All Entries Tagged With: "scion truck"

Toyota Tundra Production Capacity Could Grow – Chicken Tax Update

The Trans-Pacific Partnership talks are heating up and the Chicken Tax is a big part of the negotiations. If the tax is dropped, could Toyota shift Tacoma production to Japan and increase the Tundra truck production capacity? This is just one of many possibilities.

Toyota has a production capacity issue in Texas. If the Chicken Tax is dropped, they could shift Tacoma production and vastly grow the Tundra’s production.

Toyota Building Prius-Flavored Pickup?

This week’s Automotive News breaks down Toyota’s product plans for the next few years, including supposed plans for a Prius branded compact pickup – likely based on the A-Bat concept pictured here:

A truck based on this concept has been rumored for some time – a hybrid version has been hinted at over the last few years, and Scion President Jack Hollis has hinted at a Scion version of the A-BAT concept for a few months now.

Here’s what we think:

Will Consumers Buy Compact, Unibody Scion Pickups?

Toyota has been kicking around the concept of building a compact unibody pickup for it’s Scion brand. While Toyota’s motivations aren’t completely clear, they probably go a little something like this:

1. Because the Tacoma has grown from compact to midsize, there might be room in the marketplace for a truly compact pickup truck.
2. Truck owners seem to be fiercely loyal to a particular brand, and this loyalty is often fostered at a young age. Building a cheap compact Toyota truck gives us a chance to grow a lifetime customer.
3. A compact pickup would help Toyota meet our federal fleet fuel economy rating.
4. Compact little unibody pickups have some appeal worldwide.
5. Toyota is really, really good at building small vehicles.

So there you have it – Toyota’s case for building a compact pickup for the Scion brand. Now let’s break it down a little further.