The 4.5 V8 diesel Landcruiser was the huge expensive Amazon model, selling less than 200/year in the UK so no surprise that model has been dropped. The smaller LC models sell around 1200/year.

They are using BMW diesels in cars and Peugeot/Citroen diesels in toyota vans.

Unlike BMW and Peugeot/Citroen, they offer a 5 year warranty on the engines.

Toyota and BMW have an agreement for Toyota to use the BMW 1.6 and 2.0 litre diesel engines only for some cars produced in Europe, and to share hybrid battery technology, not hybrid drivetrain technology.

It is cheaper for Toyota to use a bought in engine for Europe, rather than develop a new 1.6 diesel. The 1.4 diesel that Toyota use in Europe (Auris and Yaris) is a Toyota unit, and is built in Europe.

Toyota haven't abandoned the diesel engine - having introduced new 2.4 and 2.8 litre diesels last year, which feature in the Hilux (though only the 2.4 is sold in the UK).

So we won't see BMW producing a model that uses Toyota's hybrid drivetrain - just the battery technology.

Mazda on the other hand have signed a licence with Toyota to use the Prius drivetrain in their hybrid models.

Toyota have been selling a re-badged version of the PSA Expert/Dispatch panel van since 2013, as this proved cheaper than exporting the Hiace. With Fiat dropping out of the joint venture with PSA, Toyota shared development with PSA of a new of van range - hence the new Proace that has been launched this year. As with the previous model, this is built by PSA and uses PSA engines.

I just had an email from a reader whose 3 year old Toyota HiLux needed a new clutch. But the reader claimed that the Toyota dealer virtually opposite his house has refused to work on the HiLux due to bad experiences with HiLuxes owned by travellers. The story goes that the travellers broke into the dealership at night and trashed their own HiLuxes, then demanded that the dealer replaced them with new HiLuxes. Seems a little far fetched to me?

HJ

There is no need to make up stories like that about 'travellers'

Let's just say I believe it.

I believe you are/were local to Chobham HJ. Did you ever hear about why the Surrey police helicopter is no longer kept at Fairoaks?

This story sounds 100% correct to me, whether yet true or not.

It will be.