NAIAS Highlights: Production
Toyota's eclectic Matrix
Toyota's "second wave" of new products aimed at young new-car buyers begins with the Matrix, which Don Esmond, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Toyota Division, called "a convergence of Toyota's passenger-car, light-truck, and youth-vehicle agendas." He continued, "It was designed to blend the functionality of an SUV and the style, image, and performance of a sportscar with the affordability of a subcompact sedan."
The Matrix, a sister vehicle to Pontiac's new Vibe, will ride on a new platform that is similar to the Corolla's. Its standard, inline four-cylinder engine will feature Toyota's variable-valve technology, deliver 97 kW (130 hp), and be ULEV rated. Matrix's sport model will feature the same 1.8-L, 134-kW (180-hp) engine, which generates 176 N•m (130 lb•ft) at 6800 rpm, and six-speed manual transmission found in the Celica GT-S. A sport-tuned suspension and standard 17-in wheels and tires will complement the powertrain.
Advancements in metal-stamping techniques allowed designers to create "edge-web" body panels, which integrate sharp surface edges with rounded, web-like contours. The Matrix's interior includes rear seats that fold flat and a new cargo-floor sliding track system. Overall dimensions of the sport model are 4350 mm (171.3 in) length, 1765 mm (69.5 in) width, and 1570 mm (61.8 in) height. Its wheelbase is 2600 mm (102.4 in), and it has a mass of 1255 kg (2750 lb).
The Matrix will be built alongside the Corolla at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada, in Cambridge, Ontario, and will be available in 2002.
- Ryan Gehm
