Toyota Kluger 2007 News

However, all complaints except one about a Hyundai TV ad about two children in nappies driving a Santa Fe sports utility vehicle have been dismissed by the Advertising Standards Bureau.The ASB last week upheld the complaint that it was illegal for toddlers to drive and that they were wearing seatbelts instead of legal child restraints.Hyundai agreed to retract the ad which was filmed in New Zealand and featured a toddler in nappies who picks up hitchhiking Springwood toddler Siena Dutson.Hyundai Motor Company Australia PR general manager Richard Power said he had received calls of support from the public, but had no other campaign ready to replace the ad."There is no doubt that the controversy about this decision will attract attention but in a while it fades away and people forget and we will have to raise the awareness some other way," he said.Car ads represent about 15 per cent of complaints to the ASB, second only behind food (about 20 per cent).Over the past year, nine Ford ads attracted complaints, while Toyota and Nissan had five each and Honda and Holden four.Two of the Nissan ads featuring Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall attracted complaints about sexual content.Complaints about sexual content were also levelled at the Fiesta ad in which two scientists mould clay, and two Falcon ute ads in which women and dogs follow the car.Honda's Odyssey ads in which a married couple are "making out" in the car received complaints for "a simulated sex scene".A Holden Rodeo ad featuring a man fantasising about a Rodeo and a female passenger apparently promoted infidelity.Unsafe driving represented the most complaints, despite the ASB beefing up its crackdown in this section of its code of conduct in 2004.Ford and Toyota attracted the most complaints for promoting unsafe driving practices.Toyota copped its complaints for ads involving its Corolla Sportivo, Yaris, Prado and a Kluger which leaves behind a torn road surface.The Ford ads were the Turbo Territory eating sports cars, another Territory ad in which women drive past a school and the ad in which a young boy is disappointed because he can't get a Falcon slot car to fly off the track.A Holden Captiva jumping across the tops of buildings was also considered dangerous driving, but was dismissed as fantasy.Mazda attracted complaints for offensive language in a Mazda BT50 ute ad for use of the word "bloody".Ford's Ranger ad in which a one-eyed monster throws boulders at the ute was considered too scary for young children, but the complaint was dismissed.Ford also copped complaints of racism and incitement to violence for its Tonk-a-Pom cricket campaign.Cruelty to animals was the complaint in the Focus ad in which Jackie O pours a goldfish down a drain and in a Toyota LandCruiser ad in which the driver wears crocodile-skinned boots.Animals were also blamed for offensive behaviour when a dog in the back seat of a Dodge Caliber moons dogs in other cars.The drought prompted complaints that an ad in which a man hoses down his mud-caked Nissan Murano was inappropriate during water restrictions.Environmental issues also surfaced when complaints were received about a Jeep ad which allegedly featured "polluting diesal (sic) motor vehicles hiding behind the pristinity of a lovely natural environment".A Kia Carnival ad in which a sleeping woman is woken by a Kia salesman blowing a horn attracted complaints that it was "dangerous to blast an air-horn close to a person's ear".

The regular Kluger is coming, to be sold for the first time with front and all-wheel drive from the third quarter of 2007, but the company says it has not been successful in chasing the hybrid."We don't have any plans for the hybrid at this stage. Primarily it has been developed for the left-hand-drive market," Toyota Australia's sales and marketing chief Dave Buttner says."For the volumes we foresee, there is no economic argument at this time. We don't always make decisions on economics, but if we're moving ahead ona family hybrid in Australia we'd like to have it locally made."Buttner says Toyota Australia does not have the green light yet for a Camry hybrid, but work is ongoing. "We would like to be a local producer of hybrids," he says. "I'd like to think we could be successful in the not-too-distant future."The new Kluger was previewed at last week's Chicago Motor Show. The main changes are a bigger new body with the promise of a roomier cabin, less noise and more power. The Kluger has previously only been sold in Australia with all-wheel drive, but Buttner says Toyota needs front-drive to remain competitive."We"ll be offering both 4x4 and 4x2. That will give us extra strength," he says.Sales of the Kluger have slumped in Australia from a high of almost 900 a month to 400, but Buttner believes the new model will pick up the slack. The American preview highlighted three Kluger models, all with anti-skid brakes, traction control, brake assist and enhanced vehicle-stability control with electronic power steering.There is a reversing camera on all but the base model, active head restraints and a nose designed for pedestrian protection. The basics include a body that is 150mm longer and wider, extra ground clearance and a second-row bench seat that converts to individual seats with armrests.

The final member of the new Camry family is still about six months away for Australia.A new Kluger people mover has been developed and is ready to run, but the Japanese executive in charge of all Toyota Camry projects says it will not be unveiled anywhere until the first quarter of next year.The first priority is the United States, with Down Under deliveries not likely before midyear, he says."New Kluger is coming next year, first in the United States."It will be in the first quarter. Australia comes later," executive chief engineer of the Camry family Yukihiro Okane says.He was in Australia for introduction here of the Camry-based Aurion V6. Okane ruled out any chance of the Camry coupe — the Solara — or a hybrid making it to Australia.He was reluctant to give any details of the Kluger, but confirmed the basics."Concept is the same. Wagon for family, seven seats. There will be one engine for Australia, same as today. This will be a V6."The Kluger is a global vehicle, sold as a Highlander in Japan, but the Camry coupe and hybrid are much more targeted, he says."Solara is only for the US. It is only left-hand drive. And the Camry hybrid is still very expensive. It would be difficult to sell here (in Australia) and too expensive to manufacture."Okane has just been in the US for the start of Camry hybrid production, which comes on-stream as Toyota does all it can to boost hybrid sales there.It is doing extremely well with the second-generation Prius, which is popular with Hollywood celebrities and well ahead of demand forecasts."It is 4000 cars a month, very popular," Okane says.It was the demand that convinced the company to expand production into the US.Okane says US customers will take all the Camry hybrids it can make in that country, at least until the next full model change in about four years' time.Here, he drove the first of the locally focused Aurions during his visit and says he is happy with the localisation of his basic Camry design to take on the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon."This is a very good car. Very good driving. I am very happy."