The news that Volvo...
The news that Volvo is recalling nearly half a million cars (35,000 in Britain) due to a fire risk from short-circuited radiator fan motors is just the latest safety scare. Last year, it called back 360,000 US models for engine speed control faults. But the Swedish firm is by no means an exception. In 2002, Ford recalled 600,000 mainly US Focuses over a fire safety issue and, two years ago, 360,000 models were affected by potentially faulty rear-door latches. Last year, Toyota recalled one million cars for steering problems; in the States, it called back more vehicles than it had sold. In Japan, the company became the subject of a criminal investigation over allegations that it delayed a safety recall for eight years following a steering defect on its best-selling Hilux model.
The Prius is getting...
The Prius is getting a younger brother! Toyota has taken the wraps off the FT-CH Concept in Detroit ò€“ a smaller and cheaper alternative to the groundbreaking Prius.
Based on the more upmarket Lexus LF-CH, the newcomer hasnò€™t yet been confirmed for production, but itò€™s hard seeing a showroom version of this car not being a success. Not only would it be positioned as a cheaper alternative to the Prius, but like the Honda CRZ it would appeal to a younger audience, too.
WATCH A VIDEO OF THE FT-CH IN ACTION HERE.
The styling is said to be inspired by the ò€˜8-bitò€™ generation of the 80ò€™s, and the clean retro lines are certainly a success. But more important is the fact that this car is designed to be lighter, and therefore more efficient than the Prius.
The FT-CH also part of Toyotaò€™s plan to sell a million hybrids a year from the early 2010ò€™s onwards. To achieve this Toyota has pledged to launch eight completely new hybrids over the next few years.
Although itò€™s been revealed at the North American show, it was designed at Toyotaò€™s European Design and Development centre in Nice, France.
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