Toyota NA Prez: Our sales growth will be slowed when other companies make fuel-efficient cars
It's a page from the school of lowered expectations playbook.Toyota Motor North America president Jim Press is not saying the company is done expanding, just that the Japanese automaker's growth potential is not unlimited. What's the main factor that will cut into Toyota's outstanding sales? When other companies get fuel-efficient vehicles right.
"The expansion of fuel-efficient products was really unanticipated," Press told Auto News (subs req'd). "Katrina, $3-a-gallon fuel, an awakening of America's understanding of the environment. These issues were all bubbling up at the same time. ... We took advantage of an early investment in technology. ... The investments have been made in new products. A lot of the competitors are just now beginning to make that payoff come to market. As others come forward with more fuel-efficient products, we are going to have more competition. It's not right to figure that our current growth rate is going to continue ad infinitum. It's not."
On second thought, maybe that's not really lowering expectations. It might be kind of a challenge to the Big 2.5, don't you think?
[Source: Mark Rechtin, Automotive News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Arnie 9:27AM (5/01/2007)
It's a page from the scool of PR disinformation. He's suggesting that no other automaker makes fuel efficient vehicles and that Toyota are far ahead of everybody else. That's simply not true. European diesel engines are in general more efficient that the Prius and other Toyota systems. What will really threaten Toyota is when these engines are available in great numbers in the States. Maybe that's what he was talking about.
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MikeW 12:12PM (5/01/2007)
How about Toyota make fuel efficient cars to start.
Where is the new engine for the corolla (toyota added the intake vane phaser for the 2000 model year, what have they done lately? install a 6 speed automatic-NO), or a a new corolla for that matter.
Didn't toyota just introduce a new 1.6 I4, with variable intake/exhaust valve timing? Where is that in the yaris?
The 2gr-fe is nice, but come on, throwing it everywhere sounds a little too much like nissan with their VQ35.
Where is the 6 speed auto for the Avalon?
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Der Alte 3:30PM (5/01/2007)
The next gen Corolla is due to roll out mid 2008 as an early 2009 model. It will have slightly upgraded version of its current engine with a tweak in fuel economy, but its a pretty good motor already. The 09 Corolla will be offered with a CVT instead of a traditional automatic for even better fuel economy. A hybrid version will also be offered.
Toyota was going to make the next N.A. Corolla an 08 model, but the re-designed Honda Civic gave them some pause to go over their design once again. Allegedly they also wanted to delay launch for a year to focus engineering resources on ensuring good quality control on the new Camry.
I would expect the new Corolla to share the same qualities of the current model, but do things just a bit better. I'm hoping they will keep pace with the Civic by offering standard ABS and four wheel disc brakes. The stereo system could also use upgrading with steering wheel mounted controls. The Corolla's market will be more competetive than ever in the next few years. I'm sure it will continue to do well, but Toyota will have to watch cars like the Hyundai Elantra as they gain in quality and content while keeping their prices the same or lower as the Corolla.
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