Toyota Considering U.S. Built Camry

[Guest Josh]

TOKYO — Toyota is considering producing its mid-sized Camry sedan at new partner Fuji Heavy’s U.S. plant in Lafayette, Ind.

Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe said Monday details are being worked out on the alliance with Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the Japanese maker of Subaru cars. Both sides have said the factory in Lafayette will produce Toyota vehicles.

The Camry was the best-selling car in the United States last year for the fourth year in a row and eight of the last nine years. Toyota introduced the remodeled Camry in the United States and Japan this month.

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

The Indiana plant now makes about 100,000 Subaru vehicles a year, including Outback station wagons, Legacy sedans and the Baja and B9 Tribeca sport-utility vehicles. It wasn’t clear how the possible introduction of the Camry at the factory would affect Subaru production.

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

[thegriffon]

Don't do it Fuji, get yourself an exclusive product and make sure Toyota pays for the new tooling up front.

[Robert Hall]

The topic title is a bit misleading..the Camry has been built in the US for years...Georgetown, Ky...they are just considering an additional plant.

[Sixty8panther]

The topic title is a bit misleading..the Camry has been built in the US for years...Georgetown, Ky...they are just considering an additional plant.

Right... someting like 80% of Camrys are built over here.

You know I really liked Subaru as a brand as of late. The WRX, the STi, those cool pancake boxers and RW-biased AWD.... so much better, more sophisticated & a betre value than the POS Honda & Toyota $h!boxes that littter our streets. The fact that GM had a decdnt Japanese brand was cool. Now that Toyota ownes them it totally puts a damper on things.

Toyota will probably kill this brand by lettign it bleed on the operating table after thtey take what they need/want and then homoginizing Subaru into an AWD Scion.

[Flybrian]

Isn't Subaru among the lowest in initial quality rankings? What's Toyota going to do about that[\i]?

[Polish_Kris]

Isn't Subaru among the lowest in initial quality rankings? What's Toyota going to do about that[\i]?

Increase the rankings...

[Hudson]

Don't do it Fuji, get yourself an exclusive product and make sure Toyota pays for the new tooling up front.

I think you guys are a bit confused by the article. Toyota's looking for additional production capacity for the Camry, that's all. Subaru has half a plant that's not being used and, since Toyota owns part of Subaru, they're going to build Camrys for Toyota. These aren't going to be Subaru-badged products but a third US plant for Toyota Camrys.

I don't see the problem.

[PurdueGuy]

You guys act like Toyota is totally taking over Subaru. I don't think we'll really see that much change in Subaru.

BTW, that plant (which is about 10-15 min from me) was producing Isuzu products along side the Subaru products for a long time up until a couple years ago. (thus, the production space Hudson mentioned)

Edited February 1, 2006 by PurdueGuy