Toyota to sell ‘gaijin’ truck, SUV in domestic market

MANILA: Toyota Motor Company will sell the United States (US)-made Tundra pickup truck and Highlander sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Japan. 

According to the Aichi Prefecture-headquartered car manufacturer, the move to bring the foreign models to its home country is part of a new system the company adopted sometime in February. 

The move was executed to allow Toyota to “meet the diverse needs of a broad range of customers and help further strengthen Japan-US relations.” 

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Certification bypass 

Both the American-made pickup truck and SUV will be sold in Japan without undergoing additional Japan-specific certification testing. 

“Toyota has been exploring the use of this system to sell vehicles produced at its US. plants in Japan. Today, it announced that the Tundra and Highlander, two models popular in the US, have obtained certification under the system and will now be sold in Japan,” Toyota wrote in a press release. 

After bringing in the Toyota Tundra and Highlander, the marque will follow through with the sale of the ‘Murican Camry “as soon as preparations are complete.” 

Big Texan 

For those unaware, the Toyota Tundra is manufactured at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas facility. 

As such, the nameplate is categorized as a full-size pickup truck and will be sold in Japan with the following features: 

Exterior 

• Dimensions: 5,930 millimeters (mm) long x 2,030 mm wide x 1,980 mm high 
• Oversized, three-dimensional front grille 
• Lightweight, highly durable cargo bed made of aluminum and high-strength sheet molding compound 
• Power tailgate 

Interior 

• 14-inch multimedia touchscreen system 
• 12.3-inch thin-film transistor color display
• Genuine leather seats

Powertrain, chassis 

• 3.4-liter Twin-Turbo V6 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission
• Built on TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture - Frame) ladder frame 
• Part-time four-wheel drive 

Midwestern machine 

The Toyota Highlander hails from the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana plant in the country’s Midwestern region. 

Sold in Japan from 2000 to 2007 under the Kluger moniker, it will be sold in the “Land of the Rising Sun” with the following appointments: 

Exterior 

• Large-diameter tires with wide tread
• A large grille and sharp LED headlights
• Three-dimensional rear combination lamps that extend horizontally 
• Wide rear bumper 

Interior 

• Panoramic roof, JBL premium sound system, and a color head-up display
• An instrument panel with a horizontal layout
• Flat-folding third-row seats for approximately 870 liters of luggage space 

Powertrain, chassis 

• 2.5-liter inline, four-cylinder engine and a powerful electric motor 
• Electric four-wheel drive technology 
• Eco, Normal, Sport modes with Trail Mode 

Pricing 

According to Toyota, the upcoming models will be sold with the following sticker prices: 

Toyota Tundra	¥12,000,000 (approximately P4.552 million)
Toyota Highlander	¥8,600,000 (approximately P3.264 million)

Also read:

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Toyota to reveal new Hilux on Nov. 10

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