Toyota To Launch New Hybrid Brand

Not the greatest move since Toyota has finally established themselves as a good hybrid maker. Another brand would mean more marketing involved. However if Toyota's eliminating all their hybrids and launching them with the new brand then I guess hybrid consumers will have no choice but to buy a Lexus Hybrid or go with the new brand.

But Toyota wants to have the image of owning many brands like how the German's have it arranged. So it seems right that Toyota is doing the same.

How is toyota going to control their quality if they have so many different models and technologies to observe? This is the type of thinking that put GM in the position the are in now.

I disagree, what a better way to concentrate your efforts of a unique technology.

But I do wonder how many people are drawn into a Toyota dealer for a Hybrid and leave with something else.

These are the same unsourced rumors that have been floating for a couple months. I dont believe them. It would dilute the cache of every hybrid Toy/Lex currently sells.

How about just having Toyota, at the end of the day. That's all they are, no point trying to make them want they're not.

i think by making a new brand, they are increasing overhead which will eventually have to paid by the consumer. Also whats the point of 5 brands with all the same cars hmmm, GM!

A separate hybrid brand makes sense only if there is a hidden agenda to spin it off to private equity at some ridiculous high price. The new owner can then pull off some corporate swiftie and make a quick profit on the deal as well.

it would be interesting if toyota added a 5th nameplate.

just as other companies have been dropping divisions (plymouth, oldsmobile. later, mercury? pontiac?) or selling them off.

for all the criticisms about re-badges, it does make sense from a business viewpoint. that's why ALL mfgrs do it.

i can't see the new division taking over ALL toyota hybrids. more likely, they will have rebadges of existing models in the toyota and lexus lines. and maybe a few exclusive new models to round out the line.

then, just as people wanting an AWD vehicle just naturally consider subaru and audi, who make ONLY awd cars...

people interested in a hybrid will AUTOMATICALLY first consider this new toyota line.

Very clever movement from Toyota as always. In contrast with some ... here (I don t call you retards, because that would have been an insult to the adjective "retard"). You re so arrogant that you don't even know that Prius is synonym to hybrid car... Still they are going to produce them under the same "roof".

how would this be "diluting" the brand?

if anything, the sterling image of toyota quality is spread out and MAGNIFIED in the lexus and scion lines. the latter two piggybacked on toyota's reputation. toyota in turn enjoys "reflected glory" from the lexus line. (many avalon and solara models are thought of as a lexus with just the toyota badge.)

for a car company with expanding sales and market penetration, it would not hurt to have yet another nameplate in the marketplace.

gm belatedly discovered it LOST unit sales when it killed oldsmobile. paying off the dealers cost them even more. (theirs was a different situation however, with SHRINKING market share.)

gm STILL ENJOYS the economies and extra unit sales of selling the same truck under the chevrolet and gmc brands. toyota could do the same, with an ALL HYBRID new brand, selling rebadged toyota and lexus hybrids as well as exclusive new hybrid models.

Lexus ALWAYS understates their 0 - 60 times by at least .5 seconds. Here are the results of the 5 Top Luxury Cars in this test which was reported in the January Issue of Car and Driver. Please note these tests were all done on the same day at about the same time and at the same altitude. The results reflect the average of 3 runs and all cars are the 2007 vintage.

Mercedes S550 5.6, 0 - 60 quarter mile in 14.1 (Benz show 5.4 in their specs)
BMW 750iL 5.7, 0 - 60 quarter mile in 14.2
Jag XJ Super 6.0 0 - 60 quarter mile 14.5
Lexus LS460L 6.2 0 - 60 quarter mile 14.6
Audi A8 6.8 0 - 60 quarter mile 15.2

Note that Lexus, as usual, is more than the 5.4 the manufacturer CLAIMS to get by .8 seconds.

Also note the LS430 (prior model the LS460 replaced) was rated at 295 HP and was actually 278 when Lexus corrected their rating. And there were no refunds or apologies from the so-called "quality" car company. ABC - Always Be Careful what you buy from the (REPREHENSIBLE) Toyota/Lexus people.....

once again, the village idiot buttheadroy, incapable or actually writing anything NEW and ORIGINAL, is mindlessly doing his cut and paste repetitions.

maybe he actually thinks lux car buyers regularly take their cars to the local dragstrip!

incapable OF...