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Toyota to build 100k cars at Suby plant


franklin

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The January Car & Driver has a review of the new RAV4. Its pretty good competition for the forester XT.

 

269 HP V6 thats rated at 26 MPG Highway 0-60 in 6.3

5 speed auto (ok no manual available)

3 rd row seat

DVD entertainment, Sirius available.

all for 28k loaded.

I dunno about you all but I'm sure as Hell would not want to have to sit in the third row seat of a RAV4. It is pretty ridiculous that people are putting third row seats in anything just so you can say it has three rows. My wife's MDX has a so-called third row. I would not want to sit in it and the MDX is a LOT bigger than a RAV4.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Are the SIA workers UAW associates? Isn't Toyota non-union?

I don't think it matters. They are two separate companies who will just happen to be operating in the same building. They can function completely autonomously.

 

I think it's a win-win situation for Toyota to use the excess capacity at the Lafayette plant, and any technology sharing between the companies will benefit them both. Toyota doesn't currently offer any models that interest me (although we were considering the Highlander for a while), but there's no question that they are a very fine carmaker.

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I dunno about you all but I'm sure as Hell would not want to have to sit in the third row seat of a RAV4. It is pretty ridiculous that people are putting third row seats in anything just so you can say it has three rows. My wife's MDX has a so-called third row. I would not want to sit in it and the MDX is a LOT bigger than a RAV4.

 

The Tribeca has a 3rd row. ..

 

I remember as a kid, I sat in the back of a Ford Taurus wagon that had seats on the side in the rear cargo area.

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I remember as a kid, I sat in the back of a Ford Taurus wagon that had seats on the side in the rear cargo area.

 

sitting in those seats was like having a death wish.... My parents had a mercury sable (same as taurus)-- i remember getting a little freaked out if they ever slammed on the brakes to fast and I could see a car coming up on the rear...

 

 

 

Do wagons still get those seats?

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  • 2 months later...

Update on the story

 

At least with the restyled camry's they probably wont get mixed up on what cars to send to what dealerships :icon_tong

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=1709654

 

LAFAYETTE, Ind. Mar 10, 2006 (AP)— Toyota and Indiana officials are expected to announce Monday that a Subaru plant in Lafayette will begin producing Toyota's Camry mid-sized sedan.

 

 

The announcement at Subaru of Indiana Automotive's plant follows months of negotiations to bring production of the Camry to the factory.

Both Japanese automakers have already agreed the factory in Tippecanoe County will produce Toyota vehicles.

 

 

The plant now makes about 100,000 Subaru vehicles a year, including Outback station wagons, Legacy sedans and Baja and B9 Tribeca sport-utility vehicles.

Details about how many Camrys will be produced and when production will start are expected to be revealed Monday.

 

 

In October, General Motors Corp. said it was ending its alliance with Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the Japanese maker of Subaru cars, selling its 20 percent stake. Toyota Motor Corp. bought an 8.7 percent stake in Fuji for about $315 million and became the top shareholder in Fuji.

 

 

The Camry was the top-selling car in the United States in 2005 for the fourth year in a row and eight of the last nine years.

 

 

Since introducing the Camry in 1982, Toyota has sold more than 6.5 million of the cars in the United States. Toyota is also planning a hybrid version of the Camry that will be powered by both electricity and gasoline.

 

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti
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The most likely technology to be shared between Subaru and Toyota is actually their hybrid systems. Subaru has spent time developing a newer longer lasting lighter battery with NEC (I think). This would be a huge asset to Toyota and if Subaru can adapt parts of the Toyota hybrid system to their TPH system it could save them a lot of development costs and expedite its getting to production. I would find it highly unlikely that Toyota is going to get access to Subaru's AWD system or that Subaru will get access to Toyota's build materials. This is a partnership built on trading of information not a trading of management. I would expect that the plant is basically going to be 2 separate plants with the Subaru and Toyota halves having nothing more than being in the same building in common.
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The Japanese call it Keiretsu (clusters or alliances). Since Toyota has manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia , they already share suppliers with Subaru, Honda, Nissan etc; therefore, it makes plenty of sense to 'rent' the old Isuzu part, split overhead, and utilize the idle capacity. It is a low risk expansion for them - especially now, just before the new Camry, Corolla, and a brand new 6spd auto along with a new V6 enter production. Let's hope Subaru learns kaizen and poka yoke better... :icon_evil

 

Exactly!!!!!!!!

 

Let's hope Subaru learns and start offering more goodies, or try to actually compete with Toyota on some segments....

