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Toyota projecting record profits, thanks in part to weak yen

Toyota retained its global sales crown in 2014 by selling 10.23 million cars in the calendar year. As the positive number might suggest, the Japanese automaker is doing extremely well financially, too. Although, some tougher times might be on the horizon. Toyota recently released its financial figures for the three fiscal quarters running from April 1 through the end of December 2014. Net profit jumped an impressive 13.2 percent to 1.727 trillion yen ($14.7 billion) for that period. It could be the Japanese automaker's most profitable time ever when the fiscal year ends in March, if things keep going this way, according to The New York Times. Toyota's own profit forecast for the 12-month period is also up by 130 billion yen ($1.1 billion) to 2.13 trillion yen ($18.1 billion). One key to the company's success is the low value of the Japanese yen, because it allows Toyota to make more money on each vehicle the company sells abroad. The currency is now worth relatively less than any time since the early '70s, according to The New York Times. Despite the rosy financial numbers, actual sales have started to fall, albeit a very slight amount. Through the three fiscal quarters, the company sold 6.73 million cars, a drop of just 45,365 vehicles. Toyota also reduced its forecast for the fiscal year to 9 million units, rather than the original estimate of 9.05 million. According to The New York Times, the shrinking Japanese auto market and difficulty in China might mean losing the global sales lead next year. For the US, sales jumped 145,411 units from April through December to a total 2.1 million vehicles. Operating income reached $4.27 billion, nearly 50 percent more than last year, according to The New York Times. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Announces April – December 2014 Financial Results February 04, 2015 Toyota's global net income jumped 13.2 percent during the nine-month period (April 1– December 31, 2014) of the 2015 fiscal year. Global Financial Highlights: Global sales decreased by 45,365 vehicles to 6.73 million, with strong sales in North America and gains in Europe, offsetting decreases in Japan and other regions.

Amazon Alexa will become your co-pilot in Toyota, Lexus cars

A number of carmakers have introduced Amazon Alexa voice commands that can activate the locks and climate control on their cars, but Toyota is going a step further with Alexa integration by bringing Alexa into the car. Starting in 2018, Toyota will join the likes of BMW by offering the full Alexa voice-controlled app in Toyota and Lexus vehicles with either EnTune 3.0 or EnForm 2.0 infotainment systems. Though Toyota doesn't specifically say which models, we suspect the Camry and Sienna will be the first, since they're the only Toyotas with EnTune 3.0. With Lexus, the LC, NX, RC, and LS models all have available EnForm 2.0, so any or all of those could get Alexa this year. Toyota suggests a number of ways users could use Alexa in the car, such as for taking notes and setting reminders, activating apps, or for controlling other smart devices, such as the heating and cooling on your house. That suggestion rings strongly to those of us in the midst of the bomb-cyclone winter storm. We imagine you'll probably even be able to order goods from Amazon, too. One thing that is strange is that Toyota has made this leap in connectivity, and yet you still can't get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on any Toyota or Lexus. This is especially odd as it's safe to assume more people own and use Apple and Android products on a daily basis and on the road than Amazon Alexa. Not to mention the fact that almost every other automaker offers both systems on their vehicles. Either way, mobile Alexa presents some interesting possibilities and is sure to be appealing to fans of the Amazon service. And while only a few models will be available with it in 2018, Toyota and Lexus will expand availability in 2019. Related Video:

2022 Lexus NX First Drive Review | Believe us, it really is all new

The 2022 Lexus NX is at once a safe evolution of the product it replaces and a significant redesign with long-lasting implications. Its dimensions and styling are so similar to the outgoing NX that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's merely a mid-cycle refresh, but indeed, it's a ground-up re-do based on new underpinnings. Sure, they're shared with every front-wheel-drive Toyota group product introduced in the past four years, but then, that's part of the "safe evolution" bit.  Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with such an approach to a new model. Although the NX has never been considered a class leader since it was introduced for 2015, it nevertheless enjoyed strong sales – you know, just like the Lexus ES, RX and name-a-Toyota – vehicles that car enthusiasts might scoff at but everyone else appreciates for their build quality, dependability, resale value and general competence.  Although, if we're talking competence, it's at least worth pointing out one element of the Lexus formula that all those loyal buyers have somehow been putting up with: the Remote Touch tech interface and the infernal touchpad that's been in use, with a few exceptions, in every Lexus since it debuted in Â… that's right, the original NX. And here's where the long-lasting implications of the all-new 2022 NX come in: Remote Touch is gone and in its place the new "Human Machine Interface" touchscreen infotainment system will be making its way through the brand. This is a very big deal, because it means a very real and annoying reason for not buying a Lexus is about to go away Â… and isn't present at all in the new NX.  That said, the new touchscreen not only represents the most important change and improvement to the NX, but the most significant missed opportunity. WeÂ’ll cover that in-depth in a followup infotainment review, but in short, the system thinks too highly of voice commands and could really use the ability to show multiple sources of information at once. Otherwise, the two available touchscreens (a base 9.6-inch unit and a 14-inch widescreen upgrade) feature a UI that's quicker, prettier and easier to use. I was able to jump into the new NX and quickly figure it all out, which definitely can't be said of other luxury systems that continue to perplex after multiple uses, including MercedesÂ’ MBUX and Remote Touch. Those trims with the 14-inch screen also pair with a unique set of steering wheel buttons.