Toyota Family Cars

In the 20-plus years that it’s been around, the Toyota RAV4 has evolved from a humble crossover that was looking to break into a small but fledgling segment to one of the most popular models in what is the most popular segment in the industry today.

When was the last time you heard a RAV4 beat a full-blown sports car like the Supra in a sprint-to-60-mph time? What’s that? Never? Well, consider this the first of what looks to be repeat performances from the suddenly performance-oriented Toyota RAV4.

The current-gen Toyota Hilux has been around since 2015. The 2021 Hilux was around the corner and multiple leaks and spy shots gave us an idea of what it would look like. Just a couple of days back,the company even officially released a teaser with Fernando Alonso behind the wheel. Now, finally, Toyota has revealed the 2021 Hilux with noticeable changes inside and out to go with some changes under the hood.

The 2021 Toyota Hilux is all set to be unveiled in a few days. To keep the hype going, Toyota Europe has released a teaser of the refreshed truck with none other than former F1 driver Fernando Alonso behind the wheel.

The 2021 Hilux is said to be inspired by the U.S.-based Tacoma and Tundra, but we can’t figure out much from the teaser, thanks to the heavy camouflage. But, the big news is that Toyota has updated the 2.8-liter mill and it will receive a power bump. Excited much?

If you are active on social media, you would’ve seen people trying to pick up a new hobby or skill during quarantine. Everyone is trying to keep themselves busy by doing something out of the box. If you’re still looking to pick up a skill, I’m sure this video will convince you to try out wood carving. This ‘woodsmith’ has a channel on YouTube by the name Woodworking Art where he uploads his creations. Recently, he carved a 2020 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser to absolute perfection. This video is the ultimate example of skill and craftsmanship at its finest.

The Venza nameplate has made a return to Toyota’s stable after a five-year hiatus. The new Venza is a two-row SUV that slots between the RAV4 and the Highlander in the company’s lineup. This SUV is essentially a rebadged Harrier that’s sold in the Japanese market. To make it stand out from the competition and offer a fuel-efficient SUV to the customers, the Venza will be offered as a hybrid-only SUV.

But, is this enough to waive off the competition in the thickly stacked segment where almost every automaker has a presence? Here’s how the Venza stands when pit against the Ford Edge, Chevy Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Honda Passport, and the Nissan Murano.

I’ve considered hybrids to be the perfect stopgap between internal combustion engine cars and electric vehicles. The majority of the people are still skeptical to switch to pure EVs and hybrid vehicles help you adapt to it very well. Not all automakers have taken hybrid technology very seriously, but Toyota is one company that has diligently worked on it and delivered quality products.

The company launched two vehicles this week. One is the 2021 model of its minivan, the Sienna, and the other one is the resurrected Venza SUV. What makes these models special is that they will be available only with a hybrid powertrain. Will these vehicles succeed in their new-found avatars?

Toyota has recently joined the hot-hatch market with the beefed-up GR Yaris, but it wants to expand to new segments now. With the GR Yaris aimed at the Volkswagen Polo GTI and the Ford Fiesta ST, Toyota wants a competitor for the larger and more popular Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST. So the Corolla is next in line for the Gazoo Racing treatment and the good news is that it will come to the United States.

The Toyota Hilux is a compact pickup truck sold by the Japanese Automaker in many markets worldwide. The moniker was introduced back in 1968 and continues to run successfully to date. It was sold in the States when it was introduced, but the company pulled it out after eight years in 1976 and replaced it with the rather generic “Truck” badge. We do have its twin here sold since 1995, called the Tacoma.

The Hilux is presently in its eighth-generation that was launched in 2017. While the next-gen Hilux is expected to arrive in 2023, a mid-cycle refresh was on the cards for later this year. However, a website called Milele Motors has published images of the 2021 Hilux, although CarAdvice mentions that these could just be renderings based on the Hilux facelift.

Remember when Toyota said it would make high-performance trims of every model it builds? Looks like Toyota was serious about it. Interestingly, the Japanese automaker announced this in a reply to a twitter user who suggested a Hilux GRMN.

Fast forward 13 months and Toyota has announced a GR Hilux that will go up against the Ranger Raptor. The truck will feature a new diesel V-6 mill that will churn out over 250 horses. How exciting is that?

Toyota is bringing an armada of trucks and SUVs at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, including the Highlander XSE that’s infused with enough sporty characteristics that make us wonder if Toyota’s deliberately trying to jolt some life into what otherwise is a family-oriented three-row crossover. To be clear, the Highlander XSE is not a special edition Highlander; it’s a new trim level that comes with significant visual and performance upgrades that you normally don’t see in a Highlander. If this is Toyota’s attempt to catch our attention with the 2021 Highlander, consider our attention’s caught. The Toyota Highlander XSE will go on sale in the fall of this year as a 2021 model. No pricing details have been revealed, but Toyota did say that the Highlander XSE will slot between the XLE and Limited trims. With the Highlander XLE starting at around $40,000 and the Highlander Limited starting at $44,000, expect the Highlander XSE to start at $42,000.

