Toyota Fortuner

The Toyota Fortuner SUV has eye-catching exteriors, comfortable, spacious and classy interiors and an extremely powerful diesel engine. Powered by a 3.0 Litre TDCI D-4D diesel engine, the car has 5-speed manual transmission and comes with an All-Time Four Wheel Drive.

The SUV has very luxurious leather upholstery and the spacious interiors that seats seven adults comfortably with enough air conditioning for all the three rows. The stylish hood scoop on the bonnet and the powerful headlamps that are curved around the grille add on to the stance of the SUV.

The Fortuner is built on the IMV (Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle) platform similar to that of Toyota Innova. MID, touchscreen interface, GPS, Climatronic AC system and 17 inch alloy wheel are among the distinct features of the car. Fortuner is also bundled with safety features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), SRS front airbags, dynamic safety engineering, front and rear side impact door beams sonar back feature for easy parking.



Variant: Toyota Fortuner 3.0L Diesel

Ex-Showroom Price (Rs.) (New Delhi): Rs. 18,45,000

Engine: 3.0L DOHC I-4

Transmission:5 Speed Manual

Toyota Introduces All New Corolla Altis Sport (Limited Edition)

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. today announced the introduction of the all new Corolla Altis Sport (Limited Edition) to target young car enthusiasts. The new Corolla Altis Sport has been designed to give customers the stylish image of a car which is youthful and sporty, and has exciting new features.

Adding to the stylish look of the car is an aerodynamic front and rear bumper spoiler, a classy headlamp garnish, sleek side skirts and exclusive rear LED spoilers. A contemporary dual tone seat fabric and wood finish rear cup holders heighten the feeling of luxury and elegance.


Commenting on the launch of the new limited edition, Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said, “The Corolla Altis launched last year has been highly appreciated by our customers because of its advanced luxury and comfort features. We are now delighted to introduce the all new Corolla Altis Sport, which will offer sporty styling in combination with these features.”

Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), TKM, added “Only 300 units of the new Limited Edition Corolla Altis Sport will be available for sales. Additionally, individual personalized logos for each of our customers will enhance the exclusivity of ownership of the Corolla Altis Sport. We look forward to bringing to our customers a limited edition of the widely appreciated Corolla Altis, which will offer exclusive ownership and sporty style. The new Corolla Altis Sport will be attractively priced at Rs 11.35 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) and will be available at all Toyota dealerships from today.”

Mr. Singh added, “The new Corolla Altis Sport will be promoted extensively by an integrated marketing campaign, which leverages its association with active sports such as Tennis, Polo and Formula One, and is focused on young, urban customers. This will include web, print and magazine campaigns, direct marketing, SMS and e-DMs exclusively targeted at young professionals.”

The Corolla Altis has attracted customers from the corporate/executive segment and has been a true symbol of Toyota passenger cars in India. It has brought to the Indian market innovative luxury and exclusive comfort, designed to more than satisfy the auto consumer’s desire for perfection.


About ToyotaBharat

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) is a joint venture between Kirloskar Group and Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) aims to play a major role in the development of the automotive industry and the creation of employment opportunities. TKM's growth since inception can be attributed to one simple, yet important aspect of its business philosophy - "Putting Customer First". TKM firmly believes that the success of this venture depends on providing high quality products and services to all valued customers through the efforts of its team members.

India Poised To be “Detroit of the East”

It seems like India certainly has arrived in the big scene of motoring. India as a whole could be the “Detroit of the East” soon with so many major car brands bringing their production centre to “Incredible India”. India has taken the centre stage producing small cars and the global automakers already seem to have been enchanted with the sub-continent for this sole purpose. India is all set to pip China in the automotive production scene and earn all the automotive laurels to itself when it comes to small cars.

We in India already have Suzuki Motor Corporation pitching in with the erstwhile Maruti Udyog to become Maruti Suzuki India which has already scripted a success story for itself in style in the span of twenty five years. Hyundai Motors, a Korean car company soon followed suit and set shop here and has marched in India with their superior products and now has already exporting cars to European countries keeping India as its production base for small cars.

