Toyota Trademark Hints at, Yes, Another Crossover

by Steph Willems

Updated: February 20th, 2020 Published: December 27th, 2019

toyota trademark hints at yes another crossover

Toyota has hinted in the past that perhaps fielding one vehicle per segment is foolish, old-timey thinking. At the same time, automakers have fallen in love with the idea of splitting segments, shoehorning tweener models into any narrow wedge of daylight that appears in their already crowded lineups. General Motors is especially preoccupied with this.

It’s against this backdrop that a new U.S. trademark application filed by Toyota emerges, and the name provided only bolsters speculation that the company’s light truck stable is due for a new member.

The application for “4Active”, filed on December 9th and first noticed by Motor1, is naturally vague, sounding like the name of a new all-wheel drive system or a standalone utility vehicle. It’s most likely the latter.

Bolstering this assertion is a summertime announcement from Toyota regarding its yet-to-open joint assembly plant in Alabama. The $1.6 billion facility, shared with Mazda, will start cranking out vehicles in 2021, but the Corolla production originally slated for the plant will instead swap to a “new, yet-to-be-announced SUV.”

It is believed the mystery utility vehicle will be a production version of the 2017 FT-4X Concept — a small, sub-RAV4 crossover that boasts the rugged exterior and all-wheel drive capability the brand’s subcompact C-HR lacks. If you’ll recall, that concept bowed with some of the most infuriating marketing copy ever put on a page.

Shortly after the concept’s New York debut, Toyota suggested there was room for more than one vehicle in a hot segment. With the RAV4 a sales leader and the C-HR considerably less so, the low end of the Toyota CUV totem pole seems like a good place to add a new vehicle. Ford executives chose to tread a similar path for the 2020 Escape and upcoming “baby Bronco” — a butchier, alternatively styled version of the same vehicle. Mazda went the segment-splitting route in its product plan, inserting the CX-30 between the subcompact CX-3 and compact CX-5 for 2020. Not to be outdone, Chevrolet debuted the Trailblazer as its own subcompact/compact tweener.

The highly configurable FT-4X was created to attract fun-loving urban Millennials to the brand, and that demographic hasn’t fallen off Toyota’s radar in the years since. Expect to see the brand’s TNGA architecture put to use beneath the 4Active, if indeed the name heralds a new AWD CUV.

[Image: Toyota]

#4Active #Crossovers #Cuvs #FutureModels #ProductPlanning #Toyota #Toyota4Active #Trademark

Steph Willems

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PrincipalDan on Dec 30, 2019

If it manages to be as off-road capable as a Renegade then it won't be in vain.

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Art Vandelay on Dec 30, 2019

what a miserable looking little $#!+box

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Bd2 Lexus is just a higher trim package Toyota. ^^
Tassos ONLY consider CIvics or Corollas, in their segment. NO DAMNED Hyundais, Kias, Nissans or esp Mitsus. Not even a Pretend-BMW Mazda. They may look cute but they SUCK.I always recommend Corollas to friends of mine who are not auto enthusiasts, even tho I never owed one, and owned a Civic Hatch 5 speed 1992 for 25 years. MANY follow my advice and are VERY happy. ALmost all are women.friends who believe they are auto enthusiasts would not listen to me anyway, and would never buy a Toyota. They are damned fools, on both counts.
Tassos since Oct 2016 I drive a 2007 E320 Bluetec and since April 2017 also a 2008 E320 Bluetec.Now I am in my summer palace deep in the Eurozone until end October and drive the 2008.Changing the considerable oils (10 quarts synthetic) twice cost me 80 and 70 euros. Same changes in the US on the 2007 cost me $219 at the dealers and $120 at Firestone.Changing the air filter cost 30 Euros, with labor, and there are two such filters (engine and cabin), and changing the fuel filter only 50 euros, while in the US they asked for... $400. You can safely bet I declined and told them what to do with their gold-plated filter. And when I changed it in Europe, I looked at the old one and it was clean as a whistle.A set of Continentals tires, installed etc, 300 EurosI can't remember anything else for the 2008. For the 2007, a brand new set of manual rec'd tires at Discount Tire with free rotations for life used up the $500 allowance the dealer gave me when I bought it (tires only had 5000 miles left on them then)So, as you can see, I spent less than even if I owned a Lexus instead, and probably less than all these poor devils here that brag about their alleged low cost Datsun-Mitsus and Hyundai-Kias.And that's THETRUTHABOUTCARS. My Cars,
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Tassos Not my favorite Eldorados. Too much cowbell (fins), the gauges look poor for such an expensive car, the interior has too many shiny bits but does not scream "flagship luxury", and the white on red leather or whatever is rather loud for this car, while it might work in a Corvette. But do not despair, a couple more years and the exterior designs (at least) will sober up, the cowbells will be more discreet and the long, low and wide 60s designs are not far away. If only the interiors would be fit for the price point, and especially a few acres of real wood that also looked real.