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More powerful 2017 Toyota 86 takes over for the Scion FR-S

Scion is dead, and the FR-S name passes away with it. The rear-wheel-drive sports coupe isn't gone, though, because it's now the the 2017 Toyota 86. To match the new moniker, the latest model finally has a little extra power and more aggressive styling. The public debut will take place at next week's New York Auto Show, and sales begin this fall. "When we announced the transition of the Scion models to Toyota we hadn't planned on changing the names of our cars, but by popular demand, for our sports car, we decided to adopt the global name of 86," said Toyota Division Group Vice President Bill Fay. The 2.0-liter boxer-four's output grows to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque – increases of 5 hp and 5 lb-ft – on manual-transmission models. The 86 still isn't the turbocharged rear-wheel-drive coupe of some people's dreams, but at least this is an improvement. (Buyers who opt for the automatic will have to make do with less power and fewer pedals.) Toyota also promises "additional performance" thanks to different gear ratios for the six-speed manual transmission, and there's now Hill Start Assist Control. New shock tuning and spring rates will affect the handling, too. The 86 wears a meaner look than the outgoing FR-S. The biggest change is a new front bumper with a large intake that stretches across the coupe's width, and the two sharp points along the bottom look like teeth ready to chomp down. Toyota also replaces the headlights and taillights with LED units. The twist-spoke wheels are a great accompaniment to the more aggressive look, too. The tweaks are more modest inside, including silver stitching and new materials for the dashboard and doors. Toyota will also display the C-HR crossover concept again in the Big Apple. We won't see the production version until later this year, and sales won't begin until spring 2017 as a 2018 model. Related Video: Toyota to 86 the FR-S Name New Toyota 86 and Charismatic C-HR Concept on Display at New York Auto Show TORRANCE, Calif., March 17, 2016 – With its new home comes a new name and more. The former Scion FR-S will debut as the 2017 Toyota 86 at the New York International Auto Show with interior and exterior changes, as well as suspension and powertrain upgrades. The new Toyota 86 will go on sale at all Toyota dealerships this fall.

Toyota's $1.6B unintended acceleration settlement approved

Toyota is now one step closer to putting its unintended acceleration woes behind it as it has received approval from the US District Court for the Central District of California to settle loss-of-value claims to vehicles associated with the 2009-2010 recalls.
As we reported back in May, the Toyota settlement is worth $1.63 billion, which, according to Bloomberg, includes a payout of $757 million to affected owners, $227 million to attorneys and an additional $875 million for vehicle upgrades. (We did the math, too, and that totals $1.859 billion, but there is no justification for the discrepancy. Fuzzy math, eh?)
Based on the estimated 22.6 million vehicles said to be included in this suit, that would make the average payment about $33.49 per vehicle, but the article says that owners, lessees and even renters will receive varying amounts ranging from $9.74 up to as much as $10,000. This settlement does not affect suits filed for personal injury or wrongful death.

Refreshed 2013 Toyota Landcruiser Prado gets official [w/video]

We'd seen leaked images of the the refreshed 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, now Toyota has deemed it officially ready for the European masses it is aimed at. We can only hope the masses are ready for that grille, probably the most intense of the many changes made to the volcano-eating truck. The new face and its "powerfully projecting vertical bars" were designed to "accentuate the new Toyota's rugged appearance," as if the legendarily capable SUV wasn't rugged enough. Other changes include redesigned headlight clusters, stronger character lines along the sides, new taillights and license plate "garnish" in back, and a slew of new wheel choices. Both the three- and five-door are 20 millimeters longer, all of that in the front overhang, but the approach angle apparently hasn't changed.
The new organization of trims runs from Entry to Legend, Prestige and Executive. The interior has been reorganized with better seats in the second and third rows, a new upper center console, a redesigned panel for controlling on- and off-road driving functions, reworked Optitron meters with a 4.2-inch LCD screen, and new switchgear, fabrics and color schemes. Infotainment has been upgraded with Toyota Touch 2 and Toyota Touch 2 with Go. They mirror your smartphone if said phone happens to be either a Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2.
On-road driving dynamics have been improve with suspension changes, and a Rear Cross Traffic Alert added to the suite of safety features for maneuvering the beast. When it comes to the Land Cruiser's real reason for being, the five Multi-terrain Select choices and five-step Crawl Control are more easily used with a Multi-terrain Monitor reworked for more clarity.