Toyota to build 100k cars at Suby plant

Toyota is saying it has plans to build up to 100,000 cars at the Subaru plant in Indiana starting in 2007. Subaru now builds 123,000 cars/ year at the same plant. No word on what cars.

Hopefully quality won't suffer with the increased production rate or Toyota's standards will carry over and actually improve quality.

Maybe we will find free beer in camrys too...

Maybe we will find free beer in camrys too...

???? Did I miss something?

???? Did I miss something?

Yes, yes you did. A Legacy owner found a beer can under his bumper cover- clearly put there during assembly

They could build Camry's there... No retooling required--damned thing looks like a Legacy sedan. Just new badges and drop in Toyota's FWD V6 powertrain.

They could build Camry's there... No retooling required--damned thing looks like a Legacy sedan. Just new badges and drop in Toyota's FWD V6 powertrain.

ROTFL I can see it now ".....Martha when the hell did Camarys get so damm fast" :icon_bigg

moved to Subaru NEws

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=&e=15&u=/ap/20051123/ap_on_bi_ge/japan_toyota_gm_11

eeek....as long as th camry and the legacy dont rub onto each other...i dont care !!!

Here's hoping that since Camrys will be built there, the Legacy won't get the pig nose.

does that mean theres gonna be a subaru shortage in the us because of this? and quality is mos definitely gonna be a issue. i just don't want subaru to try and play catch up, not spending enough time on each car (legacy), don't care much for the wrx.

does that mean theres gonna be a subaru shortage in the us because of this? and quality is mos definitely gonna be a issue. i just don't want subaru to try and play catch up, not spending enough time on each car (legacy), don't care much for the wrx.

 

No worries..it will be a separate line. Half of the plant used to be owned by isuzu...isuzu pulled out of manufacturing in America and Subaru bought the whole plant. Subaru doesn't make anywhere near the amount of cars to fill the plants capacity. It's in Subaru's best interest to fill capacity at the plant...it will also ease the stress on subaru's pocketbook.

 

Subaru won't be building the cars...Toyota will. SIA just provides them a place to do so.

The Japanese call it Keiretsu (clusters or alliances). Since Toyota has manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia , they already share suppliers with Subaru, Honda, Nissan etc; therefore, it makes plenty of sense to 'rent' the old Isuzu part, split overhead, and utilize the idle capacity. It is a low risk expansion for them - especially now, just before the new Camry, Corolla, and a brand new 6spd auto along with a new V6 enter production. Let's hope Subaru learns kaizen and poka yoke better...

Maybe Subaru can borrow Toyota's climate control system, and maybe their Lexus paint. Conversely, Toyota could do with some turbo tech.

Another version of the story

 

SIA-Toyota plan still in the works

By Max Showalter

mshowalter@journalandcourier.com

November 24, 2005

A recent change in partners by the company that owns the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. plant in Lafayette could begin to pay some handsome dividends not too far down the road.

Reports from Japan indicate Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to manufacture up to 100,000 vehicles at SIA, with production beginning in 2007.

Tom Easterday, senior vice president at SIA, said ongoing studies and discussions involving Toyota and Subaru's parent company -- Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. -- have centered around the possibility of a production alliance.

 

 

"The studies are very complex and cover a wide range of topics. An agreement between FHI and Toyota regarding possible production of Toyota vehicles at SIA cannot be reached until the studies are concluded and thoroughly analyzed," Easterday said. "We do not have a set timeframe for when either of those events will occur.

 

"Clearly, both FHI and Toyota must determine that production of Toyota vehicles at SIA is in each of their best interests before any agreement can be reached."

 

The Asahi newspaper in Tokyo reported executives from Toyota and Fuji are expected to finalize a production plan when they meet on Dec. 5.

 

"I think that would be great," said Lafayette resident Earl Coleman, on the possibility that Toyota could bring additional production to SIA.

Coleman worked at the plant eight years before taking a voluntary layoff in July 2004. He has since found a new job and plans to pursue a master's degree in school counseling from Purdue University.

 

"Quality is very important at Subaru and that would be a real good match. And it would help the (local economy) out tremendously."

