Autoblog UK

The most important prize award for cars in Europe was instituted by the publisher Axel Springer in 1976, and has been awarded annually since then. On the 4th November, top managers from the car industry accepted awards for the model year 2009 at the Axel Springer Building in Berlin. Eight new models in total received a Golden Steering Wheel award. For the third time, a Green Steering Wheel prize was presented for the best eco car. Fiat and Ferrari president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, received an honorary award.

The winners in the individual categories:

Small car class: VW Polo
Compact class: Vauxhall Astra
Medium class and above: Audi A5 Sportback
Luxury class: Porsche Panamera
Supercar: Mercedes SLS
MPV: Renault Scenic
Eco award: Toyota Prius and VW Blue Motion
Honorary prize: Luca Cordero di Montezemolo

At the Tokyo Motor Show, from the 24th October until the 4th November, Toyota are showing a sports car design, which should close a gap in their model range. The Toyota FT-86 Concept is a rear-wheel drive 2+2. A classic coupé, it has a lovely long bonnet and low-slung cabin. Evil-looking headlights and a big radiator grille exude prestige and performance. Power is courtesy of a 2.0L Subaru flat-four engine, said to produce 200bhp. A production version of the sports car could be with us by the end of 2011.

Toyota have been suffering their worst slowdown in sales since the company was founded in 1937. But in August, trade was up by 9% compared to the previous year. That same month, German competitor Volkswagen increased their deliveries to customers around the globe by 9.5% compared to a year ago. As reported last Saturday in the 'Tokyo Shimbun', Toyota have increased production worldwide by 8% to 6.45 million vehicles in the financial year 2009/2010. This has been made possible through the effects of government subsidies and tax breaks for new fuel-efficient vehicles.

At the IAA in Frankfurt, Toyota launched the next generation Land Cruiser. This vehicle has been around for 55 years and has been bought by more than five million people in almost 200 countries. But the legendary vehicle needed a make-over. The new 173bhp diesel, which produces 12% less CO2 and has an average fuel consumption of only eight litres, is one of the most frugal vehicles in its class. According to Toyota, there's more room inside and there are more storage compartments. In the two top-of- the-range models, the driver can access four separate cameras via a central monitor when parking, or to get a better view of surrounding terrain. A journey through the jungle will be like a trip to the cinema. Crawl Control is another extra feature. You can select five different speeds and overcome obstacles without having to use brakes or accelerator. This system should also prove useful when recovering a stranded vehicle.

Another step forward into the future? At the IAA, Toyota launched a new design of the veteran hybrid, the Prius – that symbol of clean mobility for people, who, in their worst nightmares are hunted down by SUVs high on bhp through the sooty canyons of big cities turned upside down by climate change. But the Prius in this plug-in hybrid study wasn't just tarted up with the additional virtues of a thoroughbred e-car for those poor souls.

A newly developed, high performance lithium ion battery lies at the heart of this concept car. In an ideal situation, it should take at most just 90 minutes to recharge it and endow this Japanese saviour of the environment with a range of up to 20 kilometres in full-electric mode. So you can use the Prius for short journeys simply as an e-car and change over to hybrid mode only when the need arises. CO2 emissions are reduced to 60 grammes per kilometre. But for the moment, this latest eco warrior is not for sale. 150 Prius Plug-ins are to be evaluated in Europe but will be leased only to fleet customers.

As the world's biggest automotive manufacturer, Toyota feels obliged to occupy every last niche, especially where there is a profit to be made. All the same, the concept of the new Urban Cruiser seems questionable, to say the least. On the one hand, despite the vehicle's mere four metres in length, it is claimed to offer quality of journey, even off-road. On the other hand, the 4WD diesel version retails from 23,000 euros upwards – a hefty price tag for a subcompact model. Admittedly, the actual target group consists of prospective purchasers who are content with a front-wheel drive, petrol-powered vehicle. The elevated view of the road, SUV characteristics and entry price of around 17,000 euros should certainly appeal to anyone who just needs it for driving around town. After all, its official name is Urban Cruiser. It will be interesting to see if this twin strategy pays off.

The Toyota Supra is not only a legend in Japan and now this monster, that most Europeans know from PlayStation, has in fact 'gone green'. With this, the world's first hybrid top-range sports car, Toyota are aiming at the established market for cars such as the Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911. The Japanese manufacturer is also looking at a new version of the Supra, which was produced between 1979 and 2002 and enjoyed particular success, particularly in Asia and America.

The Supra concept car bearing the designation FT-HS is due to be ready as soon as the coming Tokyo Motor Show, which will take place from October 23 until November 8. The previous Supra generation pushed out 330bhp, but this future fireball will increase that to a fair bit more that 400bhp. Whether a future Supra with hybrid drive will also be introduced into the European Toyota range has yet to be seen.

While the automotive market is shrinking in general in the USA, the new generation of the Toyota Prius hybrid seems to be a success. As soon as it was launched, customers were already faced with waiting for a year for delivery of their vehicle. According to the "New York Times", the manufacturer is therefore considering extending manufacturing capacity.

The Prius plant in Japan is already running at maximum output, but can only manufacture 50,000 vehicles per month. In Japan alone, 111,000 units were sold in May and the company is estimating a demand for 200,000 Prius cars per annum for the USA, with a global demand of 400,000. If this boom in turnover continues, it could be that Toyota reconsiders its plans for opening a hybrid plant in the U.S. after having shelved them because of the economic downturn.

Toyota subsidiary Scion has just unveiled the iQ Concept at the International Auto Show in New York. Following the surprise success of the Smart ForTwo in the US market, the Toyota iQ could literally beget a 'scion' to take on the already established micro-compact car. Visually, this iQ makes a much more aggressive impression than its Toyota parent. The massive wheel arches, substantial sills, front spoiler lip and special tyres are all intended to attract a younger class of buyer.

The third generation of the Toyota Prius will soon be rolled out. Before the hybrids of European marques are in the showrooms, Toyota will have produced a refined grandson for its original Prius. It is more powerful, more economical and comfortable than ever before and has developed into a mature mid-range saloon with many equipment functions that are associated with the higher ranges.

As a reminder: upon its debut 12 years ago, the Toyota Prius was one of the most controversial cars in the world. At that time, it was believed that it would not have a long shelf life, given technology that was believed to complicated, but in the meantime, it is known all over the world as a petrol-saving alternative. The Toyota Prius thus became the first large series hybrid vehicle in the world to establish itself firmly in the market. This was particularly because the highly complex interplay between its engine and electric motor functioned with Japanese reliability. It gets from 0 to 60 in 10.4 seconds and the top speed is 112mph. Prices for this four door model are not yet known, but are expected to be around the 25,000 euro level.