Land Cruiser, Yaris: The burly and the tiny touched up

BASED upon a barreled dual-lamp, LC200 is equipped with a High/Low Bi-HID projector system with daytime running lights. It is equipped with LED rear combination lamps.

We can smell the marketing ploy a mile away. Some car manufacturers tweak a design feature here, add a tiny feature there, and then bang, pow! Major relaunch featuring the all-new so and so. Complete with promo girls, song-and-dance numbers and fireworks. But at the end of the night, when everyone else has been rendered tipsy, and talk is loose, someone asks the forbidden question: “So what’s the big deal about a little change, huh?” At which point the PR handlers would quietly lead the guest to the exit.

Veteran car expert Giles Chapman knows whereof he speaks when he writes that “refresh” cars are often presented as a brand-new model with much fanfare, when it’s usually a cynical ploy to squeeze more sales out of an aging car.

And then there are those cars that need no re-introduction, whatever design changes their manufacturers make of them. These are the offshoot of the cult classics, vehicles that have gained their own following over a long period of existence. Fans of cult classics know that the objects of their adulation are ever-changing and evolving, such that when change does arrive, no fancy declarations are to be made—only an appreciative silence that means the old has become new, the great has become greater.

Toyota Motor Philippines knew they hadn’t just one cult car to reintroduce to the Philippine motoring public, but two. The first was an SUV that traces its beginnings from as far back as the 1950s. The other, a subcompact with tested reliability, a strong cult following in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and the US, and more stylish than its predecessor Starlet.

Thus, amidst the quiet elegance of posh Greenbelt 5 in Ayala Center in the city of Makati last Friday, the two vehicles were unveiled before the motoring media, with just short welcome speeches from TMP officials about the changes made on them.

AMONG the LC200’s various upgrades are multi-feature instrument panel

The Land Cruiser was officially introduced in 1951, and was first used as a utility vehicle for the Japanese military. Now, over 60 years later and after 6 million units sold worldwide (as of end-2008), the new Land Cruiser LC200’s looks boast of a tough, dignified exterior, with three-dimensional curves and concaved surfaces on both ends.

The Land Cruiser has, over the years, undergone its own design and functional changes. The latest iteration (LC200) features a new front grille that flows smoothly to the headlamps which, according to TMP, is based on a barreled dual-lamp equipped with a High/Low Bi-HID projector system with daytime running lights.

The Land Cruiser, which has made some of the most barren and desolate places on Earth its home (many Australians choose the SUV to explore the hostile Outback, according to the book “501 Must Drive Cars”) now even comes with a pop-up nozzle headlamp cleaner. It’s now also equipped with LED rear combination lamps and outer mirror side turning lamps. The new 18-inch aluminum wheels are designed to project a tougher stance. The Land Cruiser’s platform retains a tough body structure, ensuring strength and durability. This also improves safety while reducing on-road noise and vibration.

four-zone independent climate control for the air-conditioning system

The wood grain ornamentation with bright silver accents is intricately embedded in the panels and console area. Instrument controls finished in piano black and chrome plating is equipped with EMV (Electro Multi-Vision) display to enhance visibility. The LC200 also sports a new steering wheel wrapped in wood grain and leather trimmings along with audio, telephone, voice and display integrated controls. Gauge meters are lit by the optitron color-information display with TFT (Thin Film Transistor) illuminated in white and turquoise color combination. The fully automatic air-conditioning system comes with a four-zone independent temperature control.

Smallest Toyota

YARIS subcompact hatchback is a popular driver-oriented car.

Placed alongside Toyota’s big SUV didn’t diminish the attention given to the new-look Yaris. On the contrary, the curious mall goers of Greenbelt 5 tended to look at the Yaris even more closely.

The Yaris, also known in other markets as the Echo and Vitz, was judged European Car of the Year in 2000, and was critically acclaimed for its practicality, versatility, fun-to-drive features and directness to the controls.

A front grille that flows smoothly to the headlamps.

Top Gear writer and Inquirer Motoring columnist Botchi Santos, who owns a 2009 model, said the Yaris was “highly underrated” despite it being “fuel efficient,” “easy-to park,” with widely available parts, huge after-market support, a cult following in several countries and having a race car pedigree (e.g., in the Vitz-Netz Cup).

The Yaris’ new exterior changes include a sleeker front mesh grille and newly designed headlamps. The new front and rear bumper with reflex reflectors has been made to look more aggressive. Signal lamps are now integrated to the side mirrors. The rear combination lamps are now equipped with LEDs to add to its sporty image.

The Yaris has also undergone some interior changes, as well. It now comes with a sportier leather steering wheel and shift knob with red stitching. It is also equipped with audio controls and an auxiliary connector to boost the fully integrated audio system. There are more color schemes: Freedom White, Thermalyte, Medium Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Xtreme Black and Cosmo Red.

Beneath the hood

LC 200’s 18-inch aluminum wheels are designed to project a stronger image.

The LC200 is powered by a 1VD-FTV 4.5L V8 diesel engine mated to a 6-speed super ECT (Electronic Control Transmission) system for fuel economy in all driving conditions without sacrificing power. Its traditional durability, reliability, off-road performance and other basic functions have been retained. Coil Spring with high-mounted double wishbone suspension in front replaces the previous torsion bar type, while the rear suspension retains the commended four-link type, with optimized control arm placement and tuning, which contributes to maximum ride comfort. The new Land Cruiser is priced at P4.292 million, and comes in five exterior colors: Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Attitude Black and Beige Mica Metallic. The White Pearl option is available for P4.307 million.

The new Yaris is powered by a 1.5-liter 1NZ-FE 16 valve DOHC engine with VVT-I, generating 107 hp/6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 141 Nm/4,200 rpm.

Log on to www.toyota.com.ph for more details on the new LC200 and Yaris.