http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins.../B02-58761.htm

new vehicles?
1. GS300, 430
2. IS250, 350 cpe, sedan, vert, wagon
3. LS
4. Avalon
5. RX400h
6. Highlander hybrid
7. Camry hybrid
8. FJ Cruiser
9. Echo

that new cross-over
SC
supercar
Tundra and multiple variations
new Scion
GS450h
RX350 ES350

I have no idea what new products are coming, but

 

Toyota Motor Co.p. will replace the unpopular Echo compact with two European-styled small cars to be launched in the United States in 2006 as part of an aggressive model rollout.

"Twenty-two new products are coming in the next 15 months," Jim Press, chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, told analysts Wednesday. "One of the ways we're going to fuel ourselves in the market is through a product blitz."

Toyota's new or redesigned models will include fuel-efficient, gas-electric versions of the Toyota Highlander and premium Lexus RX sport utility vehicles, new Lexus IS and GS sport sedans, and a revamped Scion xA hatchback.

With the launch next month of a larger and more powerful Avalon flagship sedan, the Japanese automaker is bolstering the high end of the Toyota brand's car lineup.

Its mid-sized Camry was the best-selling car in the United States last year, and the smaller Corolla is successful. But Toyota had a weak entry-level contender in the Echo. Echo sales fell to below 4,000 in 2004 from a peak of 48,876 in 2000.

"People were disappointed in the Echo. They didn't like the look of the vehicle, inside and out," said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at research and consulting firm Global Insight.

"A variety of people buy entry-level vehicles, and they're not always fresh out of college. That buyer wants to get as much car for their money as they possibly can," Lindland said.

Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. also plan to bring new entry-level cars to the U.S. market. Nissan will launch one or possibly two subcompacts that share underpinnings with the Cube sold in Japan. Honda will introduce a subcompact smaller than the Civic in 2006.

Press did not identify the European-styled cars that will replace the Echo, but Toyota has developed several attractive cars in Europe to compete in the region's cutthroat small-car market. They include the Yaris, a rounded compact minivan.

The Echo faced stiff competition from Toyota's own youth-oriented Scion brand. Scion sold nearly 100,000 vehicles in 2004, the first year the brand became available nationwide, up ninefold from 2003 levels.

Next year, Scion will roll out a restyled xA hatchback, the least popular car in the lineup.

Speaking at an analysts' conference in Dearborn, Press forecast that Scion sales would rise to around 120,000 vehicles this year. Overall, Toyota expects Toyota-brand, Scion and Lexus sales to rise between 3 percent and 5 percent from last year's total of 2.1 million vehicles. </end>

nothing we didnt really know, just an affirmation of sorts

 

Good...so no more Echo, but I was really hoping they can bring to the US the Asian-market VIOS instead. It has the same rock-bottom-priced target market as the Echo but is way sharper looking and packaged. I'm not seeing a comparable European Toyota that I like as much.

 

They are really going for world domination, LOL!!!

 

Please revive the Supra!

 

Bring Chasers over =D

 

Yep - I've kinda expected this xA refresh ...

The ad campaign has focused increasingly on the xA - which I interpreted to mean below-expected sales.

All Scion ads have to do to interest people in the rest of the line (the other 2 cars) is flash pictures - word of mouth and "Pimp my Ride" takes care of the rest.

M.

 

SUPRA and CROWN are all that i want from toyota out of those 22 new products.

 

xA will be completly new, since current is going to be old by the time 2006 hits. It will be based off new Yaris/Echo/Vitz which is going to be launched this year...

p.s. kind of interesting but is it so hard to understand that the main reason that Echo went from 50k to 4k is that Toyota pushed xA and xB as better cars, solutions and completly cut off Echo supplies to minimum? Or are these journalists think that there are 40k Echo's sitting on dealership floors somewhere?

 

Agreed!!!

 

Now that I have seen more pics of the Vios. I've really come to like it. I can see were there would be an increasing market for this vehicle.

Toyota Vios Commercial

 

Hahaha, are those racing harnesses i see in the vios? What kind of engine does that thang have anyway?

 

i want me FJ Cruiser!

 

The Echo was clearly a mistake from Day One. I said so when it was first introduced in the U.S. market. Every one I have ever advised or shopped with at a Toyota dealer for an economy car has been repulsed by the car's looks and ended up going home with something else instead....usually a Corolla, sometimes a Matrix. I don't know a single person who has bought or leased an Echo. Toyota would have done better simply to have kept the old Tercel, though it was not as roomy inside as the Echo and is crash-test results were not as good.
As far as bringing back a more traditionally-styled entry-level car with the gauges behind the steering wheel, I can't really say right now if that would be a good idea or not. While I myself do not like the center-mount design and think it is goofy, there is no question that the Scion xA and xB, both with that design, have sold well, (unlike the Echo). And, in the auto buisness, sales are the name of the game, not always what individual people think.
With the large number of new products that Toyota / Lexus is bringing out here, I hope their engineering and development resources don't get spread too thin over too many products and they can keep their famous quality levels up. Bringing out some 22 new products, even with the platform sharing and overlap that most companies use, is going to require a LOT of work from a LOT of people.

 

That's my concern as well. Toyota's really putting their reputation on the line with such an aggressive introduction.

I'm beginning to wonder if Toyota believes that they can't lose in the auto game.

Right now, with a few exceptoins, Toyota already has a rock-solid line of vehicles that are all, for the most part, selling well.

I'm not exactly sure where they're going to slot these two new "economy" cars; the base trim Matrix and Corolla already fill that gap pretty well as a low priced wagon and sedan, respectively.

If I was running Toyota - I'd rather shore up existing products and/or offer more iterations (more trim levels - green/hybrid, luxury, performance, etc) of them than introduce a boatload of new models. If for no other reason than marketing expense. It takes people time to acclimate to new nameplates ... of course it's easier with Toyota given the marque's reputation - but it's still a lot of money on advertising and marketing.

Mercedes' line - for instance - is, in my opinion, perfect. They've got a vehicle in almost every class (except for monster SUV) all starting with an appealing basic design - and each can be had in a number of iterations with a suitable range of options and styles. If I was in charge of MB - I'd say they've got "luxury" and "performance" pretty well covered and shift focus to powerplants and electronics. More efficient powerplants and drivetrain technology and more reliable electronics.

M.