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Car-based vehicles in Toyota's collection of 2008 consists of seven nameplates. The line includes sedans in three sizes, a sporty two-door coupe and convertible, plus a crossover hatchback wagon, two hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) which earn high fuel economy scores, and an eensy-weensy econo-car conformed as a wild-style three-door liftback or four-door notchback.
The Avalon full-size flagship sedan by Toyota is big and powerful but also plush in appointments and exceptionally quiet in the cabin. A 3.5-liter V6 engine motivates Avalon with 268 hp through a new six-speed automatic with sequential shifting. The spacious cabin contains buckets up front and a bench for three in back. Toyota casts Avalon in four trims in 2008, including the Touring grade with an optional navigation system. Dark wood grain and chrome shine in Avalon XLS and Limited editions for 2008, as the sleek body reveals fresh styling in front with new bumper, grille and headlamps.
Toyota's best-selling Camry mid-size sedan was restructured and expanded in 2007, and it repeats in 2008. Camry is grand in scale, keen in style, invigorated with power and laced with luxuries to position Camry closer to the realm of Lexus, Toyota's elite line. The exterior package appears sleek and shapely, yet it reflects subtle lines and subdued paint shades in the manner of a sophisticated -- and expensive -- vehicle. Powertrains includes a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 hp and a 3.5-liter V6 option rated at 268 hp. Trim tiers are CE, LE, SE and deluxe XLE.
The Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) version of a Camry sedan applies Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powertrain with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine worth 147 hp and a high-torque electric motor that makes 40 hp, plus an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT). Fuel scores are high and the vehicle is certified to the strict AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) standard. Camry Hybrid stocks extensive features -- power controls for windows and door locks and mirrors, eight-way power for the driver's seat, Optitron gauges, twin-zone climate controls and a premium audio kit with six-disc CD changer.
Slinky Solara mid-size Toyota sports coupes and convertibles, riding on Camry's platform, show stunning shapes highlighted by an aggressive face and sensuous body lines. Solara's powertrains include a 2.4-liter four-cylinder plant at 155 hp and a 3.3-liter V6 for 210 hp. The Sport Grade rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and sets a spoiler on the tail. Solara's cabin adds Optitron meters in the instrument panel, a mini-jack to the audio system and -- for the coupe -- curtain-style side air bags.
Toyota's best-seller HEV the Prius ranks among the most aerodynamic production vehicles. It's a mid-size sedan with generous space for five in a comfortable cabin. Prius contains Toyota's high-voltage and high-powered HSD powertrain which employs a thrifty 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a battery-powered electric motor. The HSD controls all energy produced by the two plants and applies it to turn the front wheels through a CVT. Prius Touring Edition has 16-inch alloy wheels, high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and tight suspension tuning, while a new Standard Package becomes the price-beater entry edition for 2008.
Small is good for Yaris, Toyota's sub-compacts split as a three-door hatchback and four-door notchback. The hatch, tall and stubby with an arching beltline, has surprising space inside with seats for five. Power for Yaris stems from an efficient 1.5-liter four-cylinder plant pumping 106 hp with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Fuel economy scores run high. Standard features include air conditioning and popular gear groups in packages, while stand-alone options range from alloy wheels to curtain-style air bags concealed in headliners. The new Sport Grade applies spoilers, Optitron gauges and leather wrapping the steering wheel.
Toyota's Corolla compact sedan comes together in California and at Toyota's Canadian factory in Ontario. Exterior styling looks slick yet athletic with muscular airs. For action, a 1.8-liter in-line-four engine hits 126 hp with Corolla's trims of entry-level CE, upgraded S and deluxe LE. Transmissions include the standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Even the base CE Corolla provides significant content. The list ranges from power mirrors to a tilting steering wheel, remote releases for trunk and hood and fuel door, intermittent wipers, a tachometer in the instrument cluster and a nice stereo kit.
The Matrix five-door hatchback is a crossover vehicle which blends the sleek lines and nimble manners of a sporty car with the practicality of a boxy SUV and the economy of a sub-compact sedan. It looks wild but brings big space in a cabin that adapts to active lifestyles. The layout shows two rows of seats for five, plus a rear bay for gear. Standard edition and XR grade employ front-wheel-drive (FWD) traction and a thrifty four-cylinder engine which generates 130 hp. The M-Theory special issue sports 17-inch Caldina alloy wheels, Speedway Blue paint and a spoiler.
Toyota builds two trucks at factories in the United States. The Tacoma series, produced at a Toyota manufacturing facility in California, comes with three cab sizes, two powertrain choices and options for rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction. Tundra, assembled at Toyota's Indiana plant and a new Texas plant in San Antonio, goes head-to-head in competition against full-size domestic pickups with many cab and powertrain choices.
Toyota's biggest truck the Tundra grew in size in 2007 with a home-grown effort aimed at America's full-size truck market. It repeats in 2008 with three cab configurations, three powertrain choices including a 5.7-liter V8 rated at 381 hp, and as many as 31 different models on three trims with choices for RWD and 4WD traction. The acronyms in vehicle safety aboard Tundra include an anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD) and electronic brake assist (EBA). Cabs split as a Regular Cab, Access Cab and Double Cab, and trims work as entry-level DL, well-equipped SR5 and top-tier Limited.
