10 iconic Toyota model name meanings explained
#1
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From flowers to Greek mythology – Toyota model names have drawn inspiration from some interesting places. We take a look at the meanings behind 10 iconic model names, and outline how each one fits the character of the cars that they have graced.
Yaris
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Toyota-Yaris-Icon-Hybrid-1.jpg)
Yaris is an amalgamation of words from Greek mythology and German. In Greek mythology, ‘Charis’ was a symbol of beauty and elegance. Toyota swapped the ‘Ch’ with ‘Ya’ – German for ‘yes’ – to symbolise the perceived reaction of European markets to the car’s styling.
Supra
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Supra-4.jpg)
Supra is a Latin word meaning ‘above’. The name is apt for a car that was able to punch well above its weight in magazine road tests – it famously defeated a Porsche 911 Turbo and an Aston Martin DB7.
Celica
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Toyota_Celica_GT_1995_Rear3_4_HiRes.jpg)
A heavenly smooth drivetrain and linear power delivery were always staples of the Celica. Fitting then, that the name is Spanish for ‘celestial’.
Auris
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Auris-H-silver-r3q-e1413302249240.jpg)
Auris takes inspiration from the Latin noun ‘aurum’, meaning gold. It is also inspired by the English word ‘aura’ – the two combine in a car with a ‘golden aura’. Fitting then, that the concept version of the car – unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show – was finished in a striking gold hue symbolic of the global importance of the model in terms of sales.
Corolla
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Corolla-9-e1413361776877.jpg)
A ‘corolla’ is the ring of petals around the central part of a flower. The name was intended to evoke the image of a beautifully styled, eye-catching small family car.
Prius
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Prius-Plug-in-TRD-Nurburgring-2-e1413363768418.jpg)
Prius is Latin for ‘prior’ or ‘previous’. Its name can be interpreted as a reference to the fact that at the Prius’ Japan launch in 1997, there had never been a mass-produced hybrid car prior to it.
Corona
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1966-Corona.jpg)
The Corona was the first Toyota model to be exported to the UK, way back in 1965. Its name is routed in astronomy; the corona is the ring of pearly light around the sun. The name was a reflection of the robustness of the car – like a light at the end of the tunnel for motorists saddled with less reliable European cars at the time.
Camry
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Camry-5-02.jpg)
Camry comes from the Japanese word ‘kanmuri’, meaning ‘crown’. It’s an apt name for the car, which as the best-selling car in America for 12 years straight, really can claim to be a jewel in Toyota’s crown.
Avensis
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Avensis-007-e1413302776406.jpg)
Avensis is derived from the French verb ‘advancer’, meaning ‘to advance’ and is indicative of the step forward that the model represented over its predecessor – the Carina E – when it arrived in 1997.
Previa
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Previa-014.jpg)
The name ‘Previa’ is derived from the Italian word ‘previdenza’, which means providence or foresight. The Previa was the world’s first MPV with a mid-mounted engine to maximize cabin space – no other manufacturer before Toyota had had the ‘foresight’ to fit a mid-mounted engine into an MPV.
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Toyota-Yaris-Icon-Hybrid-1.jpg)
Yaris is an amalgamation of words from Greek mythology and German. In Greek mythology, ‘Charis’ was a symbol of beauty and elegance. Toyota swapped the ‘Ch’ with ‘Ya’ – German for ‘yes’ – to symbolise the perceived reaction of European markets to the car’s styling.
Supra
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Supra-4.jpg)
Supra is a Latin word meaning ‘above’. The name is apt for a car that was able to punch well above its weight in magazine road tests – it famously defeated a Porsche 911 Turbo and an Aston Martin DB7.
Celica
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Toyota_Celica_GT_1995_Rear3_4_HiRes.jpg)
A heavenly smooth drivetrain and linear power delivery were always staples of the Celica. Fitting then, that the name is Spanish for ‘celestial’.
Auris
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Auris-H-silver-r3q-e1413302249240.jpg)
Auris takes inspiration from the Latin noun ‘aurum’, meaning gold. It is also inspired by the English word ‘aura’ – the two combine in a car with a ‘golden aura’. Fitting then, that the concept version of the car – unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show – was finished in a striking gold hue symbolic of the global importance of the model in terms of sales.
Corolla
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Corolla-9-e1413361776877.jpg)
A ‘corolla’ is the ring of petals around the central part of a flower. The name was intended to evoke the image of a beautifully styled, eye-catching small family car.
Prius
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Prius-Plug-in-TRD-Nurburgring-2-e1413363768418.jpg)
Prius is Latin for ‘prior’ or ‘previous’. Its name can be interpreted as a reference to the fact that at the Prius’ Japan launch in 1997, there had never been a mass-produced hybrid car prior to it.
Corona
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1966-Corona.jpg)
The Corona was the first Toyota model to be exported to the UK, way back in 1965. Its name is routed in astronomy; the corona is the ring of pearly light around the sun. The name was a reflection of the robustness of the car – like a light at the end of the tunnel for motorists saddled with less reliable European cars at the time.
Camry
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Camry-5-02.jpg)
Camry comes from the Japanese word ‘kanmuri’, meaning ‘crown’. It’s an apt name for the car, which as the best-selling car in America for 12 years straight, really can claim to be a jewel in Toyota’s crown.
Avensis
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Avensis-007-e1413302776406.jpg)
Avensis is derived from the French verb ‘advancer’, meaning ‘to advance’ and is indicative of the step forward that the model represented over its predecessor – the Carina E – when it arrived in 1997.
Previa
![](http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Previa-014.jpg)
The name ‘Previa’ is derived from the Italian word ‘previdenza’, which means providence or foresight. The Previa was the world’s first MPV with a mid-mounted engine to maximize cabin space – no other manufacturer before Toyota had had the ‘foresight’ to fit a mid-mounted engine into an MPV.
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#4
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I liked back in the 1980's when Toyota didn't bother with names. Everybody remembers the Toyota "truck" of course, but how many remember the Toyota "Van", with styling inspired by a Star Trek shuttle craft.
#6
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The Truck was the Hilux, they just stopped using the name in the US after 1978.
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#8
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It was from an era when the usual transversley mounted/FWD engine config was still in its infancy. Toyota chose the midengined route, for better or worse. The engine/trans kind of sat in a tunnel between the driver and passenger seat, so it was a flat cargo floor from the front seats back. Keep in mind that the whole reason it was space efficient is that the driver/passenger sat on top of the front axle, so your legs were the first thing to go in a collision. Its a similar setup to a 1960's Detroit van or a cab over semi truck.
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