Toyota Will Swap SUVs for Sedans at New U.S. Plant

Toyota Motor Corp says it will make SUV/crossovers instead of Corolla sedans in the joint-venture factory it’s building with Mazda Motor Corp. in Alabama.

The company says the switch is a “response to changing market demands and a growing consumer appetite for light trucks.” The company will continue to build Corollas for the American market at its plant in Blue Springs, Miss.

The $1.6 billion Huntsville facility will have annual capacity to make 300,000 vehicles when it opens in 2021. Toyota had planned to use its 150,000 allocation for the Corolla. Mazda says it will use its allotment for a new crossover vehicle.

Corolla sales in the U.S. last year fell 8% to 303,700 units and were down 5% through the first half of 2019, Automotive News notes. It says full-year demand for the model peaked at 387,400 units in 2006.

Meanwhile, market demand for SUV/crossovers continues to outpace interest in conventional sedans. AN says Toyota will show dealers the new crossover it plans for the Huntsville plant during a private meeting in September.