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Toyota must go to trial over unintended acceleration suits

Toyota is surely readying its trial lawyers, as the Japanese giant is officially headed to court in a pair of cases relating to its unintended acceleration fiascos of 2009 and 2010.
In the first case, the United States Supreme Court has actually got involved in matters, ignoring an appeal from Toyota that attempted to use an arbitrator to settle its California lawsuits. The automaker will now go to trial to face owners of 2010 Prius models over an alleged defect with the anti-lock braking systems, which plaintiffs say made the cars more difficult to stop, according to Bloomberg.
The second trial is a bit more in depth, covering the case of Ida St. John, an 83-year-old from Georgia, that crashed her 2005 Camry in 2009. The accident is believed to have played a part in her death, although the suit, being filed by her grandson, doesn't actually place blame on Toyota for her death.

Toyota's Lentz says fuel cells are the future, not EVs

Toyota is not bullish on EVs. That comes from the company's North American CEO, Jim Lentz, who said the company will focus not on electrification, but on continued hybridization with a long-term focus on hydrogen fuel cells.
Lentz questioned the long-range ability of EVs, saying that Toyota feels "there are better alternatives, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and tomorrow with fuel cells." Lentz spoke about Toyota's focus on hydrogen following Forbes Brainstorm Green conference and barely a week after a battery deal between Tesla and Toyota ended, according to Automotive News.
That deal provided for 2,500 battery packs for the Rav4 EV. While valuable to Toyota, the deal "was never about open-ended volume," Lentz said. "It was time to either continue or stop. My personal feeling was that I would rather invest my dollars in fuel cell development than in another 2,500 EVs."

The 300-series Lexus LX will have V8, greater differentiation from Land Cruiser

For the first time in 64 years, there will not be a Toyota Land Cruiser sold in the U.S. The venerable off-roader is not in Toyota's 2021 American lineup, but the rest of the world will still get the next-generation Cruiser, called the 300 series internally, later this year. However, we may still receive a version of it badged as the Lexus LX. Here's what a new report suggests we might see. According to the Japan's Best Car magazine, the next LX will be more differentiated from its Land Cruiser cousin. The exterior is reportedly more distinctive, and the interior designed to be more suitable for a flagship luxury SUV. It'll still wear a version of the Lexus spindle grille, with different hood, fenders and quarter panels than the Cruiser. Naturally, the head- and taillights will differ as well. Most importantly, the LX will continue to use a ladder frame. Best Car says that the LX will continue to offer a 5.7-liter V8 good for 372 horsepower (which in the U.S. gives 383 horsepower). However, the Land Cruiser will ditch the V8 for a 3.5-liter turbo V6, offered with and without a hybrid system. Notably, the hybrid will not be the same as the one found in other Toyota cars, but a combination 10-speed automatic and motor that's more suitable for a heavy vehicle.  Last but not least, the report states that Toyota will also create a GR Sport version of Land Cruiser. Presumably, that means some dressier aero bits, larger wheels, and a suspension more tuned for highway, um, cruising.  The Land Cruiser is scheduled to debut in September 2021, while the Lexus may follow a couple of years later, despite being developed in parallel. The LX is considered to be more of a Lexus flagship than the LS sedan in many parts of the world, so it makes sense that Toyota will continue offering it. Related Video: