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Toyota Prius gets higher clearance, better suspension in Pakistan

It's been 16 years since the Toyota Prius launched in Japan. Finally, the world's most popular hybrid is becoming the first hybrid car to show up in Pakistan. This version of the Prius has been customized by Indus Motor Company (IMC) in order to deal with, well, let's just say some challenging road conditions. IMC knows what it's doing, and has modified Toyota and Daihatsu vehicles for the Pakistani market for over 20 years. The Prius brings with it the iconic shape and Parvez Ghias, CEO of IMC, told The Technology Times that the car's arrival, "is indeed a great milestone, not only in the history of IMC, but, of the entire nation." Pakistan Today says that IMC is beefing up the ground clearance of the imported Priuses and adds a "robust suspension system." Why would this be important? Well, the US Department of State warns travelers to beware of crowded roads, aggressive and poorly trained drivers and bad roads that could include potholes and sharp drop-offs. Then there's the "donkeys, cattle, horse carts, and even the occasional camel [that] can pose roadside hazards in some areas." There's also the big problem of terrorism-related violence in Pakistan, but we haven't heard that the Pakistan Prius has been bullet- and shrapnel-proofed.

Subaru Indiana plant to stop building Toyota Camry

Subaru may be set to end production of the Toyota Camry at its Lafayette, IN facility by 2017, according to a report from the Louisville Journal-Courier and a CBS affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina. Speaking to the plant's Executive Vice President Tom Easterday, the whole affair sounds like a done deal.
"Based on changes in Toyota's production plans, they have decided that the award-winning Camry production contract will not be renewed," Easterday said. Easterday was quick to emphasize that just because Camry production would end, doesn't mean jobs will be lost. "There will be no loss of jobs at SIA as a result of this," he said, before adding that the loss of Camry production will have no impact Subaru's $400 million investment to ready the plant for Impreza production in 2016. That said, adding a promised 900 jobs may take longer than originally planned, as Camry production staff are set to be retrained on Subaru production.
SIA currently has the capacity to produce 100,000 Camrys per year, and began production of the family sedan in 2007 alongside production of the Subaru Outback, Legacy and eventually, the soon-to-be-discontinued Tribeca.

Toyota, Suzuki partner on hybrids, EVs, building cars for each other

NAGOYA, Japan — Toyota and Suzuki on Wednesday said they planned to produce electric vehicles and compact cars for each other to better compete with fast-changing technologies in the global auto industry. The agreement follows an initial R&D tie-up announced by Japan's No. 1 and No. 4 automakers in 2017, and will see more vehicles produced by Suzuki for Toyota, one of the world's biggest carmakers. Although Suzuki is far smaller, it is a dominant force in the fast-growing Indian market. The two automakers have been pooling their strengths. Toyota is a leader in hybrid technology and is investing heavily in automated driving, while Suzuki specializes in affordable compact cars — as many automakers struggle to keep pace with ballooning investment in EVs and self-driving cars. Under the latest agreement, Suzuki will source gasoline hybrid systems for cars it sells worldwide from Toyota, which pioneered hybrid vehicles with the Prius more than 20 years ago, the companies said in a joint statement. In return, Suzuki will produce two compact models for Toyota in India based on its Ciaz and Ertiga models. Further cooperation with Suzuki will help Toyota expand its presence in India, the world's fifth-largest passenger car market where it has struggled to grow sales due to lean demand for its lower-cost models. The deepening partnership between the two automakers will enable cost-conscious Suzuki to tap into Toyota's R&D firepower to develop lower-emission vehicles and self-driving cars — areas which Suzuki has admitted it is struggling to keep up. "We believe that the expansion of our business partnership with Suzuki ... will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation," Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. The two automakers will deepen their cooperation in India, where Suzuki's hybrid vehicles will be made using engines and batteries locally produced by Toyota. They will also join forces in Europe, where Toyota will produce electric vehicles based on its RAV4 SUV crossover and Corolla wagon for Suzuki, while Suzuki will supply Toyota with gasoline engines for compact vehicle models sold in the region. Suzuki will also produce its Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ciaz, and Ertiga models for Toyota which will be rebranded and renamed as Toyota models for the African market.