Likewise, Toyota Motor Corporation tagging along with the Kirloskar Group in India about a decade ago also started producing cars here in India and already acknowledged the fact that the Indian operations of the company has stood still even with the recession taking its toll in other countries abroad. Toyota also plans to come up with a small car factory by 2011.

General Motors which has its presence in India with the Chevrolet brand stood firm ground during “Motown Meltdown” which affected its parent company in the US and other countries. It also might have contributed to the revival of the parent company. Business for Chevy here in India is blooming in an unexpected pace making GM count on GM India as a profit making venture.

Tata Motors earlier a commercial vehicle manufacturer barged into the great Indian Motoring scene with the advent of its Tata Indica and soon went up to produce more models of which the Tata Nano certainly awaits a mention. This small wonder has broken all the barriers the motoring world ever knew and will soon become a cash cow for Tata Motors once the export of the Tata Nano begins.

Another Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra also has known the importance of India as a production hub and has already started exporting its products to lucrative auto markets like that south-east Asia, America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

Honda, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Skoda all have their production plants in India already. Audi, Nissan, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen have also confirmed their participation in this big production marathon here in India. India expects a lot of other auto manufactures to set shop here in India.

But why is this big rush of global auto makers queuing in line to set shop in India? There are many benefits in India, including a high-quality vendor base that is also cost-effective, leading to globally-competitive pricing. In coming days we surely can see a lot of global auto makers emulate companies like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki, which make small cars in India to export to Europe.

Toyota launches CNG version of Innova in India

Toyota Kirloskar Motor finally launched CNG version of Innova in India, its multi purpose vehicle that has become ubiquitous on Indian roads. Besides personal use a large number of agencies providing taxi services have included it in their fleet.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor before launching the CNG variant tested various types of CNG kits on Innova at its Bangalore based facility. The new kits for CNG are being supplied by Minda Auto Gas, which is also the original equipment supplier to Hyundai for its flagship car Santro and Maruti Suzuki for its LPG based WagonR Duo.

It is said that Toyota is looking at the CNG option to tap the vast commercial segment of tour operators and fleet owners. Innova is the market leader in this segment.

Toyota is banking on the high-demand of CNG vehicles, which deliver high mileage and offer low cost of operation. Already a large number of CNG and LPG cars are available in the market including General Motors Optra, Hindustan Motors Lancer, and popular compact cars like the Santro and the WagonR Duo.

The Innova, launched in India in 2005, created a different experience for customers with its exterior and interior features that redefined the automobile segment in the country. Since then, the Innova has cut a niche for itself by offering the luxury of a sedan with the performance of an MPV.

The Innova has continued its market leadership in 2008 with a 36% market share in the MPV segment. The Innova is a result of the unique IMV project from Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) that has broken new grounds in the way automobiles are created.

The Toyota Camry has been America's best-selling car for years now and for 2009, Toyota apparently has invoked the if it ain't broke, don't fix it clause. After all, the Camry was redesigned for 2007 -- and then beat the competition to become our 2007 Car of the Year -- so its looks are still fresh and its technology is still relatively cutting-edge.



The biggest difference you'll notice on the 2009 Camry is that the CE trim level has been dropped. The entry-level Camry is now simply the Camry, with the LE as a mid-level package, the SE in sport trim, and the XLE as the premium brew. Of course, there is also the Camry Solara for those who want two doors and a drop top (the Solara coupe has been discontinued for 2009) and the Camry Hybrid for those looking to be even more eco-friendly or just to save at the pump via its 33/34-mpg city/highway mileage rating.

All Camry trim levels come with a base 2.4L four-cylinder engine that produces 158 hp and 161 lb-ft of torque and will get you 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway when mated to either a five-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission. Opt for the extra eco-friendly PZEV-rated engine and you'll lose 3 hp and 3 lb-ft. Jump up to the 3.5L V-6, and you'll get 268 hp and 248 lb-ft on tap, as well as a six-speed automatic with manual shifting capabilities. The extra power won't cost you too much at the pump, though, since the V-6 nets 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, and the six and the four run on regular unleaded. The Camry Hybrid mates the 2.4L engine in 147-hp trim to a 40-hp electric motor, for a total of 187 hp running through a continuously variable automatic transmission. On hot days, an "Eco" button will scale back the A/C output to maximize fuel mileage.

