Toyota may build more Camrys at truck plant
Automotive times are a-changin, as fuel-efficient cars are now outselling trucks by a wide margin. Toyota's flexible manufacturing capabilities allow it to adjust to these crazy times, and the Japanese automaker is discussing a plan to build still more Camrys at its Indiana truck plant. The Princeton plant is only running two shifts right now, and its trucks and SUVs are suffering just as much as similar offerings coming out of Detroit. That makes the plant a great fit for the Camry, which sold an astonishing 51,291 units last month. Honda has already decided to increase production of the Civic, which was the top-selling vehicle in the US last month with over 53,000 units leaving the showroom floor.
[Source: Auto News (subs req'd)]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
why not the LS2LS7? 1:57PM (6/08/2008)
Why isn't it already done?
If you listen to people on autoblog, Toyota and Honda's flex system means this can be done in an instant.
If they want to do this, and they can do it merely by loading new software, why isn't it done already?
Reply
AMcA 3:18PM (6/08/2008)
Oh, joy. More Camrys.
Jordan 4:16PM (6/08/2008)
Because the Indiana plant is a flex plant but not as advanced as the Honda plant in Allison Ontario Canada.
Please compare apples to apples. The Honda plant can go from Ridgeline to Civic to Pilot to Odyssey in a very short time. The Accord plant in Ohio can as well but not in a short time.
We have rigid plants like the Ford Super Duty plant in Kentucky. It cant do anything but make Super Dutys. Feast or famine
Then we have flex plants like most of the Asian manufacturers and some of the Big three. Oakville is Flex.
Then we have these really flexible plants like the Honda mentioned above.
Anyways going from Seqouia to Camry on an assembly line is still impressive.
Aprime 5:11PM (6/08/2008)
They can't do it instantly unless they make parts onsite.
Suppliers still have to respond accordingly, to my knowledge.
JGN 2:21PM (6/08/2008)
There is a lot of speculation about there being a bubble i the commodities market, and that this will mean oil may come down significantly in price in the near future. There may be a wait and see approach being taken to see what consumers are planning on doing, according the what the price of oil does.
Aside from that, I really don't understand why people call the camry ugly. I see more and more on the roads here in Phoenix and they are great looking cars.
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Chris 2:34PM (6/08/2008)
Well considering oil just spiked again I think we have a while before it comes back down. Combined with certain Israelis talking about attacking Iran and the market is not looking good.
If it blows up over there I fully expect oil to hit 200 and all cars will stop selling as people don't spend money.
why not the LS2LS7? 2:49PM (6/08/2008)
Even if oil comes back down, I think people's minds have shifted a bit with the spike in gas prices. Full size trucks will not in the near future be as big a part of Toyota's product mix as they once thought they would be. So making a change like this seems like a good idea.
Full size trucks aren't going away, cause they are needed to do real work. But their importance as a style vehicle has been impacted in the near and mid term if not forever.
Duders 9:46AM (6/09/2008)
I don't see the price of oil coming down in the near future at all. Supply and Demand combined with the fact that less oil was pumped out of the ground this year then 3 years ago, and you have a recipe for higher prices for the stuff then ever before.
UH2L 4:28PM (6/08/2008)
It will be great to see fewer light trucks on the road, even if some of them will be replaced by Camrys. Trucks block your view, roll over, take up lots of space, and guzzle gas. They're necessary for work but it's funny seeing "truck people" have to reconsider their truck love.
You gotta think though that if oil does get much higher, that consumers will start shifting more from mid-sized cars to compact cars. It's a tough call for car companies.
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iQuack 4:40PM (6/08/2008)
The shift from trucks to cars proves that many--maybe most--truck owners really don't need those pigs. People who need a truck for business or a large SUV to haul a big (and probably fat) family have little choice.
Most of the silly posers I see here in San Francisco are dimbulbs who drive huge vehicles alone, or trucks with empty beds. It's gratifying to know that they're taking well deserved hits to their wallets--especially here in S.F. where gas is well in excess of $4 per gallon now.
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Aprime 5:12PM (6/08/2008)
SRT RAM HURRR
LOOK AT MY BED SPOILER
HURRRRRRRRR
HURRR
Torrent 6:31PM (6/08/2008)
Even if you DO need a truck, small ones will do (Raider, Colorado/Canyon, etc. even gets near 26 MPG)
It's not like you can't look Flashy in a Ford Ranger.....
Oh wait. you can't.
REGARDLESS!!
You get my point...
iQuack 6:38PM (6/08/2008)
Trucks make me TRUCULENT.
Go here:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truculent
QUACK!
Jordan 4:59PM (6/08/2008)
This is a very pro GM supporter that is now disgruntled.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080608/COLUMNISTS24/653340133/-1/business
"As for Toyota, it announced its Earth Charter in 1992. U.S. gas prices: $1.04 per gallon. A concept car called the Prius was unveiled in 1995. Gas prices: $1.08. In 1997, the Prius hit the Japanese market. Gas prices: $1.23. Toyota sold 18,000 in its first year.
The Prius entered the U.S. market in 2000, when gas prices peaked at $1.68. Fifty-five hundred were sold over a six-month period. That wasn't exactly a financial windfall, but patience and foresight are virtues.
