Avensis Hybrid

[barrycoll]

As I am now in Oz, it is quite striking how many Avensis/Camry taxis are hybrid. They seem to be mainly saloons, and have seen no wagons.

The Auris is still a Corolla here, but no Sport Wagons, and most seem to be non hybrid.

The reason is doubtless that diesel is 60p a litre here, and petrol not much more.

Very few Prius but that is back to the gas price

Everywhere is health and fitness conscious, with joggers almost more numerous than walkers, and every second walker carrying a surfboard, with half a wetsuit and no shoes. On the other hand plastic bags are given away with every purchase

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Camry and it's sister, the Aurion, are a bit bigger than the Avensis, and both are locally produced at present. Although Toyota are ceasing their Australian manufacturing of cars by 2017.

Don't think the Avensis is sold in Australia.

Australia, and I think New Zealand, refused to take the Auris name.

[barrycoll]

Camry very similar to Avensis, but also different! Why can Toyota make a Camry hybrid but not an Avensis in the Uk....a great shame

Both General Motors Holden and Ford falcon no longer produced, in Oz so taxis have shifted to Toyota. But they too are quitting according to Frosty, after 2017

Prius C is a cross between a Yaris, and an Auris, and usually seen as a hybrid, but not too many seen... back to petrol prices, and generally Sydney seems a very prosperous city, so no call for smallish cars.

Visually very beautiful, and folks are a.ways surprised that we choose Nth London, rather than Bondi Beach

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Australian produced Camry is the same model produced in the US and some Asian countries, and presumably there are sufficient sales volumes to justify the development of hybrid versions (the Camry has been the best selling car in the US since 2007). The Aurion is also Camry based.

The Australian car industry has been both loss-making and Government subsidised for a number of years. For example, Government had to buy Australian-made vehicles where possible.

Mitsubishi withdrew from manufacturing in 2008.

Since 2008 local parts suppliers have supplied all three of the remaining car manufacturers. With Holden and Ford both ceasing production in 2016, the withdrawal of further Government subsidies, and the impending loss of the local parts supply, Toyota has found that production is no longer sustainable and will cease by 2017.

So you're looking at the death of a country's car industry.

[Duffryn]

The Camry and it's sister, the Aurion, are a bit bigger than the Avensis, and both are locally produced at present. Although Toyota are ceasing their Australian manufacturing of cars by 2017.

Don't think the Avensis is sold in Australia.

Australia, and I think New Zealand, refused to take the Auris name.

...."refused to take the Auris name"....and who can blame them??

Why drop world-renowned and respected names like Corolla, Carina etc. for this 'latinised' cr*p - Auris, Avensis, Yaris - that we are lumbered with here in Europe?

[TomdeGuerre]

The Australian produced Camry is the same model produced in the US and some Asian countries, and presumably there are sufficient sales volumes to justify the development of hybrid versions (the Camry has been the best selling car in the US since 2007). The Aurion is also Camry based.

The Australian car industry has been both loss-making and Government subsidised for a number of years. For example, Government had to buy Australian-made vehicles where possible.

Mitsubishi withdrew from manufacturing in 2008.

Since 2008 local parts suppliers have supplied all three of the remaining car manufacturers. With Holden and Ford both ceasing production in 2016, the withdrawal of further Government subsidies, and the impending loss of the local parts supply, Toyota has found that production is no longer sustainable and will cease by 2017.

So you're looking at the death of a country's car industry.

Like we saw with British Leyland in this country? and now we produce more cars than ever before in our history.

With a marketplace like OZ I'd think the Chinese or someone like Tata will move in there.

Where some see failure others see opportunity

[TomdeGuerre]

The Camry and it's sister, the Aurion, are a bit bigger than the Avensis, and both are locally produced at present. Although Toyota are ceasing their Australian manufacturing of cars by 2017.

Don't think the Avensis is sold in Australi

...."refused to take the Auris name"....and who can blame them??

Why drop world-renowned and respected names like Corolla, Carina etc. for this 'latinised' cr*p - Auris, Avensis, Yaris - that we are lumbered with here in Europe?

>>> Couldn't agree more, i was very surprised they dropped the Corolla name. For heavens sake in this country we've been going through the ceremony of the monarch's keys at the Tower of London for over 600 years so i don't think we'd have had any problem keeping the Corolla name for another 50 os ro - about the same as Coronation Street is shaping up to be.

Even yet there's the two camps of how to pronounce Auris whether it's like Ow-ris or Orr-is, seems it's a 50-50 in most parts stores etc.

Named after the Latin name for gold? - aye right - after that Multi Mode Transmission debacle?

[Heidfirst]

The USA has Yaris sold as such, they now also have the Auris albeit sold as a Scion iM. The Avalon is probably their nearest to the Avensis & they had a Venza though that has been phased out.

Would you prefer names like Cressida (the Avalon was the Cressida replacement)? :P

The Camry Hybrid uses a 2.5 litre ICE so would be taxed highly in the UK for BIK etc. & it's a bigger car than an Avensis so wouldn't compete well against Passat/Mondeo/Insignia etc. in what is a dying sector in Europe anyway. Now, I would like a 2.5l hybrid Avensis estate but I can see why it would not be a big seller in the UK.

The commodities (mining) boom caused massive wage inflation in Australia making their manufacturing uncompetitive & now that commodity prices have collapsed & with a free trade agreement coming into force & doing away with many import tariffs there is going to be a lot of unemployment.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Australian produced Camry is the same model produced in the US and some Asian countries, and presumably there are sufficient sales volumes to justify the development of hybrid versions (the Camry has been the best selling car in the US since 2007). The Aurion is also Camry based.

The Australian car industry has been both loss-making and Government subsidised for a number of years. For example, Government had to buy Australian-made vehicles where possible.

Mitsubishi withdrew from manufacturing in 2008.

Since 2008 local parts suppliers have supplied all three of the remaining car manufacturers. With Holden and Ford both ceasing production in 2016, the withdrawal of further Government subsidies, and the impending loss of the local parts supply, Toyota has found that production is no longer sustainable and will cease by 2017.

So you're looking at the death of a country's car industry.

Like we saw with British Leyland in this country? and now we produce more cars than ever before in our history.

With a marketplace like OZ I'd think the Chinese or someone like Tata will move in there.

Where some see failure others see opportunity

The situation in Australia is a bit different to the demise of BL/Rover.

All four companies who produce(d) in Australia have withdrawn or are withdrawing, leaving the local parts suppliers with no-one to supply, with the knock-on effect that will have.