Toyota at The 2010 NY Auto Show

Toyota’s main points of emphasis at the 2010 New York Auto Show seem to be (in order) the new Scion tC and Scion iQ, the new Lexus CT 200H, and the new Sienna. The Tundra, along with most trucks, was stuck in the basement of the show and received little emphasis. According to Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com, trucks aren’t the focus of the NY auto show. None the less, here are the highlights of the 2010 NY Auto Show as far as Toyota is concerned:

1. The Scion tC and iQ reveal. The official reveal event was nothing short of show-stopping. The new iQ is basically a re-badged version of Toyota’s euro-spec iQ, which is a basic competitor to the Mini and the Smart Car. The ‘new’ tC really doesn’t look that new, but it certainly doesn’t look bad. The guys at Scion said that the new tC had ‘more steering control,’ which I took to mean that the new tC wouldn’t handle and ride like a Camry.

Check out some video of the reveal I took:

In addition to the cool videos above, I also managed to grab some pics of the pre-production Scions tricked-out by Five Axis.

2. Lexus is getting bigger. Lexus has transformed from a one product luxury line to a mainstream luxury juggernaut in less than 20 years. The newest Lexus fills yet another segment – compact luxury hybrid – while bolstering the appeal of Lexus with younger audiences. The Lexus LFA, an incredibly low volume sports car with a $350,000 price tag (give or take), is the quintessential ‘halo’ car that raises a brand’s profile with journalists, enthusiasts, and impressionable young minds.

The Lexus show display is big and expensive. Toyota didn’t give exact numbers in this press release, but it’s easy to imagine a 7 figure price tag by the time it’s all said and done. It’s hard to capture an entire display in one photo, but the section devoted to the CT 200h demonstrates Toyota’s investment:

The Lexus CT 200h display at the 2010 New York Auto Show

The CT 200h is in the lower right hand corner. Along the ceiling, there’s a Vegas-sized indoor/outdoor screen. Behind the CT 200h is another huge screen in a semi-circular pattern. Embedded in that screen are other smaller screens…and then everything around the CT 200h is specially lit. There’s also a couple of walls full of iPhones with the CT 200h iPhone app installed. Very cool, and over-the-top in terms of expense. Impressive.

The Lexus LFA is also impressive. These photos don’t convey the presence of this car. It’s a shame Toyota isn’t making this a high volume production supercar…it’s very much a worthy successor to the Supra Twin Turbo.

3. The New Sienna.

No photo available.

You didn’t really think I was going to show you pics, did you? Nothing against the Sienna (it’s probably a great minivan), but WHO CARES. LOL! Here’s a pic of the black Tundra Toyota shoved in the basement instead:

Here’s the same truck from the rear:

Just for fun, here’s a pic of the Toyota Snickers car that was parked next to the Tundra:

More auto show coverage is coming!