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Toyota denies Sequoia discontinuation – sort of Thursday, 29 July 2010, 4:00 pm

Filed under: SUV, Toyota, Off-Road

Earlier this week, we heard word that Toyota would be sending its sluggishly-selling Sequoia out to pasture after this current product cycle came to a close. Those whispers were evidently enough to ruffle a few feathers at the Japanese automaker, as the company has come out with a cleverly-worded denial:

Toyota denies any reports of the discontinuation of the Sequoia. For obvious competitive reasons, Toyota does not discuss future product plans. Sequoia continues to be a profitable, high-quality vehicle for Toyota and several years remain in the life of the current generation. Our focus remains on building our vehicles, including the Sequoia, with the highest possible quality.

Call us crazy, but the statement above doesn’t do much to assure us about the future of the high-riding family hauler beyond this generation’s expected lifecycle. Either way, we can certainly say that the current Sequoia will continue to dominate mall parking lots for at least a few more years. Past that, Toyota isn’t saying what its plans are for its biggest vehicle.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota denies Sequoia discontinuation – sort of originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Zach Bowman

Toyota recalls Lexus LX 470 for potential ’steering shaft disengagement’ Thursday, 29 July 2010, 2:29 pm

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Lexus

While the BP oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico may have shifted the media spotlight away from from Toyota’s recall problems over the last several months, that doesn’t mean the crisis has ended. One of two new recalls announced by the automaker today covers 39,000 Lexus LX 470 SUVs built between the 2003 and 2007 model years.

According to Toyota, a snap ring that retains two sections of the SUV’s steering column can get dislodged following a heavy impact on the front wheels of SUV, such as hitting a severe pothole. Without the snap ring in place, using the steering can result in the column working itself free.

Toyota claims that no accidents have resulted from the problem and that a redesigned snap ring will keep the part where it belongs. LX owners can expect to see notifications in their mailbox starting in about two weeks. In the meantime, interested parties can check out the official recall press release after the jump.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls Lexus LX 470 for potential ’steering shaft disengagement’

Toyota recalls Lexus LX 470 for potential ’steering shaft disengagement’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Sam Abuelsamid

Volvo XC90 reportedly under NHTSA investigation for intermittent lighting failures Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 9:33 pm

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Safety, Volvo, Luxury

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is investigating older Volvo XC90 models for potential faulty electronics that could cause the headlights and turn signals to fail. So far, the government isn’t aware of any crashes resulting from the fault, but 21 owners have filed a complaint. The defect manifests itself on 2004-2005 XC90 SUVs, and NHTSA says that 93,487 vehicles are potentially impacted by the problem.

Fortunately, should the NHTSA issue a recall, the problem is a relatively easy fix. Regulators say that simply replacing a bad control module is enough to set everything working again. So far, there are no reports of similar problems occurring in any other Volvo models of similar vintage, but you can bet your eyes that the NHTSA will be taking a closer look at the company’s line up from four years ago just to make sure.

[Source: Bloomberg via San Francisco Chronicle]

Volvo XC90 reportedly under NHTSA investigation for intermittent lighting failures originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Zach Bowman

Spy Shots: 2012 Dodge Magnum interior revealed Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 2:59 pm

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Crossover, Dodge

We may seen the unadulterated exterior of the The Dodge Magnum/Durango, but so far the interior has eluded spy shooters the world over. No more. For those still debating if or how closely the Dodge SUV copies the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the interiors should make for less of an argument.

Materials and details have been updated over previous Dodge interiors, and done so in a way that mimics the standard set by the Jeep. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… We do wonder if it will get a little more color to break up all that blackness, though. We will likely find out in person in Los Angeles later this year, or Detroit in January 2011. Scope it out on your own in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Spy Shots: 2012 Dodge Magnum interior revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Jonathon Ramsey

Design Q creates ultra-lux Q-VR Range Rover Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 12:01 am

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Europe, Land Rover, Specialty, Design/Style, Luxury

What do you do when you find the $79,275 Range Rover just too common to tolerate? Sure, you could take your mountains of money to any number of positively plain customization outfits to have the interior lined in albino ostrich, but where’s the taste? The style?

Fortunately for a very select group of very wealthy buyers, Design Q has gone through the pains of customizing the high rider into a pillar of luxury. The company calls its creation the Q-VR, and it rides on a lengthened Range Rover platform. Along with a little extra leg room, the additional inches in wheelbase allow for a set of doors that hinge on the top and bottom to provide the easiest of access.

Throw in niceties like a humidor, a mini spa and a drink chiller, and you’ve got the closest thing to private jet you can get on a highway. Design Q hasn’t been kind enough to let us plebes in on how much this sucker is going to cost, but we’re guessing somewhere between “ain’t cheap” and “for the price of a third-world economy.”

[Source: Gizmag]

Design Q creates ultra-lux Q-VR Range Rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Zach Bowman

Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech Tuesday, 27 July 2010, 8:01 pm

Filed under: SUV, Technology, Videos, Crossover, Ford

Unless you’ve been in seclusion for the past 24 hours, you know Ford officially unveiled the 2011 Explorer yesterday. (Be sure to read Part One and Part Two of our deep dive for the full details.) The new Explorer is a pretty drastic departure from the generations preceding it – Ford has opted to use a unibody construction and a car-based platform rather than a traditional body-on-frame SUV, and naturally aspirated V8 power has been ditched in favor of more fuel-efficient four- and six-cylinder powerplants.

So while the Explorer seems to fit better in the crossover classification, Ford is confident that traditional SUV shoppers will still be pleased with what the new Expy has to offer. There are a host of new technology features on the 2011 model, including things like blind spot monitoring, trailer sway control and a terrain management system (similar to what you might find on a Land Rover). These features will be attractive selling points to SUV-oriented customers, and they get detailed in the videos after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech

Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Steven J. Ewing

Report: Toyota to kill Sequoia, Tundra redesigned in 2014 Tuesday, 27 July 2010, 4:27 pm

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Toyota

At it’s peak in 2002, Toyota was selling over 70,000 Sequoias. Last year, that number dropped to below 20,000 units. So it comes as little surprise that ToMoCo will be nixing its Tundra-based SUV at the end of the current model’s lifecycle.

A source speaking with PickupTrucks.com confirmed that the Sequoia won’t live on, partially due to slow sales, but surely in part to get Toyota’s CAFE ratings in check before the new rules hit in 2015. But all’s not lost for the automaker’s body-on-frame offerings.

A redesigned Tundra is set to arrive in 2014, just in time for Ford, General Motors and Nissan’s newest half-ton pickups. Although sales of the Tundra haven’t lived up to Toyota’s lofty expectations, it’s obvious the automaker feels the need to compete in the segment, and a refreshed model should help sales, despite the market’s less-than-enthusiastic reception of Toyota’s largest pickup.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Toyota to kill Sequoia, Tundra redesigned in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog | Damon Lavrinc