The vehicle is still unknown to the company.
Toyota will build an SUV using its joint venture factory with Mazda. The automaker had previously planned to construct the Corolla there.
Toyota stated in a statement that the shift was in response to changing market needs and a growing consumer demand for SUVs and light trucks, which have been achieving record sales. Toyota plans to keep producing the Corolla at its Blue Springs, Mississippi factory.
Toyota-Mazda will jointly build a factory in Huntsville (Alabama). In 2021, start making vehicles It will employ approximately 4,000 people. It will be able to produce 300,000 cars annually. Mazda will also make a crossover at the site, but the automaker has not yet revealed the name. The project will be funded by $1.6 billion from the companies.
Although the identity of the new Toyota model remains a mystery, rumors suggest that the company may be considering building a production version of the FT-4X concept . (gallery above). This model would be a compact, rugged crossover for the brand. Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor North America CEO, stated that there are customers who want “another FJ,”. He believes there is room in Toyota’s lineup for an “authentic small-off-road SUV”.
The FT-4X Concept was a simple styling exercise. Designers wanted to take cues from vintage Land Cruisers and brand’s vintage pickups and make a compact crossover. The interior included utilitarian touches such as a removable audio system, and tubular HVAC vents which could tilt down to blow air onto the shelf below. Even the door handles could double as water bottles. Toyota did not provide any details about the drivetrain, but stated that it would be a small-displacement four cylinder engine and four wheel-drive system with low-range transfer cases.