09 Oct 02
The UUV, or Urban Utility Vehicle, is a cross between a hatchback, saloon, estate and 4x4; that makes it sound like a right mongrel, but it "highlights the spirit of innovation within Toyota" and "has the potential to be the next step forward for sports utility vehicles", says the company.
This is another high-riding hatchback with four-wheel drive, chunky styling and large wheels, but it promises car-like road behaviour. Toyota thinks a car like this could appeal to people "perhaps in their early 40s, with a family... ready to move out of the traditional mainstream and take a step forward". These buyers are likely to be town people, who don't want to buy a more jeep-like vehicle such as the RAV4, but want something spacious, trendy and even prestigious.
The UUV is large - 4430mm long, 1820mm wide and 1650mm high - and has a long wheelbase for a spacious interior. Fitted into that space is a full width dash-mounted screen made of special light-refracting resin that doubles as a source of driver information or passenger entertainment; a projector supplies a clear holographic image. This system is called Glass Vision, and marks a step forward in the field of in-car navigation and entertainment equipment, reckons Toyota.
Looking not unlike the ccX concept unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, the UUV gives clues to a future car that could be built off the Avensis platform. It looks as if it will be even more of a soft-roader than the RAV4 soft-roader - and it's certainly more attractive than the current Avensis Verso.