The Camry, LE, XLE, and Hybrid ride on 16-in. wheels in steel for the Camry and LE or aluminum for the XLE and Hybrid, while the SE picks up 17-in. six-spoke aluminum wheels. The SE also gets a firmer ride and sits almost a half inch lower than the other models in an effort to make it sportier. The entire Camry range comes standard with Anti-lock Brakes and Brake Assist, with Vehicle Stability Control with integrated Traction Control optional. The Hybrid gets a special Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system to help keep it on the road.

The options list for the 2009 Camry is rather short, but that's largely because the standard feature list is so long. Standard on all models is A/C with a pollen and dust filter, power windows, locks and mirrors, body-color mirrors, cruise control, automatic halogen headlights, a tilting/telescoping steering wheel, vehicle immobilizer, and a six-speaker, 160-watt stereo with CD player and auxiliary input jack.



The LE trim adds remote keyless entry and an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat. The range-topping XLE model ups the ante with a Plasmacluster ionizer that kills bacteria and spores in the air on its way into the cabin, dual-zone climate control with steering-wheel controls, 440-watt JBL sound system with Bluetooth, a power moonroof, foglamps, leather seats, and faux wood trim. You'll also get rear seats that recline up to 8 deg. The Hybrid model is similar in trim to the XLE, but also gets Smart Entry and Smart Start systems that allow the driver to keep the key pocketed and simply get in and drive.

Options include the aforementioned power moonroof, leather seats, and the Smart Entry and Smart Start systems on lower trim levels as well as heated front seats, rear spoiler, and voice-command DVD nav system. Combining the nav system with the JBL audio system on SE, XLE, and Hybrid models adds an in-dash four-CD changer.

In addition to plenty of space for five passengers, the Camry also can hold a good amount of gear. The base Camry has 15 cu ft of trunk space, while the SE and XLE get 14.5 cu ft. The Camry Hybrid uses some of that cargo area to house the hybrid hardware, resulting in a 10.6-cu-ft trunk. Warranty coverage is standard Toyota -- a 3-year/36,000-mile comprehensive warranty, 5-year/60,000 powertrain warranty, and 5-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion-perforation coverage.

Pricing for the Camry is competitive. The base model with a four-cylinder engine and manual trans starts at $19,145 while the V-6 automatic XLE runs $28,695. The Camry Hybrid drops in slightly below the XLE at $26,150. Reasonable pricing such as this is part of the reason why the Camry continues to reign as the king of family haulers.

Ann Street Auto Sales to sell India's Mahindra diesel vehicles

Most shoppers go to Ann Street Auto Sales searching for late-model used cars. But by next spring, the 50-year-old dealership at 1970 Alpine Ave. NW turns a corner, becoming the region's first new-car source for three diesel-powered vehicles from India.



Mahindra & Mahindra, better known among agricultural circles for its line of farm tractors, is on the brink of selling its Scorpio seven-passenger SUV and two models of utilitarian pickups as early as March, said David Brock, the dealer's general manager. He's heading the expansion into new car sales at Ann Street Auto, and saw the Mahindra line in Atlanta last fall.





"Their main SUV, the Scorpio, is a seven-passenger comparable to the Explorer, or a little bigger," Brock said. "They'll all come with direct-injection diesels, so they're very, very clean for the environment, and a lot higher on gas mileage." How high? In the 32 to 35 mpg range, Brock said. "It's almost double anything out there right now," he said. Mahindra's U.S. distributor, Global Vehicles, is based in Alpharetta, Ga.

But the India automaker already plans to bring pickup assembly to an Ohio plant as soon as next year, Brock said. He expects the Scorpio to sell in the $24,000 range, with the two yet-unnamed trucks in the $20,000 range. The biggest market may be in the farm community, where Mahindra tractors are the No. 3 seller in the U.S. Brock initially investigated a Romanian automaker, but that deal fell through. He is less enthused about the prospect of autos from China.

