Ford may have swept the NACOTY awards, and Hyundai may be riding a wave of great press in the U.S., but the American public still views Toyota as the best brand -- and they're more loyal to it than to any other. For the third year in a row, Toyota has taken the #1 spot on Consumer Reports' annual Brand Perception survey.

Read

Along with the launch of the FT-CH Concept here at the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota also let out a juicy little tidbit that's been rumored for quite some time: a so-called Prius Family of vehicles. Says Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales president, "The strategy is still taking shape and obviously it will require additional models to qualify as a family.

Read

It doesn't take a MENSA member to understand that small, inexpensive and reliable transportation is a big thing in India. On one side, you've got the diminutive Tata Nano. On the other, Honda's New Small Concept. And right in the middle is this: the Toyota Etios concept.

Read

Hybrids aren't exactly known for being the sportiest vehicles on the road, but that doesn't mean their owners don't want to look as good as possible behind the wheel. As such, perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising that Japanese tuning companies are jumping on the gas-electric bandwagon almost as quickly as the automakers themselves.

Read

For the first time, the Toyota Motor Corp. sales in Asia, will outnumber those in the Japanese market in 2009 due to a steep sales increase in China. Looking at the numbers, Toyota sold 1,354,000 units in Asia in the first 11 months of 2009, a 4.5% increase comparing to the 2008 sales, while the Japanese market sold “only” 1,256,000 vehicles.

Read

Toyota is again expanding production of its mid-sized sedan Camry hybrid. The Camry is already produced in Japan and the United States and, last month, the company started assembling the hybrid model in Australia. In 2010, the hybrid sedan will start rolling off the line in China at the automaker's Guangzhou Toyota factory. Guangzhou Toyota sold 209,000 cars in China in 2009 and hopes to ramp that up to 267,000 this year including 170,000 Camrys.

Read

This car still speaks to the core audience that made the 4Runner such a famous brand name for Toyota. It is distinct in character from Toyota's other midsize SUVs such as the Highlander although it does cross paths with the FJ Cruiser. The 4Runner's days may be limited, like the days of all rough-and-tumble off-roaders, but for now I suspect there are sufficient buyers, especially given its solid-gold reputation among outdoor adventure types.

Read

Minivans may represent an ever-thinning presence in the auto market. But like the ever-thinning hair of most minivan drivers, Toyota is holding on to the precious sales it has left in the segment by offering up a revamped 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan early next year. The Sienna looks new inside and out, though careful reading of its spec sheet reveals it's got a lot in common with the last version.

Read

Toyota has confirmed it will show a new hybrid car concept at the Detroit auto show next month. And hybrid followers are eagerly speculating what it might be: a two-door Prius? a hybrid Yaris? a 2011 Scion iQ hybrid? or a dedicated plug-in hybrid? The king of hybrids says you'll have to wait a month until you see the latest gas-electric vehicle.

Read

It’s becoming clearer that the appeal of the Toyota Prius knows no boundaries as even Top Gear has chosen the Toyota Prius as the City Car of the Year. In the UK, demand for the new Prius has been very high, attracting more than 4,000 customer orders since going on sale in August.

Read

Despite the demise of minivan programs at other automakers, Toyota plans to press forward with the traditional people mover formula. For those of you who still enjoy a minivan, feast your eyes on the 2011 Toyota Sienna which debuted at the 2009 Los Angeles auto show. Toyota hopes to become the segment leader by introducing more technology, comofort, and economy in its new minivan.

Read

Our test vehicle's sticker wasn't a shock; a four-wheel-drive Double Cab V-8 pickup, reasonably equipped, seems like it should cost about $30K. Our tester had the new-for-2010 entry-level V-8 engine, a 4.6-liter unit that replaces the previous 4.7-liter but offers 34 additional horsepower and 14 additional lb-ft of torque.

Read

If you've been following the Toyota Tundra rust saga, you're aware that NHSTA recently requested data from Toyota about the purported frame corrosion affecting 2000 and 2001 models. Today, Toyota has extended that recall to include the 2002-03 model years, saying that a small number of trucks could suffer from frame corrosion that could cause the spare tire to detach from its underbody housing.

Read

You're well aware that Toyota is recalling the 2004-2009 Prius--among a list of vehicles--for an issue with floor mats. Here at High Gear Media, we have at least two vehicles affected by the recall, both 2004 Toyota Prius hatchbacks, both even the same shade of blue. One of them's mine, and in the nearly six years we've owned our Prius, it's been relatively fault-free. Early on, we replaced the navigation screen under warranty.

Read

While General Motors’ financial strife may be putting many of its development plans on the back burner for now, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is right on track. While the stylish four-door isn’t set to go on sale until late next year, GM has confirmed today that it will be making its U.S. debut as early as next month, at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is just around the corner but unlike previous versions of the car, this latest model won’t be available with a V-6.

Read