The company hit further difficulties last June when it had to recall tens of thousands of its cars, many of them Prius models, following a steering problem. Toyota issued a voluntary global safety recall of 106,000 vehicles, including 52,000 Prius models sold in the United States between 2001 and 2003 in order to replace the electric power steering pinion shaft attachment nuts.

According to Toyota, turning the steering wheel in these Prius models repeatedly to the full-lock position, could result in the nuts securing the pinion shaft in the steering gear box assembly coming loose, and overtime, would make turning left difficult.

image via Toyota

Hoping for no such problems with its latest model, Toyota said the Pixis Epoch’s extremely compact body (length 3.4 meters, width 1.5 meters and height 1.5 meters meant it was a whizz to park in low-clearance parking areas. The interior should still allow plenty of space for four adults, the company said.

In a statement, Toyota added: “Available in eight pleasing colors such as Cotton Ivory, the Pixis Epoch sports a simple form without extraneous elements, giving it an air of sophistication with advanced and vibrant styling.  The simple silhouette features low, flowing lines that hint at outstanding aerodynamic performance, while the logical design of the high-quality interior emphasizes innovation.”

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