"I don't think they'll be here for a while," Brock said. "There's a lot of cars out there that are a lot cheaper in other nations. But by the time you add the expense of making them work in the U.S. market -- anti-rollover, air bags, ABS brakes -- I just don't see it happening down the road."



Newcomers to the U.S. car market face fierce odds, especially when they try to set up a dealership network. That's the biggest challenge for Chenfang, Mahindra or any other automaker not yet stateside, auto analyst Grand Rapids Erich Merkle said.

Although a car from China could sell for less than $10,000 here, Merkle said, Toyota Motor Co. already has the small Yaris in place to compete with it. The Yaris starts at $12,000, but it has a big advantage over Chenfang: a big dealer network. "Buyers know Toyota is going to be here. They brought the Yaris over here as a defensive move against any Chinese automaker coming into the market," Merkle said.

The Mahindra SUV and basic pickups might appeal to a niche crowd, Merkle said.



"The vehicles are a little on the crude side; they don't have all the comfort and convenience features," said Merkle, a Crowe Chizek analyst.

"They look more like a piece of farm equipment than anything else." The tractor business is the key to the new line's success, Brock said. Mahindra already has two tractor plants in the U.S. and has been in the market for 10 years. "I really believe they're growing at the grassroots," he said.

As for reliability, Brock said, he realized Kia and Hyundai first imported lower-quality cars "until they got their act together." But Mahindra won't go that route. "They're not going to bring over an inferior product," Brock said.

10th generation Corolla Altis

Whenever you talk about sport or politics or film stars or even cars, one tends to zero in on the two or three who keep on competing against each other making the competition even more fun and intriguing than the final outcome itself. In all these dogfights the one which has been played to a great extent continuously now for the past two decades has been the all-Japanese rivalry between the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. These two have battled it out on their home turf, in the US (probably the largest and most important battlefield for this duo to perform on), in Asia and also in India.

It is a fight that not one single car ever wins comprehensively, the duo exchanging places at the forefront while continuously sparring at each other and in the process delighting the millions of users who flock to buy one or both of them!

This is exactly the impression I got when Toyota Kirloskar gave us the exclusive use of a preproduction 10th generation Corolla Altis which was launched yesterday in New Delhi. It comes just about two years after Honda's quantum Civic-leap and it promises to keep the executive segment slugfest simmering in all earnestness.

Being Toyota the all new 10th generation Corolla is all evolution where the Civic was a barking mad revolution. However it depends on one's point of view as whether evolution is the preferred taste of the hour or revolution is what is needed to light those latent desires. We'll leave the Civic out of the picture now and concentrate totally on evolution and why it is good and great for the Corolla.

One cannot fault Toyota for their planning and their intense creed for detail and perfection. This is what makes the Corolla one of the most refined automobiles on the planet and at the price point it is pegged at, it makes for terrific value. Many a time I have myself mentioned the Corolla being a very boring car because it does things so perfectly well. Clinically efficient with nary a whimper or protest and that's why it is the car of choice for the sensible and the staid. The 10th generation Corolla Altis is the modern face of the sensible and staid and you have to really look closely as to how it has advanced in generation.

The Corolla Altis is an all new car with a completely new chassis but with the changes so subtly wrought on the outside that you need to have a protractor and a tape measure to know that the A-pillar has been moved a bit forward at its base while the C-pillar has moved further aft so as to try and give a sportier line to the cabin and also enhance the aero efficiency of the overall automobile. There is a new look grille treatment and the head lamp lenses have been restyled both in shape and form and also what rests within them – HID lamps as standard on all but the base offering.

