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FAW Toyota to Produce Crown Sedans in China...What About the Hybrid?

28 January 2005

AFX.  Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co, a joint venture between Toyota Motor Co and China First Automotive Works Group Corp (FAW), will begin producing China-made versions of Toyota’s Crown luxury sedans in March.

The Crown is a big Toyota sedan rarely seen outside Japan and the Middle East. In 2001, Toyota introduced a mild-hybrid variant of the car using the Toyota Hybrid System-Mild (THS-M) that delivers an estimated 15% improvement in fuel economy.

The Toyota Hybrid System-Mild consists of:

• A 3 kW belt motor/generator which supplies an additional 56 Nm of low-end torque

• A compact 36V secondary battery (in a 42V power system) for power supply to the motor

• A control unit

Toyota released the THS-M after the first Prius system (THS) but before the release of the current-generation of Prius hybrid powertrain (THS-II).

The Crown mild hybrid has been a mild seller—on the order of thousands rather than tens of thousands.

So the question: will FAW Toyota try the mild-hybrid version of the Crown as well?

January 28, 2005 in China, Hybrids | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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Comments

I think they should try and introduce this fine sedan in the U.S. It would be a nice competitor to the more upscale domestic sedans. Although, I do admit, the Avalon is sort of similar, in terms of class.

Posted by: Shimur Ahmed | Jan 29, 2005 3:37:06 AM

Dear Sir/Madam,
I beleive the Crown will not be the sanme made outside of Japan. Firstly the full frame construction was stopped now made in China.
If it was a hybrid then you would expect the tradition Crown was built upon to be kept.
I would only buy if made in Japan.

Posted by: Peter Bakos | Feb 27, 2005 5:14:43 PM

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