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Toyota To Build New Crossover At Alabama Plant, It's Probably the FT-4X
12 Jul 2019, 10:38 UTC ·
by Mircea Panait
Home > News > Car Profile
Not that long ago, Toyota and Mazda were looking for a place in the United States where they could build a factory. The two parties settled for Huntsville, Alabama and $1.6 billion in investments. Come 2021, the assembly plant will be up and running with a yearly capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
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MTMUS is where Mazda plans to produce a new crossover while Toyota would make the Corolla. But the bigger of the two companies decided to backtrack on that, shifting production to “a new, yet-to-be announced SUV.” The best-selling RAV4 and growing demand for crossover utility vehicles lead us to believe that the FT-4X from the 2017 New York Auto Show is the culprit.
Toyota will release more details in regard to the mystery model at a later date, and the Corolla will continue production in Blue Springs, Mississippi for the foreseeable future. At MTMUS, up to 4,000 jobs will be created to support crossover production for both Mazda and Toyota.
Aimed at “millennial-aged professional confined to city limits,” the FT-4X has been designed in Newport Beach, California as a “four-wheel-drive toolbox” with “Rugged Charm compact design” and “a long list of unique functionalities.” If you’re fed up with this marketing mumbo-jumbo, so are we. In all likelihood, the concept will morph into a sub-RAV4 model with limited capabilities off the beaten track and a hybrid option to appease the EPA.
Equipped with 18-inch Goodyear all-season tires and standing 167.3 inches long, the FT-4X comes with a four-cylinder engine, selectable low-range, MacPherson strut suspension up front, and a double-wishbone arrangement for the rear axle. It’s a promising crossover so far, but no an heir-apparent to the FJ Cruiser or a mini-me version of the Land Cruiser with the big ol’ V8.
Speaking of which, word has it the Land Cruiser will switch to a force-fed V6 for the next generation of the full-size SUV. That wouldn’t come as a surprise if you take a look at how Lexus dropped the V8 from the engine range of the LS, but on the other hand, don’t forget that Lexus also prepares to welcome a twin-turbo V8 in the LC F.
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TOYOTA models:TOYOTA Yaris Hatchback (US) SmallTOYOTA Highlander / Kluger Medium SUVTOYOTA Corolla Touring Sports CompactTOYOTA Corolla EU CompactTOYOTA Tacoma Double Cab Midsize PickupAll TOYOTA models
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