Step into the cabin though and it suddenly seems that you are into a larger and more lavishly equipped lounge. In fact the Corolla rides on the same 2600mm wheelbase as its predecessor but wait what's this, a near flat floor at the rear? Has the Undertaker been hammering away for the benefit of the back benchers? Whatever be the case this denotes a significant detail behind not just the all new chassis but also the revised floor which helps provide better comfort and luxury to those who would love to be driven. This is clearly the forte of the Corolla Altis for it is in entry and exit plus also in comfortable seating that it scores greatly over its illustrious rival, the Civic. Where the Civic has been reviled for its evil sink seats by many a owner's family, the Corolla Altis comes across as a paradigm of evolutionary brilliance.

I have always maintained that there are certain cars which delight in their own way and the Corolla Altis customer is a completely different piece of cake from the cookies who devour the Civic wholeheartedly. Two philosophies of car building are at play here and Toyota has adopted the more pragmatic, middle-of-theroad approach so as not to be offensive to any one. Showering everyone in sheer luxury is another aspect and in the interior it is the Corolla which sure whips up the emotions in a sporty and comprehensive manner given all the bells and whistles from both a luxury and an ergonomic point of view.

Multi-function steering wheel, great detailing on dashboard and centre console, finely crafted upholstery and trim all around make the interior of the Corolla a very welcome yet soothing place to be in.

Get down to the oomph zone and that fuel injected 1794cc twin cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine is stunningly smooth and silky, as long as it lasts in its universal operating range. I will elaborate on this as we go ahead but it's not for nothing that the Toyota V8s in F1 are quite clearly one of the most powerful on the Grand Prix circuits and Toyota is in no way behind on the engine front. The Corolla's four-cylinder mill proves that as does the fine short throw 5-speed gearbox (we couldn't lay our hands on the 4-speed automatic but will do so soon), the 132 horses start galloping as soon as you tweak the loud pedal and work the gearshifter enthusiastically.

However to borrow a reflection from F1 yet again and the Toyota TF108s, while they may have the power, it is in the chassis dynamics where some work is needed. The Corolla Altis is yet hung in super soft mode so it is not handling which is given its due (at the top end of the performance spectrum) but the ride quality and the road holding which is tailored to deliver comfort to kids and moms and family.

Not a bad case this because given our road surface, this line of thought might alienate certain automotive journos and boy racers but will delight a whole host of those who have been damned and shamed by Jeremy Clarkson. On the flip side, were Toyota to tighten up the underpinnings and hook up a better set of low-pro and wider rubber, the Corolla could deliver a stunning blow to the nay sayers. And it also has disc brakes all around to take care of quick and safe retardation.

Build quality is typically Toyota efficient and attention to detail is terrific. The car comes with the latest generation ABS coupled with EBD (electronic brake force distribution system) while the company's GOA body structure is intelligently designed for best impact dissipation should the car be involved in a mishap.

The new Corolla Altis is typical of the way Toyota does cars – subtle and unhurried but with ample substance packed into it. It is not a fire breather in any way but some might have hoped that it could have an element to make the rabble rouser in the meekest of homo sapiens to sometimes surface when behind the wheel. It is a classy no-fuss no-nonsense car that just keeps on going and going. No wonder then that it is cars like the Corolla that has seen Toyota go a long way towards snatching the crown of the world's largest car maker from GM.

Toyota to launch hybrid sedan Prius in India

Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce its hybrid sedan Prius in India as an answer to soaring fuel prices and growing concerns over emissions, a top official at its Indian joint venture said.

"We are preparing to bring Prius into the Indian market though we have not set any timeline yet," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd vice-chairman Vikram Kirloskar told IANS in an interview.

"In the run-up, we have to develop skills to service it and make spare parts available across the country," he added.

The 2008 version of Prius has been adjudged the most fuel-efficient midsize carUS. Sold in over 40 countries across regions, the hybrid variant has also been rated as the third least carbon dioxide emitting vehicle in Britain. in the

Kirloskar described Prius as a "great car" but admitted it was "expensive upfront".

"In the long-run, it is economical, with higher mileage and lower maintenance cost. We are confident of its acceptability in the Indian market as it runs both on electricity and fuel."

Positioned between Toyota's Corolla and Camry in the luxury segment, Prius uses an all-electric compressor for cooling. Classified as a super ultra low emission vehicle, the eco-friendly car can be propelled by either petrol and electric power.

