As part of its corporate plan to move more vehicle production overseas, Toyota has announced it will be shifting assembly of its Highlander Hybrid to Princeton, Indiana by mid 2013.
The move comes as Japan’s largest automaker attempts to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations, which are not only eating into profits at home but making it increasingly difficult to export vehicles while maintaining competitive prices.
Toyota has announced that it will recall more than 82,000 hybrid SUVs in the United States this summer, due to faulty soldering. The voluntary recall was prompted by a National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration investigation launched in February, after 32 drivers complained about their vehicles stalling unexpectedly.
Where in the past Toyota has opted to pair its hybrid system with a slightly less powerful engine for maximum fuel economy, this year's version of the SUV will provide improvements in both power and fuel efficiency.
According to announcements made yesterday by Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada, the company plans to introduce six new hybrid vehicles by the end of 2012. Two of the new hybrids would be Toyota vehicles and two would be Lexus luxury models. The company did not spell out which models would be offered as hybrids—so we’ll make our predictions: RAV4 Hybrid, Yaris Hybrid, Sienna Hybrid, Corolla Hybrid, and two sporty Lexus hybrid models. Let's not forget the Toyota plug-ins coming soon.
