I'm posting this as a follow-up to a piece I wrote about the Toyota situation here in Australia last week.
In that post, I wrote about the unsatisfactory responses I'd received from Toyota PR about the situation with accelerator pedals here in Australia. They said the recall didn't matter because pedals used in Australian cars were manufactured at a different plant. I countered saying if it's a global design, then the point of manufacture didn't matter as it is the design that's the problem.
They didn't answer for a full 4 or 5 days, until today, when they pointed me to a website they've setup here in Australia with some FAQs, including the following:
Why are Toyota vehicles sold in Australia not affected by the recall announced overseas? Accelerator pedals for Toyota vehicles sold in Australia, and those manufactured in Australia for export, are provided by a different supplier to another design.
Interesting.
I'm not planning on following that up any further, but I'd love to see the results if someone did.
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Speaking of Toyota, they're still all over the news services and despite efforts like this editorial in the Washington Post from Akio Toyoda himself (he's the prez), it's just not looking good. I'm not a fan of Toyota at all, but this is a massive motoring story with plenty of lessons to be learned.
First there were floor mat recalls, then the accelerator pedal recalls. Now they're recalling the 2010 Prius and Lexus HS250H for faulty brakes, there are reports coming through that it may also apply to earlier Prius model years, too, and your mobile phone may be in danger of interfering with steering your late model Corolla. There are criticisms of the US Govt committee that's been set up to look into all this as many of them have rather deep Toyota connections and as if that wasn't enough, Toyota are now thinking of having to change their way their push-button-start systems operate in order for them to respond adequately to a panic situation.
Imagine having to respond every day to an overwhelmingly critical press?
I take no joy or satisfaction from Toyota now having to face media criticism like Saab have had from the Swedish press for 12 months. It's just an interesting set of circumstances to watch unfold.
It's a delicate time for Toyota to say the least and whilst some US writers are quietly dancing a little jig, I think they should be mindful of the fact that if and when Toyota come out of this, their transparent approach could lead them to being stronger than ever in terms of customer appreciation.
They've got a long road to hoe, but if they do it right.....
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The Saab-9-1-of-the-future benchmark from that other German company has just been unveiled online ahead of its physical unveiling at Geneva next month - it's the Audi A1.
This does not excite me one little bit, I have to say.
And speaking of the potential for the Saab 9-1....... there was a link to an Auto Motor and Sport video of the 9-X BioHybrid and Saab 9-4x in comments yesterday.
Anyone notice how long that 9-X BioHybrid is? It was huge.
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$5000 and you can hit 200mph.
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The A1 doesn't look too bad, but I must say Audi has ran out of room and ideas in the "Clean and Handsome Looks" department. Audi's design language peaked with the S5 and they have been running in circles since.
I also hope Saab designers are watching this trend, as overdoing designs normally follows after you've released a few sharp-looking vehicles. Happened to BMW, Acura and Infiniti, now Audi.
Toyota problems.. sadly, they were long overdue for a press disaster... I am not happy for it, but they were due for a FUBAR event. It does disgust me how the press, the US Govt and the public react... PANIC MODE!!!
The current era of car design is coming to a close - everybody is copying each other, and it's all looking tired.
The real question is which company has the courage to build the car that defines the next era of automotive design.
http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-audi-a1/#3
Consumer Reports and the Automotive magazines are the ones who should be asked the questions. If these cars are so reliable (or unreliable), why hasn't the public been told by the Press. We heard incorrectly about all of Saab's money problems. Why wasn't anyone telling us about Toyota's problems.
No surprise, Toyota after all is just a car company, nothing special.
They are just like everyone else, except maybe Saab. I was notified by Sewell Saab in Dallas about a minor recall: the vent tube recall for the bleeder value on my wife's 2009 9-3XWD, before Sewell had the full information on the recall and the work was completed within 3 weeks at my own convenience. Give GM and Saab some credit. By the way the guys at Sewell are good.
Just a thought.
when they were in wrc the cars were really quick, won championships but the cars did come out of Cologne with lots of scandinavian input,
then they got bigheaded, entered F1 spent zillions and were a disaster.
Japanese Companies don't do PR very well.
Exterior
-The new "slit" lights they are incorporating on all the vehicles to either side of the grill are just dumb. They don't accent some nice line or define the headlight housing. They are such a tacked on "Me too" element
-The lower air dam is a mess. Unnecessary lines going no where really important.