By 2002, worldwide Prius sales topped 100,000. Peak gas prices: $1.46. By 2007, that number reached 1 million. Peak gas prices: $3.22. Game, set, match.
Meanwhile, the Big Three are converting gas-guzzling SUVs into modestly less gas-guzzling SUVs."
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BlazerUnit 5:14PM (6/08/2008)
Toyota deserves all the sales it gets from making what should have been a safe gamble in the Prius.
Amber 5:21PM (6/08/2008)
I loved this part:
"Meanwhile, the Big Three are converting gas-guzzling SUVs into modestly less gas-guzzling SUVs."
AZMike 5:58PM (6/08/2008)
if they're sooo smart, perhaps you can explain why they spent hundreds of millions on the Tundra plant outside of San Antonio. were they looking for a tax write-off?
the real truth is the Japanese walked (or ran) away from the small car market for the greener pastures of mid size and larger cars, SUVs, and full size trucks, just like their American counterparts. they went where the money was; it's NOT in small cars. they left the small car market to the Koreans.
with the exception of the Prius, the only small car "bones" they've thrown us are a few JDM vehicles (Fit, Yaris, Versa) to fill some small spaces in their showrooms. it's truly scary to see folks getting excited about 35 MPG. in the 80's, that would have been the city MPG for a large number of subcompact cars.
after living thru every gas crisis since the first one in 1973, I'm not remotely worried. this one is different in the fact that it has absolutely nothing to do with either supply OR world issues. the taps are freely flowing, and there is no crisis in the world blocking the Strait of Hormuz, like it was during the crisis with Iran in '79.
the futures traders who have driven the price to it's present ridiculous level have no direct interest in oil; the commodity could be hog bellies, corn or peanut futures to them. things are going to be changing soon, as the government is very actively pursuing investigations into the futures traders right now.
for those with any insight, this is the time to turn someone else's loss into your gain. I just took a friend down yesterday who bought an '07 Nissan Titan SE 2WD pickup with 11,000 miles for $12,500. the window sticker was in the glove box; the MSRP was over $30K.
while I was there, I stopped to look at a Versa. had to laugh; the EPA showed 24/31. I had driven down to the dealership in my Buick Park Avenue; the average MPG was right at 29.4, and that was for about 50/50 mixed driving. on the road, it gets just under 34 MPG.
perhaps that explains all the Versas in inventory, as well as the rebates.
AZMike
why not the LS2LS7? 6:26PM (6/08/2008)
Toyota added about 5 SUVs to their lineup in the same time period, including enormous ones like the Sequoia and TWO body-on-frame Lexus SUVs. If they're so damn smart and eco-minded, why did they switch their lineup to have so many SUVs?
I do agree Toyota deserves the spoils from their wise move of developing the Prius. But they also sold a lot of gas guzzlers for the dame reason Detroit did. Which is because that's what the customer wanted to buy.
Aprime 6:32PM (6/08/2008)
I wouldn't really put any trust in the EPA's numbers anymore. Journalists here (I'm known to complain about their mileage numbers a lot, since they pretty much overdo anything) could average 34MPG in the Versa. Now, take into consideration its size and the fact that it relies on the biggest engine of the entry-level cars (in the US, in Canada it's actually the old VW 2.0 in two other Canadian-exclusive vehicles) to move itself around... An engine which I believe was in the Sentra before. It isn't exactly an engineering benchmark... But the fact of the matter is, it comes with segment exclusive features and it's sized like a midsize car.
As for all the Japs dropping out of the compact car game... Well, I can agree with you for Nissan... But Toyota and Honda? No, both companies have kept building competitive and even segment-leading (in sales, if not in product) vehicles instead of letting their small cars rot.
Toyota has plenty of small cars for you to chose from, while GM's main brand only has 3... But the HHR is now classed as a CUV and it's never really been that interesting to buyers, mainly due to his style... While Toyota's styling, albeit not the nicest works for Joe Blow and his wife... And they've got 3 Scions to chose from, the Yaris, the Corolla and the Matrix... Not to mention a better 4-cylinder midsize than the Malibu (features being the only reason - 5-speed vs. 4-speed for instance).
Pontiac isn't a volume brand and its dealerships are rarely if ever attached to Chevy's (which explains why I'm including Scion in the mix), therefore taking two rebadged (eventually three, unless the G3 is headed for one of your territories) can't really being taken as serious offerings. As for Saturn? Well, yeah, only one small car and it's priced higher than a Volks... While the Volks offers a lot more power for the price (the same doesn't apply in Canada)... Not to mention it only comes in an hatch form right now, and God knows how Americans LOVE hatchbacks (they do, if they have a considerable amount of ground clearance)!
As for the other American automakers? Well, do I really have to say anything? None of them have subcompacts and their compacts are mediocre at best... Mediocre also comes to mind when it's time to talk about their fuel economy (I wish the XFE Cobalt would get a better auto... dang - it may get segment leading highway mileage, but that's with the manual... And not everyone drives a manual, especially commuters).
And before I get jumped on by my fellow domestic fanboys, I'll just point out that I'm a GM guy.
Aprime 7:07PM (6/08/2008)
Pardon the numerous grammatical mistakes (i.e.: His styling rather than its), it's just that I'm typing a lot today in both French and English.