Scion is in trouble and parent company Toyota is being forced to rethink the brand’s funky/youth image. It’s been a year since Toyota has released the second-generation versions of the Scion and the number of young people shopping Scion has dropped dramatically since 2006. It seems like it’s just not cool anymore to own a Scion.

Monthly sales for Scion have been declining since last September. However the streak ended in March 2008 after fuel-prices soared in April and Scion sales shot up 41.5 percent. Sales climbed 28.4 percent in May but were down again in June.

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Toyota has announced the pricing for its 2009 Toyota RAV4 compact SUV. Pricing has been increased by $224 and the 2009 RAV4 will hit dealerships in early September. 

The 2009 Toyota RAV4 come in three different trim levels including Base, Sports and Limited. Power for the entry-level RAV4 comes from a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 179-hp and 173 lb-ft of torque. It returns a fuel-economy of 22/28mpg on 4×2 models and 21/27 on 4×4 models. A 3.5 liter V6 is also available producing 269-hp and a torque of 246 lb-ft. EPA fuel economy mpg ratings come in at 19/27 for 4×2 models and 19/26 for 4×4 models.

Pricing starts at $21,500 for the Base grade front-wheel-drive with a 4-cylinder to $27,810 for the Limited grade 4×4 V6 model.

Click through for more pictures and thte press release.

2009 Toyota RAV4:

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Toyota has previously shown us many versions of its personal mobility vehicle, like the i-Real - all of which were in a sitting position (kind of like those things from the Pixar Wall-e movie). Well now Toyota is taking on Segway with its own electric scooter called the Winglet.

The Toyota Winglet comes in three different models inlcuding L, M and S - each model is produced to fit a consumers particular need. All have a maximum speed of 3.7mph and require 1 hour to reach full charge.

Click through to see the Toyota Winglet in action.

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We already know that Lexus is working on a dedicated hybrid model based on the Prius. AutoCar has uncovered more info on the luxury hybrid model that will make its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

According to sources in Japan, the dedicated Lexus hybrid model will be fully-based on the next-generation Prius platform but will be more comfort orientated with sleeker design and a little more power. The car is reported to be powered by a 2.0 or 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine that will be mated to a nickel-hydride battery.

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Of course you’ll find amazing cars like the matte-black Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the matte-black Bugatti Veyron in Dubai - but once in a while you’ll find something totally absurd. Joining the chromed out Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano today is a Toyota Camry fitted with 24k gold accessories.

On sale in Dubai, this Toyota Camry GLX is selling for a total of 135,000 AED which is about $36,749.

Toyota Camry GLX with 24k gold accessories:

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Toyota has announced pricing for the new 2009 Toyota Yaris, which is now available in a five-door liftback version. The 2009 Toyota Yaris is powered by a 1.5 liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 106-hp with a peak torque of 103 lb-ft. The subcompact model returns a fuel-economy of 31mpg when mated to an automatic transmission and 32mpg when mated to a manual.

Prices for the three-door model start from $12,205 for the base model to $14,825 for the S grade with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The new five-door liftback model starts from $13,305 for the base model and $15,125 for the S grade. The Yaris Sedan starts at $12,965 for the base and $15,880 for the S grade with a 4-speed automatic.

Click through for the press release.

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Spies have caught the next-generation Toyota Prius undergoing some normal testing. The images confirm that the next Prius will grow in size and won’t see any radical design changes.

According to previous speculations, the next-generation Toyota Prius will be powered by a 1.6L engine with more power and better fuel-efficiency than the current models 48/45mpg (city/highway). The twin electric-motors will still be powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries.

NextAutos, is also speculating that a convertible version of the next-generation Prius will follow.

Head over to NextAutos to see the full shots.

Japanese automaker Toyota has said that it plans to sell 9.5 million vehicles this year - down from its original target of 9.85 million but still more than it sold last year. Nonetheless, this is a sign that Toyota’s growth has been slowing down. The new target would increase sales by 1 percent in 2008 - compared to a 6 percent increase in 2007 with a total of 9.37 million vehicles sold.

“The main reason for the change came from the faltering U.S. economy, and how rising oil prices and material costs are dampening the market there overall,” Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi told The Associated Press .

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Toyota today announced pricing for its 13 2009 Toyota and Scion cars. Overall, the average MSRP for the 13 models has increased by $181 or .81 percent.

All 2009 hybrid models will see a price hike of $500 and over. The 2009 Prius hybrid will start from $22,000 to $24,270 for the Touring grade. That is an increase of $500, or 2.2 percent over the outgoing model. The Toyota Camry Hybrid will also see a price increase of $500 to $26,150. The Highlander Hybrid will now start at $34,700 for the two-row, four-wheel-drive model and $41,020 for the three-row, four-wheel-drive model. Overall pricing for the Highlander Hybrid increases by $518 or 1.4 percent.

You can check out the whole list in the press release after the jump.

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Toyota sold 281,300 Prius hybrid models in 2007 after not having enough units in its inventory to meet demand from consumers. According to the Nikkan Kogyo , Toyota won’t be making that mistake again.

The industry daily reported today that Toyota plans on producing 70 percent more Prius models to 480,000 units after it is redesigned next year. Currently Toyota builds the Prius at its Tsutsumi factory in central Japan and another plant belonging to Toyota Auto Body. It also produced about 320 units in China last year.

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And the battle continues - Toyota is ahead of GM in worldwide sales through second quarter and the first half of 2008. GM trails behind due to a large decline in its North American sales. Sales for the Detroit automakers were down 3 percent to 4.54 million units sold in the first half of 2008. High sales in Europe, Asia and Latin America weren’t enough to make up for a 15 percent decline in North America.

Toyota on the other hand reported a 2.2 percent increase to 4.8 million in the first half of 2008.

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Toyota has reportedly canceled plans for the next-generation Lexus SC and may even cancel plans for the replacement of the Toyota Avalon. According to InsideLine sources, the SC has always been a sluggish model for Lexus.

During the first 6 months of 2008, Lexus only sold 1,230 SC models, down more than 40 percent from the same period an year ago. Toyota was working on the next-generation SC which would have been based on the rear-wheel-drive platform from the upcoming Lexus LF-A. It was originally supposed to show up in early 2009 then was pushed to mid-2011. According to insiders, Toyota has now canceled the plan altogether.

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Toyota today revealed plans to adjust its production mix at three plants in an effort to respond to changes in consumer demand. The move will allow Toyota to produce fewer trucks and more hybrids in the U.S.

The Toyota Prius will now be built in Blue Springs, Mississippi with production set to begin in late 2010. Joining the Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota badged hybrid built in the U.S., Toyota will be in a better position to respond to the increased demand hybrid vehicles.

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