Technical Development
Body
Year
|
Month
|
Technology developed and applied
|
Applicable Vehicle
|
---|---|---|---|
1955
|
|
Rear-hinged door developed
|
Crown
|
1957
|
|
Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) roof developed
|
Land Cruiser
|
1960
|
|
Fiber felt toe-board developed
|
Corona
|
1962
|
|
X-shaped frame developed
|
Crown
|
1965
|
|
2-door hardtop body structure developed; Wins Mainichi Industrial Design Contest’s Special Prize
|
Corona
|
1966
|
|
Curved door glass developed
|
Corolla
|
|
Reversible key developed
|
Corolla
|
|
|
Radiator grille made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene developed
|
Crown
|
|
1968
|
|
Seat equipped with a walk-in mechanism developed
|
Sprinter
|
1970
|
|
Molded ceiling liner developed
|
Celica
|
1973
|
|
Shock-absorbing bumper developed
|
Models with U.S. specifications
|
|
ELR (emergency locking retractor) seatbelt developed
|
Models with U.S. specifications
|
|
1977
|
|
Sunroof developed
|
Celica
|
|
Colored urethane bumper developed
|
Celica
|
|
1979
|
|
Rear window with a segmented line developed
|
Crown
|
|
High-tensile steel plate body developed
|
Corolla
|
|
|
Monolithic catalytic converter developed
|
Supra
|
|
1980
|
|
EPS tape-driven automatic seatbelt developed
|
Corona
|
1981
|
|
Heated seat developed
|
Crown
|
|
Microcomputer-controlled seat developed
|
Crown
|
|
|
Polypropylene bumper developed
|
Carina
|
|
1982
|
|
Reinforced reaction injection molding fender developed
|
Celica
|
|
Rotating opposing seats developed
|
Light Ace
|
|
1983
|
|
Radiator grille that automatically opens and closes developed
|
Corolla
|
|
Tilting and sliding sunroof developed
|
Corona
|
|
1984
|
|
Keyless entry system developed
|
Dyna
|
|
FRP rear spoiler developed
|
Corolla
|
|
|
'Four-box styling' developed
|
MR2
|
|
|
Flush-surface door glass developed
|
MarkII
|
|
1985
|
|
Child seat developed
|
|
|
Skylight roof developed
|
Light Ace, Townace
|
|
1986
|
|
Targa top developed
|
Supra
|
|
T-bar roof developed
|
MR2
|
|
|
Easy-access door developed
|
Soarer
|
|
1988
|
|
Large rear subframe developed
|
MarkII
|
1989
|
March 30
|
World’s first self-folding and self-storing metal roof developed and made main feature of the Soarer 3.0GT-based Aerocabin
|
Soarer
|
June
|
Variable muffler developed
|
Crown Majesta
|
|
October 9
|
Ultrasonic raindrop-removing mirror developed
|
Celsior (first in the world)
|
|
October 9
|
Variable-angle windshield wiper developed
|
Celsior
|
|
|
Vibration-dampening laminated steel plate for body panels developed
|
|
|
1990
|
March
|
Gull-wing doors developed
|
Sera
|
July
|
Variable diaphragm muffler developed
|
Vista
|
|
1992
|
October
|
Flush-mount window molding developed; The molding is the first in the world to use a rubber polymer extruded in intermittent layers
|
MarkII
|
|
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) front-passenger airbag offered
|
Celsior
|
|
1993
|
May 24
|
Plastic fuel tank developed using sealant technology
The tank achieves world-leading performance through the use of fuel-permeation-prevention technology developed as a Japan first |
Supra
|
|
Active headrest developed
|
|
|
1994
|
October
|
Film-door type air conditioner unit developed
|
Celsior
|
|
UV-reducing door glass and water-repelling door glass developed
|
|
|
1995
|
December 26
|
New collision-safety body structure based on Global Outstanding Assessment (GOA) developed
|
Starlet
|
1996
|
August 1
|
Low-cost, SRS side airbag that does not interfere with interior styling developed
|
Celsior
|
September
|
Electric-discharge headlights adopted
|
MarkII
|
|
1998
|
October
|
World’s first SRS curtain shield airbag developed;
Airbag inflates between the side windows and the adjacent seating positions and is engineered to help protect the head and neck when the vehicle is hit from the side |
