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Toyota increasing Yaris Hybrid production to 222,000 this year in France

More fuel economy means more factory workers and more production for Toyota's most popular model in Europe. That simple equation explains why the Japanese automaker is boosting annual production of its gas- and hybrid-powered Yaris compact vehicles at its French factory. The new number will be about 222,000, a 15 percent increase. To do that, Toyota will need to add about 500 workers to bring its total there to more than 4,000, UK's The Green Car Website says. Vive le Toyota! Toyota updated the European Yaris in the middle of 2011 and added a hybrid version later that year, the model has many fans across the pond. It helps that they hybrid is rated (using the friendlier European standards) at a whopping 81 miles per gallon, a tremendous number for a car that costs approximately $26,000. Toyota could soon have a bit more room in the small hybrid segment, since it was reported recently that Honda would discontinue European sales of its Insight and CR-Z hybrids soon. That decision was made easier because of increasing competition from Toyota, which boosted hybrid sales in Europe last year by 43 percent. In contrast, both the CR-Z and Insight experienced more than a 60-percent plunge in European sales in 2013.

Toyota temporarily idles pair of Indian plants due to labor unrest

The Detroit News reported today that Toyota will restart production at two Indian plants, following a shutdown on Monday.
Factory labor, management and police in Asia engage in the kind of violent altercations that we're not used to, having almost entirely walked away from the overtly brutal relations epitomized by the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the Flint Sit-Down Strike. In India, a plant owned by a Ford transmission supplier plant was shut down in 2009 after incidents between workers and armed men around the same time as Ssangyong workers occupied a factory in South Korea, in 2012 Suzuki Maruti workers rioted over wages around the same time upset employees beat a ceramics factory president to death in retaliation for a labor leader's killing.
Toyota is the latest to company trying to avoid that road. The Detroit Free Press reported earlier this week that it shut down two plants in India after 11 months of acrimonious wage negotiations and arbitration have gone nowhere. Toyota said the plant workers in Bidadi, near Bangalore, had deliberately stopped production at times over the past 45 days and threatened management. The workers said they wanted their wages raised by an amount already agreed to by management, but that management had reneged; news reports weren't clear on the amount, some saying nearly 10,000 rupees ($165 US) more per month, another saying 4,000 rupees ($65 US), but reports agree that Toyota has said it will only go as high as 3,050 rupees ($50 US).

2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid electrifies with updated styling, more tech

Since the launch of the Prius, Toyota has been closely identified with hybrids and electrification. However outside of the rather niche RAV4 EV, the company hasn't brought the efficient tech to the smallest crossover in its US range. That all changes with the debut of the 2016 RAV4 Hybrid at the 2015 New York Auto Show, and the crossover launches alongside a thoroughly refreshed RAV4 lineup. Similar to the Lexus NX 300h, the RAV4 Hybrid combines a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine running on the Atkinson cycle and an electric motor, and both axles get power thanks to the standard Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel-Drive System. Toyota is keeping the exact technical specs about the CUV a secret until closer to the fall launch but admits the hybrid setup offers more than the 176 horsepower in the internal combustion model. The electric assistance means quicker acceleration and better fuel economy, as well. Beyond just the availability of the hybrid powertrain, the 2016 RAV4 gets sharper, more aggressive styling. The changes start at the nose where the foglights are recessed in the front bumper, and the design draws the eye across the lower grille. There are also reshaped lights at the rear and a redesigned lower bumper with silver skid plate trim. Inside, the improvements include niceties like better material quality, an added USB port up front and cupholders for tall mugs. While the styling looks great, Toyota is also seriously upgrading the available tech for its strong-selling CUV. Buyers can spec a full array of LED lighting, including the headlights, running lights and taillights. There's also the new Toyota Safety Sense suite that adds pre-collision braking, lane departure warning radar cruise control and more. For help with parking, the company has the four-camera Bird's Eye View Monitor, as well. The RAV4's trims carry over and get a new addition called the SE. Its biggest features are a retuned sport suspension, 18-inch wheels, contrasting exterior trim and a black headliner. It also comes fairly loaded with features with the aforementioned LED lights. With all of these changes, Toyota is continuing to take the crossover market seriously. Look forward to live images of the upgraded RAV4 from the Big Apple in the near future.