Toyota Motor announced Tuesday that it has developed the world's first rear-window curtain shield airbag to protect rear passengers' heads in the event of a rear-end collision. The new airbag was designed for and will be implemented in its upcoming Japanese market iQ microcar. Merely looking at the photo, we weren't really sure what this new airbag does that the headrests don't already do. Digging a bit deeper we learned that the airbags work with the headrests to minimize impact to the head from a colliding vehicle or parts of the hit vehicle, helping to reduce the severity of injuries.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2008 - Edmunds.com's high-speed online car magazine, announced that the 2008 Toyota RAV4 won its latest comparison test of compact crossovers, which is described in full at The SUV Is Dead; Long Live the SUV

The Inside Line editorial team compared three competitive compact crossovers:

"The RAV4, CR-V and Tiguan are all excellent alternatives to the traditional SUV," said Jason Kavanagh, Edmunds’ Inside Line Engineering Editor. "But the RAV4 has the best combination of utility and power in the group."

The 2008 Honda CR-V and 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan tied for second place. The Volkswagen impressed the editors with its class-leading ride quality, and the Honda was praised for value. However, the editors also noted the Tiguan’s high price tag and the Honda’s underpowered engine.

Vehicle Rankings from The SUV Is Dead; Long Live the SUV

1. 2008 Toyota RAV 4

2. 2008 Honda CR-V (tie)

2. 2008 Volkswagen Tiguan (tie)

Toyota's 2009 Tundra full-size pickup truck will enhance its on- and off-road appeal with the addition of two new option packages from Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

A new TRD Rock Warrior Package is specially tuned and equipped with dynamic appearance features for off-road adventure and a powerful look, while a new TRD Sport Edition Package is optimized for an aggressive street appearance.

"Tundra continues to be among the leaders in the full-size pickup truck segment in performance, durability, functionality, safety and value," said Don Esmond, Toyota senior vice president, automotive operations. "These attributes, along with two new and exciting TRD packages and 45 different model configurations allow the Tundra to help meet the needs of a diverse group of truck buyers."

The TRD Rock Warrior and Sport Edition packages add to Tundra's versatile lineup offerings by appealing to image-conscious truck buyers. In addition to the demand for traditional truck attributes, these buyers like to reflect their personal tastes through a truck with a strong street or off-road image.

The TRD Rock Warrior Package enhances the performance of the Tundra 4x4 with the addition of a tuned suspension and many performance and styling enhancements, inside and out. The TRD Sport Edition Package adds an array of unique exterior and interior features to give the Tundra 4x2 the look and feel of a custom street truck. In addition to their styling and performance attributes, both packages are built off of the value-driven Tundra grade, providing buyers with an attractive price.

TRD Rock Warrior will be available exclusively on the Tundra grade 4x4 Double Cab (standard bed) and CrewMax equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 engine. In addition to its tuned suspension, the Rock Warrior is equipped with Bilstein(R) shocks, TRD 17-inch forged alloy wheels with BF Goodrich(R) All-Terrain T/A tires, color-keyed front bumper and grille surround, matte-black rear bumper, fog lamps, black cloth interior with manual bucket seats, accessory shift knob and pedal covers, and TRD Rock Warrior side panel graphics. The Rock Warrior will come in two exterior colors, Black and Super White.

TRD Sport Edition will be available on the Tundra grade 4x2 Regular Cab and Double Cab (standard bed) with the 5.7-liter V8. The Sport Edition is equipped with color-keyed front and rear bumpers and grille surround, color-keyed heated outside mirrors, color-keyed door handles, fog lamps, black cloth interior with manual bucket seats, accessory shift knob and pedal covers, accessory 20-inch machined star five-spoke alloy wheels and TRD Sport Edition side panel graphics. The TRD Sport Edition will be available in two exterior colors, Black and Radiant Red.