacity. Siri Eyes Free functionality means drivers can easily and safely call up smartphone functions using their voice, such as adding a doctor’s appointment to the calendar or calling up a favourite restaurant to order dinner, and with the second and third row benches folded down the minivan can swallow over 4,000 litres of cargo.
This is how Toyota hybrid vehicles seamlessly switch between gasoline and electric power.
Is it really back to school already? Well not quite yet, but September will be here in the blink of an eye. If a vehicle is on your school supplies shopping list, OpenRoad Auto Group is here to help with a list of the most affordable vehicles for students for 2016.
Starting at $15,995, the 2016 VW Jetta is the most affordable model in the German automaker’s lineup and is equipped with a zippy turbocharged 150-horsepower engine. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, or add an extra $1,400 for a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission.
Completely redesigned, the legendary Honda Civic enters its 10th generation sportier in both appearance and performance. The interior has be also been reworked to provide lots of storage space for things like phones, wallets and cups. Also offered in a coupe body style, the four-door (starting MSRP $16,155) is the better buy for those on a budget.
Toyota Corollas have been the go-to-car for many students for five decades now, and not much has changed in that regard. The current compact sedan is still great on gas — 8.4 L/100 km in the city, 6.4 on the highway — and has enough interior room for five adults to sit comfortably thanks to the flat floor in the rear. Prices start at $15,995.
All new for this year, the reimagined Elantra is drop dead gorgeous with a smart looking front end anchored by a wide-mouth grille and a set of sleek headlamps. As always, even the base model ($15,999) is chock full of features like heated front seats that will come in handy during those brisk fall morning drives to class. The car is powered by a 2.0-litre motor producing 147 horsepower and 132-lb-ft of torque.
In the market for a used car? OpenRoad has hundreds of pre-owned vehicles available for sale — have a look on the website.
As one vehicle under Toyota’s umbrella prepares to go out with a bang, another is reborn with a new name.
What do you get when you take Canada’s best selling SUV and give Toyota’s award-winning hybrid powertrain? The RAV4 Hybrid.
Of the many things the Big Apple is famous for, cars are also among them. One of the year’s biggest automotive spectacles — the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) — is going on right now until April 3, and there has been some seriously interesting news coming out of the east coast event.
The fourth generation of everyone’s favourite modern roadster, the Miata, was released last year in soft-top form, and it was only a matter of time before a hardtop version would be announced. And now it has: introducing the MX-5 RF. Sporting fastback looks, it features a retractable rear window and the roof can be fully stowed. Surprisingly, the storage capacity in the trunk remains the same for both models.
In North America, the RF will utilize the familiar SKYACTIV-G 2.0 gasoline engine.
Toyota is touting the latest plug-in variant of the new Prius as the being the “best-equipped, most technologically-advanced model to date.” Greater battery capacity and an improved hybrid system give the Prime a 22 per cent reduction in fuel consumption compared to its predecessor, resulting in a projected 1.96 Le/100 km (litres equivalent) and a total range of over 965 kilometres.
Design highlights include very cool quad-LED headlights, lightweight aluminum used for the hood and carbon fibre for the hatch, and an available 11.6-inch interior multimedia screen.
Following closely behind the debut of the production G90 sedan, Hyundai’s recently separated luxury division now turns its attention to something sportier. The New York Concept is a hint towards the brand’s future styling direction, represented here by a long hood, unique fender vents, tapered rear deck and copper-coloured accents. Inside, a massive 21-inch LG 4K display dominates the dash connected to an interface combining touchpads and 3-D gesture control.
A hybrid powertrain generates 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission