Reprinted from Automotive News:
During the next few years, many of Toyota's cars and crossovers will migrate to versions of the automaker's new modular global platform, starting with the fourth-generation Prius due out this fall. Toyota's extended hybrid family will add another crossover, while its trio of old-fashioned body-on-frame SUVs soldier on.
Yaris: Freshened for 2015, the subcompact should be due for a redesign for the 2018 or 2019 model year. At that point, it will switch to a smaller version of Toyota's TNGA modular platform -- dubbed NGA-B -- and finally dump the 1.5-liter four-cylinder that has been around since 2000 in favor of a more modern iteration of the engine.
Corolla: A special edition of Toyota's compact sedan goes on sale this summer, with unique trim inside and out, while a mild freshening should debut in 2016. A wholesale redesign debuts three years later, when the car switches to Toyota's NGA-C platform.
The Camry gets a special edition this summer.
Camry: The best-selling car in the U.S. went through a thorough re-engineering for the 2015 model year and gets its own special edition this summer. Expect a redesigned Camry to break cover in the fall of 2017 as a 2018 model. It then will jump to the NGA-C modular platform, swap out the automatic transmission for a continuously variable transmission and possibly offer a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder in place of the V-6 engine option. The hybrid model also will return for the 2018 model year.
Avalon: Freshened for 2016, the full-size sedan is due for a redesign to debut in the fall of 2018 as a 2019 model. While the Camry of the future likely drops its V-6, expect the larger powerplant to endure in the Avalon.
Supra successor: Earlier this year, Toyota trademarked the name S-FR, igniting intense speculation that this was the long-awaited successor to the Supra sports car. The name would make sense: S for Supra and FR for "front engine/rear-wheel drive" as is the case with the smaller Scion FR-S. (Toyota has shown a concept sports car called the FT-1 at numerous auto shows.)
Whatever it's called, look for this car -- developed in conjunction with BMW, which may use its version as the next Z4 -- to show up in 2017. The powertrain remains unknown, but Toyota's supercapacitor energy storage system from its hybrid Le Mans race cars could find a production home in this car.
Prius: The fourth-generation Prius goes on sale this fall and will be the first to use Toyota's TNGA modular platform. Though Toyota is promising it will be more fun to drive than its predecessors, it won't deviate much from the current version's shape or powertrain.
Prius C: With its loyal following in Japan, Toyota's bite-size hybrid should have no trouble surviving into a second generation in the U.S. Expect to see a redesign in 2018 and a switch to the TNGA platform.
Prius V: Look for a redesign of this plus-size Prius to arrive in 2017, using the same mechanicals as the 2016 Prius.
Mirai: Order books for the all-new hydrogen fuel cell car opened July 20, with deliveries pegged for October for California buyers. Toyota will expand sales to other states with a zero-emission sales mandate in 2016.
RAV4: Later this year, a new hybrid model and a sport trim accompany a light freshening for the 2016 model year. Look for a redesign to show up in the summer of 2018, when the RAV4 will jump to the TNGA platform and gain a CVT.
Highlander: A freshened model is due in 2017 with a full redesign arriving in 2020, when the Highlander will switch to TNGA.
Venza: The station-wagon-like crossover dies unceremoniously this year.
Tacoma: A redesigned 2016 model goes on sale this fall with a new body style, updated 3.5-liter V-6 that uses the Atkinson cycle for more efficiency, and an optional automatic transmission that adds two speeds for six total.
Sienna: Toyota's swagger wagon was freshened for 2015, so look for a redesign to debut in the middle of 2017 as a 2018 model. Its powertrain likely won't change much from the current V-6, though it could get the same eight-speed automatic transmission that Toyota uses in its Lexus RX 350 F Sport.
4Runner: As one of the few remaining body-on-frame SUVs in the U.S., and one with a tremendously loyal following, the 4Runner is a proven survivor. Look for it to get a redesign in 2017. Riding on Toyota's international Prado platform that also underpins the Lexus GX, the next 4Runner will use the 2016 Tacoma's 3.5-liter, direct-injected, Atkinson-cycle V-6 engine for greater efficiency.
Sequoia: Although it's a perennially slow seller and a drag on Toyota's corporate average fuel economy, don't count the full-size, body-on-frame Sequoia out just yet. Look for a redesigned model to return a year after the next Tundra, likely in 2020.
Tundra: A freshening could land in 2017 and pack an optional 5.0-liter, Cummins diesel engine similar to the one coming in the 2016 Nissan Titan XD. This truck likely would exceed the weight limit for CAFE-regulated light trucks, so there's no mileage penalty for Toyota. A redesigned Tundra should arrive in 2019. In the wake of Ford and Toyota deciding in 2013 to dissolve their collaboration on a hybrid system for SUVs and light trucks and continue the work separately, Toyota could introduce a plug-in hybrid version of the Tundra that would be under the CAFE weight limit.
Land Cruiser: Because it enjoys a vehemently loyal fan base around the world and reaps huge profits for Toyota, this full-size SUV isn't going anywhere. Expect a refresh by the end of this year and a redesign in 2017.
