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2014 Toyota Highlander to start at $30,075*

We now have pricing for Toyota's redesigned 2014 Highlander, which is seeing moderate price hikes across the board. Prices for the popular crossover have been bumped from less than 1 percent to less than 3 percent on lower-end models (anywhere from $125 to $890, depending on trim). Toyota has increased prices on higher-end XLE and Limited models more substantially - between 4.1 and 4.5 percent ($1,480 to $1,700). The Highlander Hybrid sees its price increase 2 percent ($930). The new model will be available in four different trims and with either front or all-wheel drive.
The absolute cheapest member of the Highlander range, the base LE, with a four-cylinder and front-wheel drive starts at $30,075, an increase of just $195. The LE is also available with a V6 and all-wheel drive, with the bigger engine upping the price to $31,380. All-wheel drive models start at $32,840. A slightly pricier LE Plus starts at $33,600 for a V6 FWD model and $35,060 if you add all-wheel drive.
Next up, we have the XLE, which starts at $36,900 for FWD models and moves up to $38,360 for AWD. The top-tier Limited model starts at $40,500 in FWD spec, grips-at-all-fours versions will retail for $41,960. For those that want the very top of the Highlander range, there's the Platinum Pack, which adds the Driver's Tech Pack (adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning, lane departure warning and automatic high beams), a panoramic moonroof, heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats to the already well-equipped Limited model. Highlander Platinums start at $42,990 and $44,450, depending on how many tires are doing the work. (Note: All prices include an $860 destination and handling charge.)

Despite slow sales, no new Scion models in near-term pipeline [w/poll]

According to a top Toyota executive, the Japanese automaker will not be introducing any fresh Scion models in the near future, Reuters reports. As of August, Scion sales for this year were down 1.6 percent from 2012 and accounted for only 0.3 percent of Toyota's overall US sales. And last month, Toyota Motor Sales USA Senior Vice President Bob Carter informed the 1,000 dealers who carry Scion that they can drop the brand without penalty.
However, never fear - Carter has assured that, while nothing new is coming for at least six months, the company is still very committed to the quirky Scion brand. Toyota launched Scion, which targets the youth market, in 2003, and sales peaked in 2006. The brand currently has five models, with the 2013 best-sellers being the FR-S sports coupe followed by the tC sedan and xB hatchback.
What do you think about Toyota's decision to hold off on introducing new or refreshed Scion models? Are they heading in the right direction, or does this spell doom for the funky Gen Y brand?

Toyota pondering high-performance GT86 hybrid?

From what Autocar has to say, Toyota has even more plans for the GT86 beyond the convertible concept we just saw at the Geneva Motor Show. Along with a planned midcycle facelift, Toyota is reportedly looking at how to pack some extra ponies under the coupe's hood, and while there has already been a lot of talk about superchargers and turbochargers, it sounds like a performance-boosting hybrid system could also be in the works.
Talking to Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, Autocar has learned that the automaker is considering an electrical motor assist for the sporty coupe to improve performance without harming fuel economy. In attempting to keep weight - and, presumably, costs - down, the article mentions the use of a system closer to what Honda uses for its Integrated Motor Assist rather than a full Hybrid Synergy Drive system used in current Toyota hybrids. Tada says the added weight of the system could be offset by weight reduction, while aerodynamic changes and a lower center of gravity could improve the car's handling.
No word yet on whether a mild hybrid system would find its way to North America's Scion FR-S - let alone its Subaru BRZ twin - but the thought is certainly an intriguing one.