-The body line that is typical of Volvo's now has an arbitrary dip in it. Reminds me of the S5. So no real purpose just the "cool" thing to do at the moment.
-The rear is alright.
-In general its a mess with mashed "design" elements, and it gets messier with the optional skid plate/air diffuser tacked on.
Interior
-Holy crap. What happened?
-It would of been an acceptable interior had they not completely botched the air vents in the center. Just wow, how does that get a green light? It looks terrible and ruins a decent interior.
-I do like the door panels.
I just had to get that off my chest. Sorry guys.
B
Saab is at a definite advantage with the Aero-X inspired face, it's a great look, the press likes it, we all like it. Whatever they can do to bring the car to market as a halo, even in limited production of 50- is so very worth it. Hell, build them in Coventry if you have to, just build them and put some cool tech in them. The Alfa 8C isn't the greatest driver's car, but it looks amazing and got Alfa all the deserved press it needed. So yes, it's very good to have a corporate face that works. The Volvo on the other hand hasn't made the transition from concept to reality so well. The lights are out of proportion, the grill seems like an upturned nose from the side, the list goes on. I really want to like the Volvo, and I actually really enjoy parts of the backend, like the side-view cut of the tail lights that slope toward the wheel like Saabs should...
And Toyota can suck it. They picked the worst time to change their slogan to "Moving Forward." They might want to think about changing it soon.
And I think I've mentioned it before, but Toyota's reputation was basically built on quality and reliability. Now that image is broken, they really have nothing going for them at all.
So aside from unintended acceleration we have:
Corolla steering problems
http://www.leftlanenews.com/nhtsa-looking-into-complaints-of-2009-10-corolla-steering-problems.html#comments
Camry recall for leaking brake fluid (that would be great if you had the gas pedal problem as well)
http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-recalls-7300-camrys-with-potentially-leaking-brake-tube.html
Prius and Lexus HS250h brake problems.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-announces-voluntary-recall-for-toyota-prius-lexus-hs-250h-hybrids.html
It can't really get much worse for them...can it?
from the camry to now the prius and the corolla...
it has become a minefield.
i have moved on to hyundai. very excited about their product.
Then I read that editorial in the Washington Post by none other than the President of Toyota, the man with his name on the building (kinda).
As written in my post, I'm not really thinking about pursuing this further, but it does make me wonder....
Toyota: Moving Forward (whether you like it or not)
Now, tell me what Toyota has been doing and is now doing.
My wife would say, "It doesn't count if you do something just because you got caught."
Hah, that explains why I though !Mini! the moment I set eyes on the A1. The choice of engines is a bit anemic. I'd rather buy a couple of MazdaSpeed 3's.
As far as I see it from the right coast of North America, and what has been presented in the US press, the gas pedal situation is centered around a US supplier of gas pedal assemblies for Toyotas built in the US, but also may effect other automobile manufacturers elsewhere around the planet. Their response can be seen here:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/FAQ-for-Sticking-Accelerator-Pedal-152196.aspx
Now...all that being said, CTS Corporation (maker of the pedal system) also has some explaining to do:
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/accelerator-pedal-supplier-in-toyotas-recall-has-many-customers/
All that being said...I have had this situation present itself in numerous automobiles over the past 45 years I have had a driver's license. Be it a floor mat that moved too far forward, or my wish to push the accelerator pedal several centimeters forward of the front bumper, in the quest for more speed. And admit...we’ve ALL done that...now haven’t we?
One's first, and foremost, reaction should be to try and pull the accelerator pedal off the floor with one's toe. In the event that that doesn't work, then the driver should make every effort to put the automobile's transmission in neutral. And PLEASE...don't ANYONE tell me that you can't put an automatic transmission in neutral while the car is in motion...because if you truly believe that notion...you shouldn't have a driver's license.
One's NEXT move should be to press steadily & firmly on the brake pedal, while making a move to the shoulder of the road, in concert with turning the car's ignition to the OFF position, so the engine doesn’t self-destruct well beyond its red-line.
So, I guess what it all boils down to really, is driver education...or the lack thereof.
saabdude: Guess what? Toyota actually locks Neutral out above a certain speed. Why? Who knows? It makes absolutely no sense. Any reason Toyota could give for doing this wouldn't be good enough.
Also, to turn off Toyota's push button start cars, you have to hold the button for three seconds. Now, you or I might, you know, look that up before driving the car, but your average Toyota driver might not. They might get in a runaway car situation and try to hold the button for two seconds, and panic when that doesn't work, and not try a longer hold.