Progres
|
|
Seatbelt equipped with a force limiter developed
|
|
|
|
Technology for recycling paint-repaired bumpers developed
|
|
|
1999
|
August 31
|
Retractable rear seat developed as the first in the world that can be stowed partially under the front seats with headrests attached to create a flat cargo space
|
Fun Cargo
|
2000
|
May
|
Bladder tank system featuring the world’s first rubber polymer bladder tank developed; System has a double-layer construction that allows expansion and shrinkage depending on the amount of fuel and a pluggable valve that helps prevent fuel vapors from escaping
|
Prius
|
2001
|
March 19
|
'Safety Forum' held to announce plans for enhancing safety technologies; SRS curtain shield airbags made available on all passenger-vehicle models
|
|
April 3
|
Motorized metal top developed; Top allows the changing of a vehicle from a coupe to a convertible and vice versa in approximately 25 seconds at the push an instrument-panel button
|
|
|
|
Pedestrian-injury-lessening vehicle body developed
|
|
|
|
Passenger-side, dual-stage SRS airbag developed
|
|
|
2002
|
September 13
|
Driver-side SRS knee airbag developed; The airbag, a Japan first, vastly enhances front-occupant safety in a head-on collision
|
Caldina
|
2003
|
February 17
|
Pre-Collision System developed; The system, which uses world-first technologies, predicts a frontal collision before it happens and helps reduce injury to vehicle occupants
|
Lexus RX
|
February 17
|
Adaptive Front-Lighting System (AFS) developed; The system, which uses world-first technologies, automatically changes the direction of the headlights in accordance with vehicle speed and steering angle to improve visibility at intersections and during cornering
|
Harrier
|
|
May 12
|
World’s first B-pillarless structure developed
|
Raum
|
|
|
Power rear hatch developed
|
|
|
2004
|
|
High energy-absorbing crash box based on ridgeline control technology developed
|
|
2005
|
|
World’s first twin-chamber airbag developed; The airbag, for the front-passenger position and which is divided into right and left halves, is designed to significantly reduce injury by distributing the collision impact to the left and right
|
Lexus IS
|
2006
|
|
One-touch, stow-away rear seat developed
The seat features a structure that allows it to be stowed for creating an expansive cargo space by a single, remote operation from the rear |
|
|
Rear-seat relaxation system developed
The system features a next-generation seat cushion that aims to provide a superlative level of comfort and relaxation |
|
|
|
Exhaust heat recirculation system developed
The system circulates engine coolant through an exhaust heat recovery system to quickly raise the coolant temperature and improve heating performance |
Estima Hybrid
|
|
2007
|
April
|
World's first LED headlamp developed
|
Lexus LS Hybrid
|
|
Advanced seat-configuration system developed
The system comprises ‘one-touch extra space’ third-row seats, a second-row middle seat that folds out of the way, and rotating second-row seats with a child seat mode |
Noah, Voxy
|
|
2008
|
September 30
|
World’s first SRS rear-window curtain shield airbag developed
|
|
2009
|
March 11
|
World’s first SRS rear-seat center airbag developed
|
|
2010
|
December
|
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) body developed; Dramatic weight reduction achieved
|
LFA
|
2011
|
August
|
Drive Beauty Nanoe developed The system works as an ion air purifier with health benefits that releases Nanoe from the A/C vents
|
Camry
|
December
|
Save energy + airflow control (S-FLOW) developed The world’s first system that sends air only to where vehicle occupants are seated in order to maintain and improve comfort while also improving fuel efficiency
|
Lexus GS
|