Toyota's push for more market share

[Cyorke]

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/co...206_638946.htm

Toyot will replace 60% of its product lineup in the next two years. THey are not going to stop anytime inteh near future it looks like.

10% PUSH. To achieve that goal, Toyota will increase output at factories in France, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and Texas during 2006. The latter is a brand-new, $850 million factory opening later this year in San Antonio that will eventually churn out 200,000 Tundra pickups a year (see BW, 2/13/06, "Toyota Builds A Truck Even Bubba May Love"). In January, Toyota also announced it's spending $35 million to increase capacity at its Mexican plant.

In the U.S., where Toyota is targeting a 10% increase in sales this year, a remodeled version of the best-selling Camry will go on sale in March, while the Yaris compact, two new Lexus models, and the new Scion xB will all debut during 2006. Next year, a new Corolla is expected as well as two additions to the Lexus lineup -- a compact SUV and a crossover model. According to Kurt Sanger, an analyst at Macquarie Securities in Tokyo, Toyota will replace 60% of its existing model lineup in the next two years in the U.S., not accounting for brand-new models like the FJ Cruiser SUV, which is slated for launch later this year. "The pipeline is overwhelming," Sanger says.

[vasia]

Toyota's model blitz starts strong in 2006, it continues into 2007, and 2008/2009.

Two new Lexus models? I'm not so sure Toyota would do that. A compact SUV and a crossover? Am I the only one that sees overlap in that? Maybe a larger more luxurious crossover than the RX, but thats about it. A compact SUV I think will detract from the Lexus image and reputation, and put too much overlap with the Toyota brand, which is something Toyota has publically stated they want to move away from.

But yeah, for 2007, we get a new Corolla, new Highlander, new Sequoia, and possibly other models. In 2008, we should be getting a new Sienna, and the 3rd gen Prius, with Toyota's 3rd gen hybrid tech debuting.

GM boasts about how they have so many new models coming, but most of them are just rebadges of each other. Toyota has just as much, if not more models coming, and most of these are distinct models.

[Cyorke]

Two new Lexus models? I'm not so sure Toyota would do that. A compact SUV and a crossover

http://www.topspeed.com/fast_cars/lexus/hpx-ar640.html

I ahvent ever seen this concept, I wonder if it could be something along the lines of a crossover for them Looks to be much sprotier than the RX line is right now. Or maybe something the RX may become.