Toyota Committed to Tundra Despite Slowing Sales
Despite the Toyota Tundra’s dramatically sliding sales since it launched in 2007, Bob Carter, Toyota group vice president and general manager, says the automaker is fully committed to the full-size pickup, according to our friends at TheDetroitBureau.com.
“We have a great truck,” Carter said at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday. “Yes, sales have been challenging but the [entire full-size market] has shrunk from 2.5 million units to barely 1.1 million units.”
Last year, Toyota sold 79,385 Tundra pickups, down from 196,555 in 2007, a drop off of almost 60%.
Now, Carter said, he expects to see industry sales climb as the economy comes out of recession and the construction industry -- which depends on trucks -- recovers.
“The market will come back,” Carter said. “But [full size pickups] will be a lagging segment. We think, eventually, it will come back to 1.8 million units or up to 2 million but we don’t expect it will return to its peak.”
Of course, Toyota expects the Tundra to be there when the rebound happens.
“You can bet your lunch we’ll be a major player.”
[Source: TheDetroitBureau.com]
Comments
Good for them.
The only thing this truck dominates other trucks is the powertrain.
They should redesign the Tacoma, it is in same design since 2005. Last I hear the Tacoma isn't being redesigned until 2013! Way too long.
Small pickups need to make a comeback.
They'll have to back those words up with development monies or fall in line with nissan.
Q: A Ford, Dodge, Chevy, and Toyota all pull up on opposite side of one another at a four way stop. Which truck goes first?
A: The Toyota, who wants an accident from unintended acceleration!
Sadly Toyota should be committed to safety as much as they seem to be committed to this truck instead of pulling cover-ups which is just now being found out about. It will not kill the company but the damage has been and still is being done IMHO. Its going to take them a long time to bounce back from all the trouble they have gotten themselves into. Look at all the trouble Ford and GM has had with past mistakes, which was well documented, didn't Toyota learn anything from all this? I think the American auto companies are really in a position to take the lead in reliability and safety now because of all this mess with Toyota. Also the Tundra is only a niche truck at that. The "Good ole boys" would just assume walk before driving a Toyota IMHO. And when you are talking truck sales, even with fleet sales, the good ole boys dominate.
Two billion to build the Texas factory, with sales goals of 200K a year. This year they will likely sell about what they sold last year. Possibly a few more, if things pick-up late in the year. With ever increasing competition from the big boys, Toyota will have to make a serious upgrades soon. Particularly the interior and ride quality. With new motors hitting the street Ford will see serious growth, as power has been their most serious downfall.
It'll be a while before Toyota sees a positive return on the Tundra. Glad to see they are in it for the long term though.
Good time to be a truck buyer!
No other truck has seen the same decline, percentage-wise as the Tundra. Toyota can't point to that as a reason why folks aren't buying. The fact is, if you want a real truck, GM or Ford fit the bill. I, for one, am happy to see Toyota take one on the chin for trying to weasel in on an American tradition.
The Tundra isn't that bad of a truck. Payload wise it matches the domestics (1/2 ton), power is better, so why doesn't it sell. It costs more. You can't charge a premium when you are trying to establish yourself in a market. Upgrade the interior so it looks like one cohesive design from driver to passenger, upgrade the electronics (copy the domestics if you have too) and keep the price within shooting distance of the mid-level domestic. That will be a winning combination.
Bill - I'm happy they took one on the chin to. I have always said on this site before the recalls that Toyota and more importantly the people who drive them always want to rub in everybody else faces that they think they have the best vehicles. Wonder what they think now. But if they faced the facts, Toyota has been on a major decline for about 10 years now. 2000 started out with sludge in the motors, then came the frames that rusted away, then the problem with unintended acceleration as far back as 2002! And to make a point here CTS never started making pedals for them until 2005. But Toyota answer was it was the Americans fault. If people keep buying their crap then they have only themselves to blame.
Even with toyotas troubles I would still rather push one than to give ford motor company a single dime. I got burned badly once back in the 90's and will never sign up for that nightmare again. Toyota does need to get real on their pricing if they are going to compete in the work market.
The major issue for Toyota is lack of experience, awkward design inside and out, declining quality, dated technology and last but not least pricing that doesn't match the competition. Toyota cannot be taken seriously if they don't deliver, and deliver they did not this time around. With all the new trucks coming out I would look to see the Tundra take another hit as far as sales are concerned over the next year. A new grill and a new motor that no one wants won't save a sinking ship. A whole new design, however, might.
When Ford comes out with that new 5.0L no one will be able to complain about lack of power again. This will add yet another dent to Tundra sales.
