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Monday, February 25, 2008
Toyota wants to add two more small vehicles to its American model lineup in response to rising fuel economy standards, said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota USA. He said a production version of the small A-BAT pickup concept, plus Europe's new Urban Cruiser were both under consideration.
Toyota is aiming for a 35 mpg fleetwide fuel economy average by 2020, Lentz told Automotive News in a recent interview.
The A-BAT pickup was shown in concept form at the Detroit auto show in January. Riding on a unibody platform, it features a four-foot bed, but overall storage space can grow to as much as eight feet when the midgate is folded down. Power comes from a four-cylinder gas-electric hybrid setup.
Unlike the A-BAT — which is just a concept car at this stage — the Urban Cruiser is already headed for production in Europe. If the mini-SUV looks familiar, it's because the Urban Cruiser is essentially a jacked-up version of the Scion xD. Whether there is enough of a difference between the Cruiser and the xD to warrant the sale of both models remains to be seen.
Lentz said either model could be badged as a Toyota or a Scion. "It doesn't matter," he said. "As long as we are keeping customers."
Labels: toyota