2012 Toyota Base 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Toyota headed to New York with 2014 Highlander, revised Scion tC

Toyota has given us a look at what the company will bring to the 2013 New York Auto Show. Visitors will get to set their eyes upon the all-new 2014 Highlander, and while the automaker isn't saying much in the way of details, we do get the teaser you see above (click to enlarge) to ponder on until next week. The image shows little more than a headlamp and a bit of grille, but gives us the flavor of what the crossover will bring to the table.
Scion, meanwhile, says it plans to dust off the "new 2014 tC sports coupe." While we don't imagine the two door will have undergone a major surgery, we're interested to see what the automaker has cooked up. The tC last endured a redesign in 2011. Check out the brief press release below and look for the vehicles to bow on March 28.Y

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota Prius airbag recall, Peugeot launches eU01s e-bike

Toyota is recalling 7,600 Prius vehicles for an airbag issue. Certain examples of the 2016 Prius could have malfunctioning inflators that could cause the passenger side airbags to deploy accidentally. There are no known injuries from the faulty airbags, but Toyota says, "This has been observed when the vehicle is parked and unoccupied for a period of time." Toyota also says this issue is unrelated to the massive recall of airbags supplied by Takata. The automaker will contact affected owners to arrange free repairs. Read more at Automotive News. Peugeot is adding another e-bike to its portfolio with the eU01s. What sets this electrically assisted bicycle apart from both regular bikes and other pedelecs is its ability to propel the bike to 28 mph under electric power. It comes with either a 400- or 500-Wh lithium-ion battery, providing 47 or 59 miles of range, respectively. It also offers an optional on-board computer with its 4.3-inch screen, through which riders can customize the electric assistance, get directions, receive sports coaching, and connect their smartphone. Earlier this year, Peugeot also launched its e-Kick scooter and folding eF01 e-bike. Read more at Green Car Congress. BYD is expanding its manufacturing facility in the US. In the second of three phases for the plant, BYD is adding onto its factory in Lancaster, California, where it currently builds electric buses. The Chinese company plans to triple the number of employees, up from the current 400, as it expands the facility by 40,000 square feet. BYD plans to build medium- and heavy-duty trucks at the plant, but declined to comment on whether it has plans to build light-duty vehicles there. Read more at Automotive News. The German states of Hesse and Baden-Wuerttemberg are suing Volkswagen over the Dieselgate scandal. The states are joining other investors seeking damages over losses incurred because of the automaker's emissions cheat device. Hesse Finance Minister Thomas Schaefer said the scandal cost the state about $4.4 million in stock losses, while Baden-Wuerttemberg likely lost closer to $450,000. Bavaria said earlier that it would sue Volkswagen on behalf of its pension fund for civil servants, which lost around $780,000. Read more from Automotive News Europe.

Ford predicts it will finish 2013 as top-selling US brand

Ford is ready to call the ball on its 2013 sales totals, predicting a first-place finish for units sold in the US for a single brand. The company anticipates selling more than 2.4 million vehicles when all vehicle sales over the last 12 months have been tallied, repeating the victory it trumpeted over Toyota last year.
According to Ford's accounting, it sold 329,677 more vehicles than did Toyota in 2012. This year, the Blue Oval expects that margin to grow; through the end of November, Ford says it has outsold Toyota by 396,041 units.
Retail sales of Ford products are projected to exceed 1.7 million units for 2013 (the best retail result in 6 years for the company), with passenger cars accounting for 600k of that total. The redesigned Fusion is expected to crest the 290k mark, and the Fiesta is said to be ready to hit a model-record of 70k-plus. Meanwhile, utility vehicles and trucks are still paying a lot of bills in Dearborn, with the new Escape racking up an expected 300k sales and F-Series trucks chugging along at 688,810 units sold thru November.