Toyota reinvented the best-selling compact pickup theTacoma in 2005 and extends the series for 2008 with fresh interior features like big seats and a two-tone instrument panel. Tacoma shows three cab styles with the two-door Regular Cab, extended Access Cab or four-door Double Cab. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine worth 159 hp is standard, but a 4.0-liter V6 for 236 hp is available. Both RWD and 4WD versions are offered, as well as special editions like PreRunner and X-Runner. Prerunner with RWD traction has the look of a customized 4WD truck, while X-Runner is a swoopy ground-hugging performance truck.
Wagons and minivans branded by Toyota in 2008 include truck-based and car-based vehicles sorted into eight models. Toyota's largest truck-based SUV is the Sequoia, but Land Cruiser is a full-size wagon and 4Runner fits in the mid-size class. Car-based Toyota wagons include the mid-size Highlander or gas-electric Highlander Hybrid, a compact-size RAV4 and Sienna the minivan. Also, the retro-styled FJ Cruiser rugged off-road SUV runs on dirt or pavement.
The super-size Sequoia SUV from Toyota features vast cabin space organized with three rows of seats for up to eight passengers plus a cargo bay in the rear accessible through a liftgate. Toyota's largest wagon shows up in a new generational design for 2008 riding on the chassis of a larger and stronger Tundra pickup. For power Sequoia offers Tundra's 4.7-liter V8 plant with VVT-i (variable valve timing with intelligence) or a massive 5.7-liter aluminum V8 which links to a heavy-duty six-speed automatic transmission. Either conventional rear two-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction works for Sequoia.
Toyota's full-size Land Cruiser SUV also gets a generational upgrade for 2008 with a big boost in power and a handy electro-hydraulic suspension system. The engine comes from Tundra the pickup. It's the big 5.7-liter V8 with huge power and torque numbers. The plant ties to a new six-speed automatic transmission and uses full-time 4WD traction. A cushy passenger compartment accommodates seven on three tiers of seats with multiple zones for climate controls and high-tech electronics including an optional dash-mounted navigation system.
Toyota's 4Runner mid-size SUV is a truck-tough vehicle. Powertrains include a standard V6 or optional V8. The top 4Runner totes Toyota's 4.7-liter i-Force V8 for 260 hp and a full-time 4WD system. The base 4.0-liter V6 in 4Runner makes 236 hp. Both 2WD and 4WD versions of 4Runner are available. On all 4Runners in 2008, curtain-style air bags are standard issue along with active front headrests. In the cabin the choices include a bench seat for a third row and a navigation system with reverse-view camera.
The name of Toyota's retro-styled FJ Cruiser SUV pays homage to legendary Land Cruiser FJ40 from the 1960s. This modern version is a rugged off-road vehicle where most issues stock 4WD traction, under-chassis skid plates and a forceful V6. The 4.0-liter six-pack hits 239 hp and connects to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. It carries sophisticated electronic controls like active traction (A-TRAC) and vehicle skid control (VSC) devices. Curtain-style air bags are standard on all 2008 FJ models, and a new off-road package brings Bilstein shock, a rear differential lock and 16-inch alloy wheels with rugged trail tires.
A luxurious ride quality and plush comforts of a refined front-wheel-drive (FWD) Toyota passenger sedan apply to sleek Highlander, Toyota's mid-size crossover utility vehicle (CUV). For 2008 Highlander measures four inches longer and three wider due to the expanded unibody structure and more cabin space. Seat configuration is flexible on three rows with cargo space in the back bay. Highlander's new powertrain is a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 270 hp and connected to a five-speed electronic automatic. Both FWD and electronic all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction systems are available in three trims of Highlander Base, Sport and Limited.
Toyota's seven-passenger Highlander Hybrid SUV scoots like a V8 vehicle but burns fuel like a four-cylinder compact. It employs the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powertrain which combines a gas-sipping 3.3-liter V6 engine with two high-torque electric motors -- one to turn the front wheels and another working accessories and recharging batteries. Output reaches 270 hp. The HSD controls all energy produced by these plants and applies it through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT). For optional AWD, a third electric motor drives rear wheels as the HSD varies torque front and rear.
The RAV4 compact-class CUV from Toyota shows three trim grades and a four-cylinder or V6 engine. Trims include a base RAV4, the tautly-tuned Sport and premium Limited -- and each may be outfitted with the four-pack or V6, and 2WD or 4WD traction. RAV4's refined cabin with four passenger doors adds flexible seating for five or seven inside and cargo space in the back bay with access through a rear swing gate. There are lots of air bags aboard, including standard seat-mounted side air bags up front and curtain-style air bags on two rows.
Toyota's Sienna minivan for 2008 uses a 3.5-liter V6 engine with VVT-i to produce 268 hp. Sienna trims as CE, LE, XLE and Limited. Each model features FWD traction, although the latter three offer optional AWD. In Sienna's cabin, a third-row bench seat is standard, while seats on the second row come in two formats -- buckets or bench. Sienna's third-row seat splits in unequal sections and each side folds into a deep well to fashion a flat floor.
