2011 Toyota Verso-S – Click above for high-res image gallery
The mini-MPV segment is quite popular outside of the United States, and has just unveiled its newest member of that market – the 2011 Toyota Verso-S. We , but the secrets have been spilled at the Paris Motor Show.
The Toyota Verso-S takes the stage as the shortest entrant into the B-MPV segment. However, the interior volume is on par with that of rivaling C-segment vehicles. It is the first car in this category to offer a multimedia, touchscreen system in the center stack. Down the line, an optional Navi-Box feature will be made available which boosts the multimedia capability but it also greatly enhances the navigation system features. The system can display speed camera warnings, sign posts on roadways and allows users to access numerous Google-based connected services. Points of Interest can be downloaded from the internet and entered as destinations. Also, the Navi-Box can display fuel prices, news and weather reports.
The 2011 Toyota Verso-S will go on sale in February 2011. Two engines will be made available; one diesel and one standard gasoline-burner. The diesel unit is a 1.4-liter diesel engine that produces 90 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque between 1,800 and 2,800 rpm. The 1.3-liter gasoline engine produces 99 hp and 93 lb-ft of torque. The gasoline engine is rated at nearly 43 miles per gallon while the diesel unit can hit 55 mpg. Both engines come standard with a six-speed manual transmission however the 1.3-liter can be paired with a seven-speed sequential unit and the 1.4-liter can be fitted with a six-speed automated manual. Click through our gallery of live shots to see the funky little MPV for yourself.
Wal-Mart was the most requested OnStar search in July – to view the top 10
‘ OnStar unit has offered turn-by-turn directions for a while now, and the service seems to be gaining popularity among subscribers. In fact, July was a record month for direction seekers, with over 2 million routes requested in the U.S. and Canada. OnStar has access to more than 13 million points of interest, but one locale was requested more than any other. The General claims that nearly 40,000 OnStar subscribers sought out a local Wal-Mart in July, enough queries to make the value chain the most popular destination of July.
We’re not at all surprised that Wal-Mart came out on top this month considering the sheer size of America’s largest private employer, and the other top requests read like a who’s-who of big business. Big-time hotel chains and major retail outlets dominate the top 10 most requested routes (the top 10 destinations list is available ), but only one fast food chain and zero gas stations cracked the top 10. to read GM’s press release.
2011 Volkswagen Phaeton – Click above for high-res image gallery
It’s not surprising that the latest batch of photos of the reworked 2011 Phaeton were all taken in China. The Middle Kingdom is by far the biggest market for VW where wealthy executives prefer to be driven rather than get behind the wheel. As we already witnessed at the Beijing Motor Show, the Phaeton has now adopted the same horizontal theme for its fascia that we have seen on every other recent Volkswagen introduction, and the headlamp clusters now feature LED eyeliner running lamps.
Interestingly, the Phaeton is the first car to incorporate the ability to download Google Maps satellite imagery and points of interest data over a mobile phone. The new information can be overlaid on the built-in navigation maps to provide a vastly expanded and up-to-date database of information compared to the static data that can be stored on-board the car.
A camera behind the windshield can actually read traffic signs and display information like speed limits and no-passing zones on the navigation screen and the driver information display in the main instrument cluster. The camera can also scan the surroundings for other cars that could suffer glare from the bi-xenon headlamps and mask portions of the lights to cut that glare. We’ll be curious to see just how well the Dynamic Light Assist works at maintaining light for the driver without blinding others. While you ponder all of that technology, check out our high-res gallery below and the official press release after the jump.
