Although truck sales are well of the mark this year in the U.S., Toyota has announced that it will be boosting its Mexican output of Tacoma pickup trucks. Toyota lone Mexican plant – located in Tijuana – will increase Tacoma production to about 50,000 units this year, up from 32,249 in 2007.
Despite the increase in production, Tacoma sales – like all truck sales – are down this year. Tacoma sales were down 25.9 percent last month – totaling 11,364 sales – with first half sales down 9.1 percent, according to Automotive News.
Toyota failed to mention why it was boosting Mexican output of the truck, but it’s likely to create more capacity at Toyota’s New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, California, where the Tacoma is also produced. The NUMMI plant – which is a joint venture with General Motors – also produces the Toyota Matrix /Corolla, so the Japanese automaker could be clearing room to produce more of its fuel-efficient models.
