By Andre Palma
Inquirer
TOKYO, Japan–Since Kiichiro Toyoda got it into his head to shift from textile looms to manufacturing automobiles, the Toyota Motor Corp. has come a long way. In a short 70 years from the first Model AA rolling off the Koromo plant assembly line, the Japanese manufacturer now has its sights set on the No. 1 spot in the global automotive scheme of things. Great really if you are one to speculate on the worldwide stock markets but honestly the impact on the Filipino motorist is anything but a forgone conclusion.
One key phrase frames Toyota’s future strategy for world domination. “Sustainable mobility” seems like words plucked out of just any public relations handbook but the way these two words will color and flavor the way we will drive in the very near future is undeniable, scary even. By addressing environmental, safety and congestion issues, the way we drive and what we drive will change dramatically.
In a world obsessed with carbon footprints, protecting biodiversity and the search for renewable sources of energy, the automobile is often painted as public enemy No. 1. While the Battle for Mother Earth seems lost and the human race is doomed to a carbon-choked future care of the evil automobile, small inroads have been made that responsibly look toward tomorrow.
Targets
Since 1997, over a million Toyota branded, gasoline electric hybrids have been sold. Sales volumes point to a peak in 2017 where these fuel-efficient, low-impact vehicles will reach over a million units a year. Yet the push for sustainability does not end with the current generation of hybrids. In the search for the ultimate eco-car, diverse sources of energy with low carbon impact from production to consumption are the targets.
The days of the fossil fuel dependence are numbered but the complete change over to cleaner, greener sources of energy may take a while. In the interim, current power train innovation is channeled toward environmental performance as well as the driving dynamics that are the basis for any fundamentally sound automobile.
Toyota gasoline engines will shift from VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) to D-4S (Direct Injection 4 Stroke) systems with continuous intake valve lift volume controls. Diesel powerplants will incorporate Piezo injectors, lower compression ratios and stricter catalytic converters with common-rail direct-injection systems. Finally transmissions move into 8-speed automatics and CVT systems with total vehicle management suites matching engine load more precisely with speed and emissions.
Image leader
At the forefront is Toyota’s image leader in the hybrid segment, the second generation Prius. The handful on Philippine roads can be seen as a sign of things to come, the tip of leading edge of the world wide hybrid model explosion that includes luxury models such as the Lexus GS450h and the LS600h.
Even the locally popular Camry now comes in a hybrid model targeted at the North American market. Seat time in these cars at Toyota’s Mobilitas driving facility at Fuji Speedway, including the Alphard hybrid mini van and the Harrier and Highlander hybrid SUVs confirm unexpected performance with attention-grabbing fuel efficiency. Driving clean and green hybrids can apparently be fun but apparently not even a fraction of the fun the future holds.
The jewel in Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive crown must be the FT-HS sports concept. Rear-wheel drive with a 2+2 coupe layout, this sleek exercise in automotive design boasts a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid motor with over 400 bhp and four second times to 100 kph.
Touted as the spiritual successor to the Supra, pictures do not do the FT-HS justice. Unfounded rumors point to a 2009 production date, just in time for the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. More than just a technology demonstrator, this single car shows that the tide is turning in favor of “sustainable mobility” indeed, and Toyota is leading the charge.