Let's say you do turn off the car, suddenly, you have no power steering (in fact, some cars will just lock the steering wheel in place) or power brakes. If you keep a cool head, you could manhandle the steering and brakes and not crash, but some more...panic-y drivers might not think to do so (or might just not be strong enough to overpower the car).
I think what it boils down to is Toyota engineering their cars to be impossible to control in this situation (drive/brake by wire, neutral lockout, push button starts without clear enough emergency shut down procedures) for your average moron driver who thinks his car can drive itself, and panics when it doesn't.
You know what, I'm just repeating what Matt Hardigree said at Jalopnik, and he said it a lot better:
http://jalopnik.com/5464315/beige-bites-back-is-toyota-paying-the-price-for-building-dull-cars
> The current era of car design is coming to a close -
> everybody is copying each other, and it's all looking
> tired.
There are basically two rules of the auto world that no one has blatantly acknowledged:
- BMW/Audi/MB/German exterior aesthetics and driving dynamics have essentially WON over the auto world (mostly BMW). Period. Game over. There is essentially no other respected luxury style. There's no American luxury style, French style, or really Japanese style, or even Swedish style... Everyone is playing a slightly nationalistic variation of the German rules (1, 3, 5, 7, X's) or they're not in play at all... It's just the way it is...
- Lexus interior aesthetics have essentially WON over the auto world. Creamy tans, soft touches, organic and flowing consoles, electroluminescent gauges, bespoke switchgear, etc... Even companies that have arguably surpassed Lexus inside of late (CTS, LaCrosse, Genesis) have essentially admitted they've done it by out-Lexus'ing Lexus. You've gotta have a Lexus-like interior, or you're not in play.... It's just the way it is...
I've long argued that the company that will make a zillion dollars is the one that does the best German exterior with the best Lexus interior for the least cost, and that's emphatically Hyundai/Kia's strategy as far as I can see...
Where I disagree with Greg is this:
> The real question is which company has the courage
> to build the car that defines the next era of
> automotive design.
I'm not sure we are there yet, since the public has shown absolutely no sign of fatigue with this design motif. No one except a few (like us) seem tired of this as yet, and the public seems, like a junkie, to be drawn to cars with the most pure and distilled essence of German Exterior/Lexus interior (I think Hyundai will sell every upcoming Sonata they can make, with it's CLS exterior and Lexus interior for tens of thousands less). I don't think there will be a hint of backlash as yet...
However, there is a real (the only?) opportunity for Saab here to do something COMPLETELY different and stand out... If the future is filled with Swedish-flavored BMW/Lexi, I don't think it'll be enough....
thats not good for your health and the seats are so uncomfortable.
however different strokes for different folks.
Personally, I really like the A1's design and the engines available. It's the first Audi in years that I like. This is the car Saab should be aiming at when building the 9-1.
The S60 looks awful both on the exterior and the interior. But the engines are really promising. And they have a double clutch transmission. Saab's automatic box needs up to 2 litres more fuel per 100 km than the manual! That's 25% more!
So...much room for development.
Griffin Up!
Now Buick is trying exactly this approach. Take a Opel and put a Lexus interior into it and call it the Lacrosse.
If I wanted a BMW I would buy it. I don't. My wife will probably never buy a Toyota/Lexus now because of the safety issues. Next time she wants to look at a Lexus, I'll be reminding her of these same safety issues. She looked at the Saab 9-3 after I explained it's safety features. She bought the 9-3XWD. Enough said.
Externally I haven't seen any new ideas since the "sholder concept" was introduced ages ago. And to believe they were even uglier before that!
Just imagine if we had that holy grale of steer-by-wire already... (Excellent if the electrics shut down at 120 mph.)
Didn't Merc abandon their electrical brake system, btw?
http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0711_1976_amc_pacer_x/photo_12.html
http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0711_1976_amc_pacer_x/photo_15.html
Would it make you feel any better to know that the F-16 and most jet fighters since then have used "fly by wire"? The F-16 has used FBW since the 1970's.... If a pilot can trust it flying at 30,000 feet and going into combat... I think you can too :)
I see your point though, I like a mechanical connection...
Lessons from Toyota to SAAB..you are a brand that TRADES ON SAFETY to your customers when selling your cars...Complacency and arrogance is not an option!!