Toyota’s Yaris Hybrid range grows with new Active and Sport versions

Toyota is accelerating development of a robot that can perform tasks in the home to help elderly and disabled people lead independent lives. The Human Support Robot (HSR) is its response to the rising demand for long-term elderly care. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, 22% of the world’s population will be over 60 years old. The HSR is compact and highly maneuverable, with a lightweight, cylindrical body and a folding arm. It can pick up objects off the floor, reach things down from shelves and perform a variety of other tasks. Toyota is teaming up with a number of research bodies to set up the HSR Developers’ Community, making a combined effort to hasten development and early practical adoption of the HSR.

Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada likes to tell the story of how his team couldn’t get the first Prius prototype to move for 49 days. According to him, “We had no idea what was wrong, so we worked late every night trying to figure it out. We finally got it to move around Christmas time, but it only went 500 meters!” That was back in 1995, when hybrid cars were unproven, experimental machines with a very unclear future. Fast-forward twenty years, and Toyota is proud to announce that it has now sold over 8 million hybrid vehicles, with just 10 months between this and the last million-unit milestone.

Toyota’s Land Cruiser gains a new engine this year, ensuring the SUV remains one of the finest all-round choices on the market. At the same time, equipment specifications have been upgraded and extra models have been added to the line-up. The three and five-door Land Cruiser both adopt the new 2.8-litre D-4D unit, which replaces the current 3.0-litre engine. The focus is on improved drivability with better torque delivery, plus lower fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions.