1988 Suzuki Samurai 1.6 16v Automatic, Trail Rig, Rock Crawler on 2040-cars

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Toyota will roll out solid-state battery EVs globally in a couple of years

GANDHINAGAR, India — Japan's Toyota Motor will in a couple of years globally launch vehicles with solid-state batteries that charge faster and last longer, an executive said on Thursday at an investment summit in India. Solid-state batteries promise to dramatically improve the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs), a key element of a strategic pivot Toyota unveiled in June to make up ground lost to Tesla and Chinese rivals, such as BYD, in the EV race. Last year, Toyota and oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan said they would tie up to develop and mass produce all-solid-state batteries, which they aim to commercialize in 2027 and 2028, followed by full-scale mass production. "We will be rolling out our electric vehicles with solid state batteries in a couple of years from now," said Vikram Gulati, the India head of Toyota Kirloskar Motor. It "will be a vehicle which will be charging in 10 minutes, giving a range of 1,200 kms (750 miles) and life expectancy will be very good". Gulati was speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit where one focus of the Indian government is attracting more investments to scale up EV manufacturing capacity in the world's third largest auto market. At the start of the summit on Wednesday, Japan's Suzuki Motor said its Indian subsidiary and Toyota partner Maruti Suzuki would export the group's first battery EV to Japan and Europe — marking the first time for Maruti to export to its parent company's home country. Electric models made up around 2% of India's car sales last year, but the government is targeting 30% by 2030 and India's road transport minister said at the summit he sees annual EV sales in India reaching 10 million vehicles by 2030. On Toyota's plans for solid-state batteries in India, Gulati said the carmaker had various sustainable technology options that would differ based on the country, market and customer preferences. "Right now, for India, flex fuel and ethanol can be a no-brainer right away," he added India's trade department has backed lowering taxes on hybrid vehicles to help the transition to cleaner energy sources, following demands by Japanese carmakers, Reuters has reported. Gulati said the Indian government should consider a carbon-based tax structure for cars, which would make it technologically agnostic and more equitable.  Green Lexus Suzuki Toyota Electric

Junkyard Gem: 2008 Suzuki Reno

Next time you're hosting a car-trivia night at your local junkyard/bar (hey, such places exist), you might try to stump your guests with a really tough one: What was the last US-market car to be designed entirely by Daewoo prior to the GM takeover? Sure, Americans could buy the Daewoo-badged Lanos, Nubira, and Leganza for a few years in the early 2000s, and the Verona was really just a slightly updated Leganza with Suzuki badges pasted on. The Chevy Aveo/Pontiac G3 was the descendant of the Lanos, but that special Daewoo sauce had been diluted by other GM flavors by the time it hit our shores. I say the answer is the Daewoo Lacetti — yes, that Lacetti — which was sold in the United States as the Suzuki Forenza (in sedan form) and Suzuki Reno (as a hatchback). Here's an example of one of the very last Renos you could buy here, found in a car graveyard near Denver, Colorado. The South Korea-built Reno never made much of an impression on the reviewers at this — or, I'm pretty sure, any — publication, despite having been styled by Giugiaro, though it was very reasonably priced during its 2005-2008 American sales run. My only experience driving the Reno comes from the time I rented one in South Carolina for just $9.98 a day. For that price, I thought it was a perfectly serviceable transportation appliance. Suzuki had been building cars for GM since the first Cultus hit American showrooms as the 1985 Chevrolet Sprint, and ties between the two companies became stronger as the 20th century became the 21st. They joined forces to buy bankrupt Daewoo in 2004, with American Suzuki selling the hastily-rebadged Nubira starting the next year. After a bit of excitement over the promising Suzuki Kizashi, American Suzuki filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and ceased selling cars here the following year. Don't feel too bad for Suzuki, though — in Japan, the company has had years of smash sales success with the Hustler, and of course Suzuki motorcycles and ATVs remain popular here. How much was this little Daewoo when new? With the base five-speed manual transmission, the MSRP on the base '08 Reno was $13,839, or about $19,425 in 2022 dollars. However, this car has the automatic transmission, an $1,100 option ($1,545 now).  You did get air conditioning and an AM/FM stereo in the base '08 Reno. This car has the optional CD player with AUX input. Honda had VTEC and Daewoo had D-TEC.

Suzuki brought a retro hybrid coupe and an autonomous van concept to Tokyo Motor Show

Update: More photos and details of these Suzuki concepts have surfaced since their official reveal at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. Turns out, the Waku Spo coupe can also be a wagon. We love it. When you swap in the wagon rear end, the rear seat slides back and automatically reclines. All of a sudden, the sporty coupe has turned into a somewhat roomy wagon kei car. Its interior features a fully digital dash that will actually simulate wood grain on the passenger side when in the Normal drive mode. When sport mode is selected, the "wood grain" transforms into a massive screen of dials and vehicle information. The Suzuki Hanare is the van pictured in the gallery and further below. Its drive wheels feature in-wheel electric motors, and the interior is all about customization. The folks in Suzuki's press photos look happy to be hanging out by their Hanares, and we think we'd be pretty happy too. One of the vans has a bar; the other has a massive screen with a map, and the middle van is full of storage for outdoor activity supplies. Lastly, Suzuki showed us the Hustler Concept. It's essentially just a Hustler made to look like an off-road kei car. We're picking up the Jimny vibes Suzuki is laying down. It's wonderfully boxy and features a bevy of neat accessories. Suzuki is celebrating its 100th anniversary at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. To mark the occasion, the company has created two unique concepts that look to the past for style, and the future for powertrain and use cases. One is called the Waku Spo, and the other is the Hanare. The Waku Spo is pictured above, and it's a plug-in hybrid with styling rooted in '60s Japanese cars. It's simple and squared off save for the wide fender flares and charming round headlights. There are dashes of chrome trim around the car and two-tone paint. The fender-mounted rearview cameras are a high-tech twist on a classic Japanese car feature. But if this design doesn't appeal to you, Suzuki says body and interior parts can be quickly switched out so each driver can have a car that's personalized to their tastes. While the Waku Spo is a more traditional, driver-oriented car, the Hanare is more of an autonomous pod. According to Suzuki, Hanare translates to "cottage" and the theme of the van is to be your home away from home. It's meant to be a mobile room to do whatever you want. It also looks like it's intended to be private and secluded, as the only windows are slender pieces that wrap around the roof.