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Toyota will retrofit late-model cars with new technology

Toyota will inaugurate a service called Kinto Factory that will add modern features like electronic driving aids to select late-model cars. The program will launch in Japan in January 2022, and it aims to let motorists benefit from new technology without having to buy a new car. Kinto Factory will initially offer customers two basic services: upgrading and remodeling. Upgrading is defined as retrofitting safety and convenience functions, like emergency braking assist, a blind spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, and a hands-free tailgate or trunk lid. Remodeling involves replacing worn or damaged parts inside and out, such as the upholstery, the seat cushions, and the steering wheel. Personalization will join the list of services at a later date, partly because it involves gathering data on how drivers use their car. The list of cars eligible to receive a makeover from Kinto Factory include the Prius, the Prius c (which is called Aqua in Japan), the Prius V (known as the Prius ? in its home country), the Lexus UX (pictured), and the Lexus NX. Since the program is launching in Japan, Kinto Factory will also work on vehicles we've never seen on American roads, like the Vellfire (a big minivan) and its upscale Alphard derivative. Pricing information and availability will be announced closer to the program's launch. Toyota notes that each upgrade will be available individually, so customers will be able to select precisely what's added to their car, and that all of the parts will be backed by a warranty. As of writing, Toyota hasn't announced plans to bring the Kinto Factory program to the United States. However, it added that the upgrades detailed above represent the program's first step, and it clarified that it's open to the idea of expanding the service in overseas markets.

Toyota announces production increase for Mirai fuel cell vehicle

Toyota is building them. People are coming. So Toyota's going to build some more. Cue the strings. The Japanese automaker apparently got more than it bargained for after starting sales of its first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle last month. On Thursday, Toyota announced plans to ramp up production starting next year. Toyota will build 700 Mirai units this year, and will then bump that to 2,000 vehicles next year and 3,000 in 2017. The previous production plan had the same numbers, except for what would happen in 2017. The increase is coming because Toyota's already received pre-orders for 1,500 Mirai vehicles. With US and European sales slated to start later this year, Toyota didn't want to leave itself short-stocked. Toyota confirmed what was already being surmised last month by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, which said that Toyota was ready to spend almost $170 million boosting production capacity of the Mirai. Most of this year's sales will be in Japan, with the US and Europe gradually accounting for a larger chunk starting next year. In November, the automaker disclosed details of the Mirai's initial US sales, saying that the model will be available in California this year for either a base price of $57,500 or a lease price of $499 a month for 36 months (with $3,649 due at signing). And if that sounds steep, remember that the hydrogen refueling, wherever it can be found, is free for as long as three years. Check out Toyota's press release on the bumps in production below. Toyota to Increase 'Mirai' Production Toyota City, Japan, January 22, 2015-Toyota Motor Corporation today announced that it will increase production of the "Mirai" fuel cell sedan, which launched in Japan on December 15, 2014. The new plan calls for production to increase from the 2015 level of 700 units to approximately 2,000 units in 2016 and approximately 3,000 units in 2017. Considering the approximately 1,500 orders received in the first month of sales in Japan, and the upcoming launches in Europe and the United States later this year, it was decided that the supply structure should be adjusted to reflect the level of demand for the vehicle. Sales plans for Japan, the U.S. and Europe following the production increases will be formulated taking into consideration each region's level of hydrogen infrastructure development, energy policies, car-purchasing subsidies, consumer demand, environmental regulations, and other factors.

Toyota, Ford not interested in FCA merger

Sergio Marchionne will preach the benefits of mergers to anyone who'll listen, but his calls for industry consolidation may be falling on deaf ears. At least, that is, the ears of those who the Fiat Chrysler chief would most like to bend. Not only is General Motors uninterested, but according to The Detroit News, neither are Toyota or Ford. "It's something we would not be interested in," said Toyota's North American chief Jim Lentz, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Toyota Technical Center. "At 10 million (vehicles) we have enough scale right now to do what we need to do. There really would be no advantage for us." Toyota isn't the only one unenthused by the prospect of merging with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Detroit News also reports that Ford, though it may yet to have been approached by Marchionne, wouldn't be interested either. "We're not a suitor for FCA," said Ford CFO Bob Shanks. "We don't see that type of opportunity as one that applies to us." With GM, Toyota, and Ford expressing disinterest in Marchionne's merger idea, the FCA chief will likely start looking elsewhere – or look for other ways to compel his primary candidate to reconsider. He may eventually find a partner – more likely in the Far East or within Europe – but it may not take the form of the major player Sergio has hoped for. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Chrysler Fiat Ford Toyota Sergio Marchionne FCA merger fiat chrysler automobiles