"We are aware that Honda is launching its hybrid variant in the Indian market soon despite high import tariff. We can also do it with due preparation. As I said earlier, we have to gear up to service such a premium car by training our personnel and stocking enough spare parts with the dealer network," Kirloskar said.

As the first commercially mass-produced gas-electric hybrid, one million Prius vehicles were sold by April worldwide, including 592,000 units in the US and 315,000 units in Japan.

In India, Toyota Kirloskar already markets Corolla and Camry in the premium segment, besides Innova in the multi-utility and Prado in the sports utility segments.

Corolla and Innova are manufactured at its Bidadi plant, about 40km from India's technology hub of Bangalore, while Camry and Prado are shipped from Toyota's production facilities in Japan in completely knocked down form and assembled here.

"Though we entered the Indian market over a decade ago, we chose to be in niche and premium segments. As a marketing strategy, we first introduced Qualis, which was a run-away success in the multi-utility segment," Kirloskar said.

"We launched Innova by discontinuing Qualis and yet maintained market leadership in the segment. In the second-hand or used car market, Toyota brands commands highest price even today because of their value and durability," he said.

Denying that Toyota "missed the bus" or lost market space to global rivals such as Honda, Hyundai, Suzuki, Ford and General Motors by not being present across segments in India, especially in the dominant compact segment, Kirloskar said there was enough room to grow in a developing country where the automobile industry was maturing.

In the passenger car segment, the combined installed capacity of Indian automobile sector is about two million as against Toyota's annual worldwide capacity of 10 million units.

"With the Indian economy poised to grow over eight-nine percent, we see immense potential to grow, thanks to increasing purchasing power, higher aspirations among the generation next, better road connectivity and migrant-driven urbanization," Kirloskar said.

Toyota Kirloskar is setting up a second plant with an upfront investment of Rs.14 billion ($329 million) at Bidadi to manufacture a range of models, including its long-awaited compact car to take on dominant players like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors.

With an installed capacity of 100,000 units per annum, the new modular multi-platform plant is set to commence production in 2010.

The small car will be different from Toyota's existing models in the same segment, as it is being designed exclusively for the Indian market, Kirloskar said.

Toyota moves ahead on hydrogen cell car

TOYOTA Motor Corp said on Friday it has developed an advanced fuel- cell vehicle that can run for 830 km (516 miles) on a single tank of hydrogen and in temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius below freezing (- 22 F).

The zero- emission FCHV- adv will be leased to government agencies, among other possible users in Japan starting later this year, a spokes woman said. The new version of the fuel- cell car, which runs on hydrogen and emits only water, increased fuel efficiency by 25 percent with an improved fuel cell unit and other changes to its brake system and elsewhere.

Combined with a slightly bigger fuel tank and a doubling of the maximum storage pressure, the FCHV- adv extended the cruising range from the previous FCHV’s 330 km (205 miles), Toyota said in a statement. It has a maximum speed of 155 km per hour (97 mph). Fuel- cell vehicles are widely considered the ultimate longer- term alternative to today’s conventional cars as they run on an inexhaustible and cheaper source of fuel —hydrogen —have no harmful tailpipe emissions and do not compromise driving performance.

The main hurdles for their proliferation are alack of fuelling stations and the high cost of development. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe had said previously that it will take years to make eco- friendly cars running on fuel cells commercially viable. Besides the hefty price, motorists would also need an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations if they are to take the cars on the road.

Toyota and domestic rival Honda Motor Co became the world’s first two automakers to put a fuel- cell vehicle on the road in December 2002, and have since been in a tight race to prepare them for mass- commercialization. Honda’s latest FCX Clarity, a sporty- looking fuel- cell sedan, can run 620 km (385 miles) on a single fuelling as measured under Japan’s fuel efficiency test method. It can go as fast as 160 km per hour (99 mph), uses a lithium- ion battery and can withstand temperatures from -30 to 95 degrees Celsius (- 22F to 203F).