Mike - sorry you got burned. Although I don't know how or why you got burned every manufacture has a lemon come through the cracks now and again. My first truck was a GM and it was a POS! I have owned 2 Fords ever since with no troubles at all. I will say that Ford quality has came a long way since the 90's.
G-Street I agree completely.
Toyota needs to address all of their current problems openly and aggressively. Once they've addressed their problems they need to fire a whole bunch of executives. They need to show the consumer that the "Old" Toyota is dead and the "New" Toyota is here.
Part of this "rebirth" should entail coming out with a totally new Tundra. This will help them show that they are moving on to "bigger and better things".
Many hardcore truck guys will not buy a Tundra regardless of how good it is. Bill is representitive of many truck owners. Pickups are an American institution. Toyota totally underestimated the full size truck market. I'd say it's a 2 billion dollar shot to the chin and gonads.
The Tundra doesn't sell well because it is the ugliest vehicle sold in the US. The Nissan Cube looks better than a Tundra. Doesn't help that the drivetrain is unrelialbe as well.
And the frame is to weak.
yoyota can think what they want of there stupid tundra, it sucks a big one everytime, the frame is weak, the interior makes you feel like your in a toyota, and who ever said better powertrain man, thats what you like to think.
I not a big fan of the Tundra, recent quality problems, bouncy ride, week frame, and ugly interior are all turn offs. My Titan has been great to me for five years know, I rides decent has plenty of power, and while the interior could use some quality improvements it laid out well and easy to use.
Well put RJ. I personally cannot find a part of the Tundra that would make me want to buy one. I have always owned a Chevy or GMC and thats what my next truck will be, but I would seriously buy a Ford F150 in a heartbeat before I would even consider the Tundra.
My bad, It's 1.3 billion. Not 2 billion. Not sure if they make the
Sequoia there or not, However selling 100K trucks a year will just not pay the mortgage on 1.3 billion.
I believe it was Dana Corp who made those rusty early Tundra frames. That'll teach Toyota...
Established:
2003
Current Investment:
$1.3 billion
Employment:
1,850
one things for sure they do have the fastest accellerating truck on the road!
"one things for sure they do have the fastest accellerating truck on the road!"
Because that's the most important thing is a car. Oh wait...
Give it up already toyota its the ugliest dumbest truck onthe road.You need to stick with what you do best that is small trucks.Would drive a pos dodge before I drove this mess called tundra.
The Ford F-Series accounted for 813,000 sales last year, while the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra combined for 754,000 sales and the Dodge Ram netted 396,000 sales. When are people gonna realize that the Tundra was a MAJOR bomb in both sales and capability.
@RJ - where did you get your sales figures from? THis site posted 2009 sales as follows:
Top 10 Pickup Truck Sales in 2009
No. 1: Ford F-Series
413,625
No. 2: Chevrolet Silverado
316,544
No. 3: Dodge Ram
177,268
No. 4: GMC Sierra
111,842
No. 5: Toyota Tacoma
111,824
No. 6: Toyota Tundra
79,385
No. 7: Ford Ranger
55,600
No. 8: Chevrolet Colorado
32,413
No. 9: Nissan Frontier
28,415
No. 10: Nissan Titan
19,042
2009 - Toyota sold more pickups than Dodge Ram.
Tacoma and Tundra versus Ram 1500, Ram HD, and Dakota
That is the most news worthy sales item of 2009.
I am looking foreward to February sales figures to see how much damage was done to Toyota with recalls.
@Lou
I apologize, I copy/pasted 2002's #'s.
@RJ - no problem.
Guys, guys, I am a long term Toyota small pickup buyer...
I bought my first Toyota pickup back in the days when Toyota's were not as popular. I really was the only one for miles that owned a Toyota pickup. Lifted with 33 and later 35 inch tires on top of that...
I have never been a fan of the Tundra though you could read the writing on the wall about the future size of the current Tacoma after the latest Tundra came out...
I drove my first Tundra pitting for Rod Millen's Tundra short course off-road racing team in Crandon, Wisconsin the first year they came out. Was not impressed with the 1st generation...
I traded my 1997 little Tacoma for the new 2005 Tacoma!
The first real Tundra was built to differentiate from the crowd by using the powerful V8 and 6-speed tranny as center pieces. Note the 1st generation Tundra had 4-valves per cylinder or 32 total, a first for this segment as was the new 6-speed tranny!
Give Toyota credit for trying though. They did not opt to re-badge somebody else's pickup like the domestic brands did with their compacts in the early 80's by taking Japanese brands and re-badging them until they could build their own!
By the way the Tundra factory in Texas will be building the Tacoma now, so the investement will be worth it now!
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