 

It's all to same money, from their suppliers, etc etc etc.... Which is always a good move, we ended up paying less at the end (if everything works ok!!!)

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

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maybe Toyota will help improve paint

 

I believe that Dupont currently supplies the BC/CC for the Subaru lines at SIA.

I don't know for sure... but PPG is one of the main Toyota paint suppliers.....

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Japanese auto companies take enough care of their workers to not need unions. The UAW tried to unionize them but the employees voted no.

Unions is what is killing the american auto industry ... its why companies like Toyota, Subaru, Honda, and Nissan (granite with the help of renualt) are taking over inch by inch the american auto industry. these company take care of their workers very well, inexchange they expect very very hard work out of you ... nice system ... Unlike they UAW who just sit on their overpayed a***es and demand more benefits that are killing their companies financially.

 

there may be a difference her between the japanese car workers and american ones ... i think the japanese companies take alot more pride in their work.

 

i would never buy american, subaru is by far, i think, the best car on the market, my family drives fords, i use to have an explorer ... i took moms expedition to wal mart the other day, i was like ... i want my subie back now ...

 

basically hte UAW is killing american auto industry ... oh well ...

I love my car ... basically.
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personally i would never drive a toyota, i have never really been impressed with there cars ... sure they have good gas mileage, nice interiors, but they are ... except for the pruis, bland glarified econoboxes ... civics with leather ... their engines have never impressed me, i mean sure longevity, im not going to keep a car much past 125,000 miles anyway, i dont care if it will last to 200,000. Further more, they just dont have that powerful 'WoW' factor during acceleration and cornering ... they jsut seem mushly, the engine especially, i feel like im squezzing playdough everytime I drive one ... ewww:icon_surp
I love my car ... basically.
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Few more details flowing in

 

Toyota, Fuji to build about 100,000 Camrys a year in Indiana

Toyota Motor Corp. and partner Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, will produce about 100,000 of the popular Toyota Camrys a year at Fuji’s U.S. plant in Indiana starting in the spring of 2007, the Japanese automakers said today.

The plans, outlined by the presidents of Toyota Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. in Tokyo, are expected to create about 1,000 jobs at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. plant, which now employs 2,300 people.

The plant will produce about 100,000 Camrys a year, raising the plant’s annual production to 240,000 vehicles, the companies said.

The Camry sedan is the best-selling car in the United States and is now being produced in the United States only at Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Ky. The Subaru plant in Indiana currently produces Subaru Outback station wagons and Legacy sedans.

The automakers also said Fuji will work together to produce Fuji hybrid vehicles using Toyota’s hybrid technology. Fuji Heavy President Kyoji Takenaka and Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe gave no additional details on that effort at a news conference.

In October, U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. said it was ending its alliance with Fuji and selling its entire 20 percent stake the company. At that time, Toyota bought an 8.7 percent stake in Fuji for $315 million and became the top shareholder in Fuji.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti
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even more information from bloomberg.com

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aJI7GE35NvzY&refer=asia#

 

 

Fuji Heavy Advances on Plans to Make Toyota Vehicles (Update2) March 13 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. rose as much as 6.3 percent ahead of the carmaker's plans to use its Indiana plant to make vehicles for Toyota Motor Corp., which holds an 8.7 percent stake in the maker of Subaru cars.

Fuji Heavy shares, which have gained 28 percent in the last 12 months, rose as much as 40 yen to 672 and changed hands at 670 yen as of 10:57 a.m. in Tokyo. Toyota, the world's largest automaker by market value, bought its stake in Tokyo-based Fuji Heavy in October from General Motors Corp.

 

 

The presidents of Fuji Heavy and Toyota will hold a press conference today at 9 p.m. local time in Tokyo. Toyota plans to make vehicles at Fuji Heavy's U.S. factory, raising North American capacity by 6 percent, said officials familiar with the plan in November.

 

 

``The gain in Fuji Heavy shares today shows that the alliance is a positive one and it proves the two automakers have finally come up with a plan,'' said Koji Endo, an analyst at Credit Suisse in Tokyo.

 

 

Toyota may build between 100,000 and 120,000 Camry sedans or Highlander sports-utility vehicles at Fuji Heavy's Lafayette, Indiana factory starting in 2007, said the Toyota and Fuji Heavy officials, declining to be named in November.

 

 

The production will provide Toyota capacity to build 1.93 million vehicles a year in North America by 2008 without having to build a new plant. The automaker based in central Japan's Toyota City, is expecting a fourth year of record profit by March 2006, challenging GM as the world's largest car seller.

