LOOK OUT MB: Toyota is not sitting idle - Plans to release Aygo in U.S.

Toyota is bringing out the new 2-seater 2008 Aygo in the US to challenge MB's Smart car. The car will most likely have 1.0l engine. Toyota, as always, is staying with the new market development and adding another model to their long line up as well. Well see who sells better.
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EvoAudi - 9/18/2006 11:32:23 PM

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dun, dun, dun, dun its................the.............................yaris................................................MINI...................BEWARE

EvoAudi - 9/18/2006 11:32:40 PM

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M3owns - 9/18/2006 11:56:54 PM

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yeah right,m when smart gets here then tell me about it. They cant let this thing be driven on the freeway or even touch the USA soil

Matthew1 - 9/19/2006 12:59:23 AM

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Funny, Americans are scared of small cars.

Also Funny, Will isn't familiar with a large-scale production model from Toyota, which is a joint-development with Peogeot and Citroen. In effect, it's a Peogeot with a Toyota badge.

Scared yet? You shouldn't be.

sulev - 9/19/2006 1:47:18 AM

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Rupert,
I don’t believe it’s a matter of scariness or not. It’s the safety of the passengers inside which worries me. Can you imagine what would be like if this car were to be hit (God forbid) by full size American truck or SUV (like Hummer, GMC Yukons, or Ford Excursion)?

In Europe, you might think the H2 is already humongous, but really, it’s nothing compare to giant pick up trucks like GMC Sierra 3500, or Dodge Ram 3500.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of small cars. I just cannot bear the idea if these micro cars get “bump” by those giants in highways.

1970toyotamarc - 9/19/2006 2:49:30 AM

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Why do people think Americans are so stupid or reckless. I am in a 2 vehicle family. One vehicle gets driven maybe 2000 miles a year, all city, the other one gets the bulk of the duties, city and highway. How many families could use a small, stylish, fun car for their around town city duties? It's a new world. Suburban sprawl has ended. Americans have moved back to the cities, and we need vehicles that accomodate this. I get pissed every time I see a neighbor's 4 door Silverado parked on my city street. It doesnt belong here. Bring on the Aygo and Smart.

BMW530i - 9/19/2006 4:33:55 AM

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Peugeot?

Scared? Of small cars?
=========================================

I think he is hinting at Peugeot's questionable quality and reliability. The nightmare of any Toyota fan. ;)

XYZZ - 9/19/2006 5:11:53 AM

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it is many of the whiney, WIMPY, probably barely competent drivers AFRAID of small cars, who love suburbans, big suvs, big PUs, etc.

hey, i drive motorcycles, and there isn't ANY vehicle on the road that scares me! yeah, some of the montrosities MAY easily SQUOOSH me, but ONLY IF they can CATCH me first! i'll take manueverability over BULK anytime!

one of my near-genius engineer-type friends drives a geo METRO with the 3-banger. he thinks along similar lines.

Revaddict - 9/19/2006 7:10:14 AM

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Matt -
Get your facts right, if the aygo is peugeot with a toyota badge, then, the 107 is a toyota with a peugeot badge. The Toyota-PSA Czech plant was a joint project to be able to produce enough volume to compensate for the small margins that comes with compact cars, this was the incentive for toyota to team up with PSA - a major high volume player in Europe. PSA's extra added incentive to team with Toyota was to learn something from their production system, which is fully applied at this plant, therefore, from a quality point of view, the Aygo within the Toyota standard. It's widely known that they are slowly adopting some elements of TPS in their newly built/expanded plants such as PSA's plant in Travna. The only thing that limits Toyota quality for their plants abroad is the quality of the local european suppliers and the compatibility of the local workforce with TPS principles.

BM3W - 9/19/2006 12:07:56 PM

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Forget about it Toylexus....the Aygo will not stand a chance against the (BMW) Mini or (MB) Smart.

kart1 - 9/19/2006 12:30:00 PM

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BM3W - just like the other models from Toyota that haven't stood a chance right?

XYZZ - 9/20/2006 6:16:02 AM

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and they're called Kei, not K-cars (to distinguish them from the infamous Khrysler Kookie-cutter Kommodity Kreations).

some of the Kei cars were truly amazing. think of the Fiat Topolinos. (Little mousies) now, put them on steroids.

the best Kei cars were 3-cylinder, 600 (660?) cc, turbocharged MIGHTY MOUSES. the engine sizes were strictly limited for special tax breaks, but there was NO limit on manufacturers' creativity in extracting the maximum hosses out of those micro-motors. some of those "mice" were more like mini- RAT motors.

austintyson - 9/20/2006 10:11:12 AM

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On here a while back they had a link showing a Smart car going heda on against a MB S-class.. didn't scare me any.. the smart had as much damage as the S-class. I had a drunk driver hit me head on 15 yrs ago. only thing that really scares me is getting hit by a tractor tailer.. but thats drivng anything.. 40 tons going against 1 to 3 tons... Bring on the small cars they will sink or swim. but I would love to have a Mini or something like it..or how about a Lotus