2014 4Runner- Why Tease When You Can Also Inform?

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When automakers want to drop the hint about their new car, they usually provide teaser photos to the public, where a tiny section of the vehicle is photographed so as to only give away a glimpse of it. You know the kind- they're usually a close up shot of the grille, or a headlight. I'll go out on the record and say I'm not the biggest fan of those (or maybe my imagination is just lacking!)

Need an example? Here you go:

In other cases, automakers might leak so-called "spy shots" where the vehicle is seen outside during a road test while covered up with protective material.

Toyota could have certainly gone with either option in previewing the new 2014 4Runner, but they decided to mix it up a bit in hyping us for their next SUV. In addition to the teaser photos, they also made an infographic! I like the idea- get us excited for something new by highlighting the vehicle's past achievements.

What do we know so far about the new 4Runner? The 2014 version will be a face lift of the fifth generation mid-size Toyota SUV. It will feature more aggressive looking front headlights and tail lamps, going with Toyota's recent trend of giving their vehicles a more sleek and stylish appearance (just take a look at the redesigned Avalon for further proof).

The official reveal of the 4Runner happens at the StageCoach Music Festival in Indio, California, which will coincidentally be the first-ever major vehicle reveal at a large concert!

Adios 2012- See you next year!

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2012's been a pretty good year. With plenty of awards under their belt, and the arrival of great new vehicles such as the 53 city MPG Prius C, the Toyota/Subaru brainchild the Scion FR-S, and the completely redesigned Avalon, Toyota has been at the top of their game. Whether you want something sporty, something efficient, something practical, or a little bit of everything, you can finally get all of those with their current line-up. 

Summer Rain Metallic 2012 Prius C. 

Firestorm Red 2013 Scion FR-S. 

Sizzling Crimson Mica 2013 Avalon.

I'm even more excited to see what they've got planned for the next year, because I've got big plans of my own for the blog here! From my family here at Fusz to yours, hope you have had a great holiday, and I'll see you in 2013 with plenty more automotive news and tips!

Prius Plug-In: Saying Adios to Power Outages

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2012 has certainly been the year of the Prius. Celebrating sales of over four million worldwide since 1997, Toyota's flagship hybrid vehicle has a growing family, consisting of the original model, the larger Prius V hatchback, the smaller Prius C, and most recently, the Prius Plug-In, a gas/electric hybrid which will see a wide-scale release in 2013.

To further innovate the brand, Toyota recently announced that they're working on a power system that will allow the Prius Plug-In, or PHV, to charge at home, or be used to provide electricity in the event of a home power failure. "An AC 100V inverter onboard the Prius converts stored power into AC suitable for home use, while power flow is controlled according to communication between vehicle, charging stand and home," according to representatives from Toyota. "With this new method, low-carbon electricity generated from regional or home solar generators, or low-cost late-night electricity, can be stored in a vehicle's drive battery and then used to supply power to the household during peak consumption times."

To that I say: nice! Despite living in such a technologically advanced, digital age, it's funny that something as simple as a rain storm can still cripple our ability to use electricity. With the PHV, Toyota estimates that a fully charged battery and tank of gas can power a Japanese home for about four days. Or in other words: long enough that you won't have to go running for the candles. 

The vehicle to home power system is going to initially be tested in ten Japanese homes at the end of this year. Will the technology eventually hit the United States? I certainly hope so. If all goes well, this could lead to future advances in controlling electricity between intelligent devices. Additionally, the benefit of transferring electricity from a car to a home could be a great asset in the event of a natural disaster. After all, not everyone has a generator handy, but if your car could act as a generator in a pinch, disaster recovery efforts could be greatly improved.

What do you think about Toyota's Vehicle to Home power system? Is this a step in the right direction? Should they be focused on making this technology accessible and affordable?