Toyota in, GM out

 

In October, FHI dissolved a 6-year-old strategic alliance with General Motors Corp. and announced that Toyota had agreed to purchase an 8.7 percent stake in FHI for $315 million.

 

GM had owned 20 percent of the company that operates the Lafayette plant, and the dissolution put a halt to plans to produce a Saab crossover sport-utility vehicle for General Motors, at SIA, beginning in 2007.

 

Mike Jackson, director of North American vehicle forecasts at CSM Worldwide, a Michigan-based auto industry research and consulting firm, said production plans at SIA would tie in well with Toyota's expectations of continuing its recent robust sales performance.

 

"It certainly would make sense for Toyota, in regards to leveraging and taking advantage of available (production) capacity and being able to expand without having to invest in a new facility," Jackson said. "Toyota has a very aggressive sales growth strategy. With that regard, their degree of flexibility certainly bodes well."

 

SIA expects to manufacture approximately 119,000 Subaru Legacy, Outback, B9 Tribeca and Baja models this year.

 

With the B9 Tribeca scheduled for export to Europe, Japan and Australia beginning next year, Subaru projects production in 2006 will reach 131,000 units.

 

The 2.8 million-square-foot plant -- originally owned 51 percent by Fuji Heavy Industries and 49 percent by Isuzu Motors Ltd. -- began production in 1989. Isuzu ended its partnership at the facility in 2004.

Approximately 2,350 people are employed at SIA, with 65 associates on layoff because of the Isuzu pullout.

 

Waiting on word

Dana Smith, president of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, said production of Toyota vehicles could boost SIA employment levels to slightly more than 3,000 -- where it was when Isuzu models built at the plant were selling well.

 

"If the rumors are right ... you have a new manufacturer coming in. That's probably going to mean more warehouse space, maybe more sub-assembly taking place," Smith said. "In the long haul, there is no question in my mind that this rumor could bode very well for the community."

 

The report in the Asahi newspaper indicates five to six Toyota models are candidates for production at the Lafayette facility.

 

"The degree of flexibility within the plant is important. There is some lead time required," said Jackson. "For a product to go in there, you're looking at a product already built elsewhere. Toyota could have a 'sense of comfort' in executing a strategy like that."

 

But the company, which has 12 plants in Japan, also produces Lexus and Toyota vehicles and components at 51 manufacturing companies in 26 other countries.

 

"It has been widely reported that Toyota has also researched other options for expanding its production in North America. SIA has an outstanding work force that builds some of the best vehicles in the automotive market," Easterday said. "The Subarus built at SIA have an excellent reputation for quality, safety, performance and reliability. It would certainly be a further compliment to SIA associates and our community should Toyota vehicles be built here in the future."

Maybe Subaru can borrow Toyota's climate control system, and maybe their Lexus paint. Conversely, Toyota could do with some turbo tech.

 

 

as much as i would like to see the legacies get a new paint job, i think that toyo is keepin it super charged. i'm throwin a trd supercharger in my 4runner next month .

I have no problem with it. These alliances are getting so common that I don't even think about them much anymore.

If anything, toyota is interested in subaru's awd. And these alliances that seem recent have actually existed for a long time in the japanese business world like tyek mentioned, "keiretsu".

If anything, toyota is interested in subaru's awd.

 

this is a good point. Nissan owned the shares prior to GM and they wanted access to the AWD. Turns out, Subaru referred them to Renault who eventually bought a portion of Nissan.

Maybe Subaru can borrow Toyota's climate control system, and maybe their Lexus paint. Conversely, Toyota could do with some turbo tech.

 

But not Lexus leather. It sucks. My mom's RX 300 is the same age as my Legacy but with a few less miles and quite a few more cracks in her seats.

camry awd?

hybred rav4 ala subaru?

Are the SIA workers UAW associates? Isn't Toyota non-union?

camry awd?

hybred rav4 ala subaru?

 

The January Car & Driver has a review of the new RAV4. Its pretty good competition for the forester XT.

 

269 HP V6 thats rated at 26 MPG Highway 0-60 in 6.3

5 speed auto (ok no manual available)

3 rd row seat

DVD entertainment, Sirius available.

all for 28k loaded.

Are the SIA workers UAW associates? Isn't Toyota non-union?

 

Not sure about Toyota, but SIA is non-union.