It has been over four decades since Toyota Motors started its venture in the American truck market in 1964.It was a very basic Toyota Regular Cab with a compact pick-up bed and square look.The truck,powered by a 1.9L 85Hp 4-cylinder engine,came with basic facilities and very few options.For the next two decades Toyota trucks remained unchanged with some minor tweaks.

In the 1979 model year,the Japanese car maker launched Toyota Pickup,a four-wheel drive option with an enhanced 2.2L 96Hp powertrain.These changes made Toyota trucks a huge hit in the North American market and the success was followed by a series of awards-Toughest Truck of the Year by 4×4 and Off-Road Vehicles, 4WD of the Year by Pickup and 4WD Vehicle of the Year by Off-Road.

From then on,the truck production divided in two separate lines the–4×2 and 4×4 models.By 1981,Toyota truck Xtracab models were introduced in the market with choices of diesel and gasoline engines.Changes and modifications continued to give it a more car like feel.

During the period 1988-1989,the Toyota trucks emerged as more powerful with a 3.0L V6 and the wheelbase extended from 103 inches to 122 inches.In the meantime,Toyota Pickup got a boost with turbo charged engines and Independent Front Suspension (IFS).It was the predecessor of present Toyota Tacoma.

In 1995,Toyota launched the brand new Tacoma,designed and manufactured on the American soil.The Tacoma came with two main options–the 2WD models with a 2.4L 142Hp four-cylinder powertrain and the $WD model with a 2.7L 150Hp four-cylinder engine.Standard safety features included adjustable seatbelt anchors,driver-side airbags,and improved side view mirrors.

In 2001,The Toyota Tacoma ushers in to a new model year with more sophisticated interior and aggressive exterior styling.The Toyota Double Cab was made available for the first time.The pick up truck combined the passenger comfort and roominess of a SUV with the toughness of a cargo hauler.

The much bigger 2006 Tacoma model standardized some more options with minor facelifts for the 2007 models.Slight mechanical changes were done to ensure better fuel economy and higher performance than its forerunners.

The 2008 model is a carryover from 2007 while the 2009 Toyota Tacoma has received a whole new lot of entertainment and safety features including 6-disc CD player,new steering wheel controls,Vehicle Stability Control (VSC),four-wheel Anti-lock Brakes System and an electronic Brake-Force Distribution System with Brake Assist.The revised interior design offers improved comfort level and added entertainment during drive.

The 2009 Tacoma Access Cab gets standard power windows and door locks along with redesigned rear seats for enhanced passenger comfort and convenience.Higher trim levels offer optional Bluetooth enabled Premium JBL 6-CD audio system with integrated XM satellite radio.

Finally,the 2010 Toyota Tacoma appeals to those who need a mid-size or compact pickup loaded with latest entertainment amenities and topnotch safety features in addition to fuel efficiency and hauling capabilities.The vehicle’s exterior is apparently unchanged from its last year versions.The 2010 Toyota trucks come in three cab styles-2010 Tacoma Regular Cab,Double Cab with four side doors and extended Access Cab with hinged rear doors.Equipped with the most advanced DynamicControl technology and Electronic Throttle Control System with intelligence (ETCS-i) 2010 Toyota Tacoma is a hot seller in the mid-size pickup truck category.

Toyotausablog.com

Toyota the producer of Toyota Tacoma parts has pulled out its £50m UK advertising business from Saatchi & Saatchi and transfers it to CHI & Partners. The Japanese automaker is Saatchi’s second-biggest global account next to Procter & Gamble with $2.5bn advertising expense per year with UK as its only biggest European market.

It was already expected that CHI which has sold 49.9 percent of its stake to WPP earlier this year will be given the majority of the UK business. CHI has been working out to get the Toyota account since 2004 when it was appointed to handle the launching of the Aygo model across Europe. And since then the agency has been given pan-European briefs for the Corolla and the Yaris.

It is also CHI that handles the promotion of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus across Europe. However for this year the only UK project that it has won was Toyota’s tactical advertising business.

The news of Toyota’s transfer of its ad account came at the time when Saatchi is struggling find a new UK chief executive that could replace Lee Daley, who left Saatchi to join the Manchester United as commercial director last March. According to source familiar with the issue, Saatchi’s EMEA, Asia, and Latin America Chief Executive Jim O’Mahony who has been heading the search for Daley’s replacement could now be given the responsibility for the UK agency in addition to his other duties.

The decision of Toyota to move the majority of its UK account out of Saatchi follows the changes in the company’s senior team starting last year. Toyota’s former European marketing director Jon Williams has moved to Toyota GB as commercial director earlier this year in replacement of Paul Philpott who also left to join Kia UK as managing director. Similarly, Toyota GB’s long-serving managing director Graham Smith has also left to take on a new role in Toyota Europe last year.

A source close to WPP said that the company’s chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell has been keeping track of Toyota’s business for a couple of years now and the presence of CHI in the Japanese automaker’s roster was one of the primary reasons why he bought the stake in the agency.

But industry experts think that the Toyota news will not sit well with its rival automaker Ford that happens to be one of WPP’s biggest clients. Publicist-owned ZenithOptimedia is handling Toyota’s media planning and buying.

CHI founding partner Johnny Hornby refutes reports claiming that the agency has won the UK account and instead stated that the agency will take a more prominent role in Europe and also possibly in the US. He added, “As we understand it, it’s business as usual in the UK and we haven’t won the business in Europe or America, as much as we¹d love to one day.”

Toyota GB Marketing Director Mark Hall also said that they are still working with both Saatchi and CHI—at the moment there would be no changes.

Toyotausablog.com