 

 

Shares of Toyota, which gets about 60 percent of operating income from the U.S., rose as much as 1.9 percent to 6,410 yen in Tokyo.

U.S. Market

 

 

Toyota's U.S. market share has gained for 10 straight years, rising to a record 13.3 percent in 2005, led by sales of models including Camrys, Tundra pickup trucks, Lexus luxury cars and Prius gas-electric hybrids.

 

 

The company sold 2.26 million vehicles in 2005, 10.1 percent more than last year, according to Autodata Corp. Fuji Heavy, which had 1.2 percent market share in the U.S. in 2005, had 4.6 percent sales growth to 196,002 units last year.

 

 

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe is boosting production abroad to shield Toyota's earnings from a fluctuating yen and deliver vehicles faster to customers. The carmaker, which makes vehicles and components in more than 60 factories in 27 countries and regions, aims to increase global market share to 15 percent in the next decade from 12 percent.

 

 

GM sold its Fuji Heavy stake to Toyota and on the stock market for a total of $737 million. At Detroit-based GM, Chairman Rick Wagoner is cutting North American production capacity by 30 percent over six years to 4.2 million units in 2008, shutting 12 production sites and slashing 30,000 jobs.

 

 

Technology Exchange

 

 

Toyota and Fuji Heavy said they plan to exchange engineers and advanced technology including gas-electric hybrid systems.

 

 

``We are focusing on development and production now'' and have no plans for joint procurement or sales at the moment, Watanabe said on Dec. 26.

 

 

Toyota will gain access to Fuji Heavy's technology for batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and all-wheel-drive system from the partnership, Credit Suisse's Endo said.

Toyota plans to cooperate on ``various advanced technologies,'' especially those for engines, said Toyota Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita on Oct. 5. Fuji Heavy President Kyoji Takenaka has said his company's batteries for hybrid engines may be offered to Toyota.

 

 

Hybrid Production

Toyota aims to boost production of hybrids to 1 million by the early part of next decade from 134,700 last year. Its Prius sedan is equipped with nickel hydride batteries made by Panasonic EV Energy Co. The battery powers the engine in city driving. The gasoline engine takes over when the car is cruising.

 

 

Fuji Heavy has developed a manganese lithium-ion hybrid battery which lasts at least 50 percent longer than current batteries, according to Ashvin Chotai, an analyst at Global Insight Inc. in London. Fuji's battery can also run the car while it's cruising.

Indiana Capacity

 

 

Fuji Heavy uses less than half of its production capacity at the Indiana plant, set up in 1987. The carmaker built 119,011 Subaru vehicles last year at the factory, out of a total annual capacity of 262,000 cars and trucks including B9 Tribeca sport- utility vehicles and Legacy station wagons on two lines. It plans to make 125,628 units this year.

 

 

Toyota's Camry became the best-selling car in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row and eighth time in the past nine years. Sales of the Camry rose 1.4 percent to 431,703 units in 2005, as record gasoline prices made fuel-efficient cars more attractive.

 

 

U.S. average retail gasoline prices surged to a record $3.06 a gallon in September and were at $2.36 on March 12, 16 percent higher than a year earlier, according to AAA's fuel- price Web site.

 

 

North America Production

 

 

Toyota builds Camrys in Kentucky and at the Tsutsumi factory near its head office in central Japan. The sedan competes with Honda Motor Co.'s Accord and Nissan Motor Co.'s Altima models.

 

 

The Camry's base price starts from $18,445 in the U.S. with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission.

 

 

Toyota, which may surpass GM as the world's biggest automaker as early as next year, increased its annual capital expenditure plan by 12 percent to a record 1.4 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) to expand production.

 

 

Toyota has five North American plants, with plans to open a sixth in San Antonio next year and a seventh in Woodstock, Ontario, in 2008.

 

 

Fuji Heavy

 

 

Fuji Heavy may buy 5,000 to 10,000 subcompact vehicles a year from Toyota for sale in Europe starting in around 2007, the Nihon Keizai newspaper said in October.

 

 

Fuji Heavy in August said the company plans to license technology to produce its batteries and capacitors for gasoline- electric hybrid cars and fuel-cell vehicles to other companies. It will also start selling its Turbo Parallel Hybrid gasoline- electric car in the year ending March 2008.

 

 

The automaker, which gets about 40 percent of its sales from North America, in February, said its annual net income may fall 34 percent to 12 billion yen on sales of 1.48 trillion yen.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti
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"Toyota will gain access to Fuji Heavy's technology for batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and all-wheel-drive system from the partnership, Credit Suisse's Endo said."

 

yep should be interesting.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti
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