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Toyota Tacoma helps stand up to your girlfriend, mimes, magicians and the Grim Reaper

It takes a lot to get a product noticed in today's fast-paced world, but one avenue that's always seemed to grab the eyeballs of consumers has been humor. Toyota knows this rule well, and has put together a quartet of spots called "Tacoma Wins," in which the midsize pickup's features and specifications best a number of seemingly worthy competitors.
Whether it be sobbing girlfriends, a circus magician, a grim reaper or the scariest thing of all, a mime, the Tacoma looks well equipped to deal with it. Take a look below for all four of Toyota's newest spots.

Toyota asking NHTSA for waiver on 206K vehicles

Toyota has filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking for a waiver to avoid recalling about 206,271 2012-2014 Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Sienna, Tundra and Tacoma vehicles, some of its most popular models. The affected vehicles contain seat heaters that might not meet government flammability standards. Toyota says in the waiver that "the chance of fire or flame induced by a malfunctioning seat heater is essentially zero," according to The Detroit News. The automaker notes the part makes up less than one percent of the seat's weight.
Initial reports of the problem arose in late January when Toyota issued a stop-sale order for 2013 and 2014 model year versions of those vehicles. The automaker says that there have no been reports of fires or injuries in the affected cars, and the problem was discovered during testing by the South Korean government, according to The Detroit News.
We've reached out to Toyota for comment on this development and are awaiting a reply. We'll update this post if and when we hear back.

Toyota launches updated Verso-S in Europe

Globally, the Toyota Yaris has bred more variants than we can shake a stick at. It's been known in different markets as the Vitz, the Platz, the Bella, the Vios and, to us, as the Echo. The first-generation model bred a small cargo van called the Yaris Verso - a mini minivan riding on the shortest wheelbase in its class - which was renamed the Verso-S for Europe and alternatively known as the Space Verso, the Ractis, the Ractis Verso and even the Subaru Trezia in certain markets. And now Toyota has launched a revised version of its Verso-S in Europe.
Arriving as a mid-life facelift after three years on the market, the new Toyota Verso-S has been reinterpreted through the "Keen Look" design language that's been distinguishing the latest generation of Toyotas, particularly in the European market. That means new projector-beam headlights and LED daytime running lights, a reshaped grille with chrome surround, more LEDs around back, a fresh set of 16-inch alloys and new color options.
The interior has likewise been spruced up with new trim and color choices, as well as a tire pressure monitor fitted as standard. There's a new touchscreen display with more connectivity options, upgraded nav and a rearview camera as well. Since Toyota's made no mention of engine upgrades, until we hear back, we have to assume the 1.3-liter inline-four and 1.4-liter diesel engines carry over unchanged with the buyer's choice of either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.