Toyota News: Toyota Investing $391 Million into San Antonio Truck Plant

[Drew Dowdell]

We reported back in April that the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma would be consolidated to a single modular platform for their respective next generations. Now Toyota is making a $391 million dollar investment into its San Antonio production line to help smooth the way.  The investment is not expected to create any new permanent jobs. 

The new platform, internally called F1, will first appear in the next generation Tundra expected in 2021 and eventually spread to all of Toyota's pickups worldwide.  Tacoma will move to the F1 platform in 2023 or 2024. The new platform will be capable of electrification. One of the engines rumored for the Tundra is a Twin-Turbo V6 Hybrid with 450 hp and 500 lb.-ft of torque

The Tundra is the oldest full-size pickup on the market today, first debuting in 2007 with the last major update done in 2014. 

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[G. David Felt]

While a small investment compared to Detroit investments, any is always good.

[USA-1]

Finally going to redesign or hopefully start from scratch on the archaic 12 or 13 year old Tundra platform they have now? How novel, Toyota. GM is on their third platform since the last all new Tundra in '07, GMT900 '07 -'13, K2XX '14 -'18, T1XX '19 - current. TMC might as well hang it up, same with Nissan the "new" Titan is a fugly POS F 150 knockoff that doesn't sell well at all and has numerous issues, stick to the throw away cars. Same with the ancient Tacoma platform, both are over 10 years on the same basic platform for these trucks with small refreshes and different front end clips and pretty gutless archaic drive-trains as well. I have a buddy in FL who just bought his wife a new Lexus GX460 because that's what she wanted, an L on the grille, and it's also at least 10 years old with an also archaic and gutless 300 hp 4.6L V8, all OLD technology, but Toyota piles the cash on the hood because they know their appliances are older than dirt. They're resting on their laurels from the late 80's and 90's when they actually made pretty decent, reliable vehicles.      

Edited September 18, 2019 by USA-1 Vortec 6.2

[Drew Dowdell]

5 minutes ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

Finally going to redesign or hopefully start from scratch on the archaic 12 or 13 year old Tundra platform they have now? 

Yeah, total redesign. 

[smk4565]

About time.  You'd think 1 of the 300,000 or so people that work at Toyota would have figured out you can't sell a 2007 platform truck in 2019 and be competitive.  

There is zero reason why Toyota shouldn't have 20% of the full size truck market, and I am talking half tun trucks, not the F350 and up stuff which they don't have a vehicle to compete with.  

[USA-1]

Toyota and Nissan can't compete with the domestic full size trucks, never have, never will. The loyal truck buyers at the Big 2 will make sure of that. The all new 2007 Tundra was supposed to be a "game changer", but never was. I still remember the commercials trying to portray a brawny truck showing the larger axle shafts and pinions and the "much larger brakes" which was a definite need because the previous Tundra had huge brake problems, the rotors were too small and warped pretty easily. Then when the truck came out in '07 they had a huge issue with cam shafts snapping in the all new 5.7 engine.  

[smk4565]

1 hour ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

Toyota and Nissan can't compete with the domestic full size trucks, never have, never will. The loyal truck buyers at the Big 2 will make sure of that. The all new 2007 Tundra was supposed to be a "game changer", but never was. I still remember the commercials trying to portray a brawny truck showing the larger axle shafts and pinions and the "much larger brakes" which was a definite need because the previous Tundra had huge brake problems, the rotors were too small and warped pretty easily. Then when the truck came out in '07 they had a huge issue with cam shafts snapping in the all new 5.7 engine.  

Toyota ran Ford and FCA out of sedans and GM is retreat.  Toyota has the #1 selling SUV in the country.  Toyota has the #1 selling mid-size truck. I don't see why they can't penetrate full size trucks with better success than they are now.

[USA-1]

2 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Toyota ran Ford and FCA out of sedans and GM is retreat.  Toyota has the #1 selling SUV in the country.  Toyota has the #1 selling mid-size truck. I don't see why they can't penetrate full size trucks with better success than they are now.

Totally different market for sedans and full size trucks, apples to oranges man. People buy on the cheap with sedans and there's no money in cars unless luxury, they can have it. New Cadillac cars smoke Lexus that has fallen back on quality as well and the Escalade? TMC has no chance to compete with it. #1 doesn't mean crap about quality of build just look at the F150, prime example of cheaply built, but sell more because they don't last. False public perception is that Toyota still stands for quality, no longer true. 

[balthazar]

Truck buyers are a LOT more knowledgeable, demanding, discerning & loyal than disposable / rental class sedan buyers, most of whom are still motivated by outdated reliability reports from 15 years ago.

And no- the 'platform' (frame, actually) is not the problem.

[USA-1]

2 minutes ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

Totally different market for sedans and full size trucks, apples to oranges man. People buy on the cheap with sedans and there's no money in cars unless luxury, they can have it. New Cadillac cars smoke Lexus that has fallen back on quality as well and the Escalade? TMC has no chance to compete with it. #1 doesn't mean crap about quality of build just look at the F150, prime example of cheaply built, but sell more because they don't last. False public perception is that Toyota still stands for quality, no longer true. 

Also, I just stated above why they can't compete...Brand Loyal buyers.

[USA-1]

2 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Truck buyers are a LOT more knowledgeable, demanding, discerning & loyal than disposable / rental class sedan buyers, most of whom are still motivated by outdated reliability reports from 15 years ago.

And no- the 'platform' (frame, actually) is not the problem.

The manufacturers actually call it a "new platform", I understand it's a full body on frame architecture I drive one and have since I was 16 and used to do my own chassis work before life got in the way too. The Tacoma has had major rust problems with the frame, neighbor had one.

[Drew Dowdell]

25 minutes ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

The manufacturers actually call it a "new platform", I understand it's a full body on frame architecture I drive one and have since I was 16 and used to do my own chassis work before life got in the way too. The Tacoma has had major rust problems with the frame, neighbor had one.

You're preaching to the choir director there.....

Tacoma sales haven't fallen since the Canyon, Colorado, and Ranger all came back on the market.  The pie for mid-size trucks just got a whole lot bigger. 

[smk4565]

Toyota can't put Lexus-level quality and reliability into the Tundra and beat any domestic truck in that area?  Toyota can't beat them in fuel economy and price?   I think Toyota is slacking in full size trucks.  The current Tundra is the worst full size truck on sale, and there is no excuse for that with the resources Toyota has.

[USA-1]

16 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Toyota can't put Lexus-level quality and reliability into the Tundra and beat any domestic truck in that area?  Toyota can't beat them in fuel economy and price?   I think Toyota is slacking in full size trucks.  The current Tundra is the worst full size truck on sale, and there is no excuse for that with the resources Toyota has.

Like I stated earlier TMC is resting on their laurels...and have for far too long I might add.

[daves87rs]

About damn time.....

[Drew Dowdell]

Trucks like the Tundra are a North American only type of vehicle.  Cars like the Pruis and Corolla are more important because they can be sold globally... most importantly, in China.  Trucks in the US are like Kei cars in Japan.  Very market specific.