Toyota created a buzz before the 2020 Chicago Auto Show kicked off by announcing it’ll bring “sporty and outdoorsy, with a touch of nocturnal mischief.” to the show. Toyota teased the Tacoma’s front passenger side lower fascia in a teaser image leading to the auto show, but now we have all the scoop. The company has brought along Trail and Nightshade editions for a handful of its vehicles.

The Trail Editions are introduced on the 2021 models of the Tacoma, Tundra, and the 4Runner. They are aimed at folks who prefer rugged vehicles for a “sporty and outdoorsy” lifestyle. The Trail Edition will be based on the SR5 trims on all three vehicles. They will be offered in special exterior colors that include Army Green, Cement, Midnight Black, and Super White, and also receive black badging to distinguish from the regular SR5 trims. On the inside, Toyota has upholstered the vehicles in black seats with tan contrast stitching. All-weather floor mats also come as part of the package. The Tacoma Trail will come with stuff like:

Dark Gray 18-inch TRD Off-Road wheels Kevlar All-Terrain tires Front fascia grille borrowed from Tacoma Limited A 115-volt power outlet in the bed Lockable bed storage that doubles up as a cooler as well Limited to 7,000 Tacomas

As for the Tundra Trail, you receive:

Chrome grille from the 1794 trim Special Edition exclusive wheels Lockable bed storage-cum-cooler like on the Tacoma Trail Limited to 5,000 Tundras

The 4Runner Trail will be equipped with:

Dark Gray TRD Off-Road wheels Yakima LoadWarrior Rooftop Cargo Basket Custom 40-quart Cooler Sliding Cargo Tray Limited to 4,000 4Runners

Toyota has also blacked out a few more models in its portfolio. Currently, the company offers the Nightshade package on five of its products – 4Runner, Camry, Corolla, Corolla hatch, and Sienna – on the SE trims. Now, Toyota has added the Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia to the range as well. The Limited trims of these three vehicles will be treated to the Nightshade package. Customers can have the Nightshade package on these new vehicles in Midnight Black Metallic or Magnetic Gray Metallic exterior shade. Toyota offers this package on the Tacoma in Super White shade, too. The common package details across the three models include:

Black Leather Seats Blacked-Out Front Grille Black Mirror Caps Black Door Handles

Apart from this, the Tacoma Nightshade also receives:

Dark Smoke 18-inch Wheels A Black Exhaust Tip Black Fog Light Bezels New Grille Insert Design Offered in Windchill Pearl shade as well Limited to 5,000 Tacomas

On the Tundra, the company offers black wheels and black exhaust tip. Other than the two standard exterior shades, you can order it in Windchill Pearl, or Super White as well. Toyota will only make 5,000 examples of this one. As for the Sequoia, it receives darkened chrome "Sequoia" badging, body moldings, lower grille, and fog light surrounds. The SUV with the Nightshade package can be had in Blizzard Pearl shade as well. The company has limited the production to 2,500 examples for the Sequoia Nightshade.

Toyota hasn’t revealed the pricing for any of the Special Edition vehicles, but we don’t expect a major increase in any of them. The company also hasn’t announced when these vehicles will be available.

The Chicago Auto Show is all set to kick off on February 6, and Toyota has already created some buzz about it. The Japanese automaker teased an image of a front passenger-side lower fascia that appears to be the Tacoma’s. Toyota coupled this pic with a statement that read, “sporty and outdoorsy, with a touch of nocturnal mischief.”

At the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, Toyota unveiled the 2020 Tacoma. In all likelihood, Toyota will use this year’s show to focus primarily on off-road stuff. All this indicates a new off-road trim for the Tacoma. Wait, just one off-road trim, or many more?

The previous third-generation Toyota Highlander debuted back in 2013, with a facelift performed in 2016 that added an eight-speed automatic transmission, an updated spec for the V-6 engine, and a few aesthetic upgrades as well. Since then, the Highlander has proven to be one of the brand’s most-popular nameplates, selling some 245,000 units in 2018. That means it’s time for Toyota to give the Highlander a full-fledged generation update for 2020. Making its big debut at the 2019 New York Auto Show, the latest fourth-generation Toyota Highlander brings new styling inside and out, a raft of fresh technology for infotainment and safety, and a number of powertrain updates as well. However, can it still stay at the top of the segment?

Toyota is going rampant with the RAV4 lately. After launching the fifth-gen of the beloved crossover last year, the company launched the TRD Off-Road model, and now, it is being offered with a plug-in hybrid system. We’re talking about the RAV4 Prime, a fuel-efficient version of the crossover that can deliver a combined fuel economy of 90 MPGe. Surprisingly, it also happens to be the most powerful version of the RAV4 yet. Toyota sure knows how to keep a 25-year-old nameplate fresh and running.