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Italian coachbuilder wraps a modern-day Citroen van in a retro skin

Italian coachbuilder Caselani resurrected an obscure, often-forgotten model from Citroen's past to offer van buyers an additional retro-styled option. Called Type HG, it's based on the current-generation Citroen Jumpy. One of the French carmaker's best-known vintage vans is the Type H, which was built with only minor changes from 1947 to 1981. It's aged into a sought-after classic that's popular as a food truck and as a camper from Paris to Sydney. Few realize Citroen planned to release a smaller model named Type G which looked almost exactly like the H but used an air-cooled flat-twin engine shared with the 2CV. Several prototypes were made, but the project was canned in favor of the 2CV-based, nine-horsepower AU van released in 1951. It's this little-known prototype that only exists in Citroen's official heritage collection and in the minds of the most indoctrinated French car enthusiasts that Caselani chose to bring into the 21st century. And, because the Type G (shown below) was a shrunken copy of the Type H from a design standpoint, making a body kit that fits the Citroen Jumpy was relatively simple. Caselani liberally borrowed styling cues from its modern version of the Type H, which is based on the larger Citroen Jumper sold as the Ram ProMaster in the United States. It adds a new-look front end with a vertical grille, chromed chevrons, and round headlights positioned as far out of the body as regulations permit, corrugated body panels, and a redesigned rear end. Whitewall tires are optionally available. Caselani offers the Type HG as a passenger van, a crew-cab van, and a panel van. Pricing starts at 29,400 euros before taxes are factored in, a sum that represents about $35,000 and that corresponds to a short-wheelbase panel model powered by a 100-horsepower, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. Alternatively, motorists who already own a Jumpy can purchase the transformation kit on its own for 14,800 euros (about $17,500). For added peace of mind, Caselani pointed out the conversion was created with Citroen's input, and the brand authorized the kit. We know what you're thinking: what on earth is a Jumpy? Glad you asked! It's a van positioned in the middle of Citroen's commercial range. It slots between the Berlingo, which competes in the same segment as the Ford Transit Connect, and the Jumper, which is marketed as an alternative to the Ford Transit.

Toyota teases 2016 RAV4 Hybrid for New York Auto Show

Toyota is being extremely enigmatic with its tease for the newly announced RAV4 Hybrid. The Japanese automaker merely has a photo of the model's rear end with a visible hybrid badge on it. The only additional into tells us to look forward to the CUV's debut in just a few days at the New York Auto Show on April 2. Thankfully, Toyota's teaser shot does give away a few more details about this new version of the RAV4. The LED taillights on display aren't the regular ones that wrap around the back of the popular crossover. In the current design, the white portion is placed near the middle of the hatch, and there's amber at the corner. Here, the indicator is clear and two strips of lights run towards the center. The automaker has made its plan clear to sell even more crossovers in the near future, and the RAV4 has already been a strong mover for Toyota. The company shifted 267,698 of them in 2014, a year-over-year jump of 22.7 percent. Through February 2015, it has sold 41,767 examples of the CUV, a 25.3-percent improvement over the same period last year. Still, the decision to launch a hybrid version of the RAV4 now is a bit surprising. The US market for the green segment was soft last year, and it hasn't really turned around yet. Although, rumors of Toyota launching a greener variant of its popular CUV have been around for years. At that time, the company said it would monitor market demand, and maybe the people have spoken. Related Video: A new hybrid joins the Toyota family. 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. See it April 2, 12:30 p.m. EDT at the New York International Auto Show. Featured Gallery 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Teasers News Source: Toyota Design/Style Green New York Auto Show Toyota Crossover Hybrid 2015 ny auto show toyota rav4 hybrid

Toyota to end Australian production by 2017

There is more bad news for the Australian auto industry today, as Toyota has just announced that it will follow General Motors and Ford in shuttering its manufacturing operations on the continent. Production and assembly will cease by the end of 2017, but Toyota will remain in Australia as a sales and distribution company.
"We did everything that we could to transform our business, but the reality is that there are too many factors beyond our control that make it unviable to build cars in Australia," said Toyota Australia President and CEO Max Yasuda.
In an official statement, Yasuda said that the closure would directly affect 2,500 manufacturing employees and an unknown number of corporate workers. However, a report in the Australian newspaper The Age suggests that the jobs of 24,000 workers at Australian auto suppliers could also be in jeopardy. Toyota currently builds its Camry, Camry Hybrid, Aurion sedans in Australia, along with four-cylinder engines, and it plans to begin importing the Camry and Aurion after production stops.