Honda plans to begin leasing the car in the United States starting next month and in Japan later this year. It is targeting lease sales of about 200 FCX Clarity cars in the first three years in the two countries combined. Toyota’s FCHV- adv, which uses a nickel- metal hydride battery, will be showcased as a test- ride vehicle at the Group of 8rich nations’ summit in Toyako, northern Japan, next month. It will also provide more than 70 hybrid cars and hydrogen fuelled buses for use by shuttle participants.

Japanese companies have been working to create a viable zero- emission car running on fuel cells, which produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, leaving water as the only by- product. Toyota’s system was enhanced to further improve cruising distance and low- temperature starts, which had presented obstacles to widespread fuel cell vehicle use, the company said in a statement.

Toyota engineers managed to control the amount of water produced inside the fuel- cell system, which previously interfered with electrical generation at low temperatures. Fuel efficiency was also improved, the automaker said. Toyota said it would continue to strive to improve the durability and reduce the cost of fuel cell vehicles to bring about their widespread use.

Toyota was a pioneer of petrol- electric hybrid cars which are attracting growing interest at a time of soaring oil prices and increasing concerns about global warming. The International Energy Agency estimated today that nearly a billion electric or fuel cell vehicles may need to be put on the road as part of an energy technology revolution to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Koito readies new lights for Nano

KOITO Manufacturing Co, the maker of head lamps for Lexus brand cars, is designing lights specifically for ultra- low cost cars as it tries to win more business from Tata Motors Ltd and Nissan Motor Co.

“Koito, the worlds' biggest maker of headlamps, is in the final stages of creating a simpler light that uses half as many parts as its more expensive models,” said the company's president Masahiro Ohtake on Thursday.

Koito and other auto parts makers are reengineering products for use in cars that cost almost half as much as Suzuki Motor Corps Maruti 800, the cheapest car currently on the Indian market. Tata will sell its $2,500 Nano later this year.

Nissan plans to produce a car with the same price by 2011 for India and other emerging markets. “Koito has no choice but to push into this low- cost market as all the carmakers get into the business,” said Kunihiro Matsumoto, a senior analyst at UBS Securities Japan Ltd in Tokyo. Costs wont bump up with Koito using existing technology and cheaper labour.

The parts maker opened a second Indian plant in September in Haryana to be closer to factories of automakers including Maruti Suzuki India, Ohtake said. The company now supplies lights for Tata's trucks. “A low- cost car requires ahead lamp design all its own,” Ohtake said.

Cars at about $3,000 are something that is being talked about on a global level and will become a big business. Koito is 20 per cent owned by Toyota Motor Corp. Tata unveiled the Nano in January and will begin selling the model later this year. The firm may export the car after three years, Ratan Tata, the Tata's chairman, said in January.

Nissan, France's Renault SA and India’s Bajaj Auto said on May 12 that they would build a$2,500 car in India to go on sale in 2011.

Toyota also plans to build a new low cost small car in India in 2010. Toyota's new factory will be near Bangalore. Koito already supplies headlamps to Toyota from its facility in Chennai. Koitos Indian operations are in joint venture Lucas TVS.

India’s passenger car sales, which doubled in the past five years, are set to triple to three million vehicles annually by 2015, according to the Indian government. Global sales of small cars will rise to 8.5 million vehicles by 2020 from 5.2 million last year, said Michael Wynn- Williams, a London based analyst at consulting company Global Insight Inc. Stanley Electric.

Koito faces competition from Stanley Electric, which in February raised its stake in Lumax Industries, India's largest maker of automotive lighting, and a supplier to Tatas Nano. Stanley owns 46.3 per cent of Lumax, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Lumax makes headlamps for Tatas Indica Xeta hatchback, Safari Dicor sport- utility vehicle (SUV), Sumo Victa SUV and Ace truck, according to it's website.

Tokyo- based Stanley started transferring technology to Lumax in 1984 and began investing in the company in 1994. Koito plans to increase research and development to five per cent this fiscal year to 21.9 billion yen. Research spending as a percentage of estimated sales of 474.6 billion yen will be little changed at 4.6 per cent, according to the company.