Toyota Eyes More CUVs

Although it already offers a number of cross/utility vehicles in the U.S. market, Toyota Motor Corp. may be adding more, as consumers continue to shift away from truck-based SUVs to more fuel-efficient, car-based versions.

“The trend (toward CUVs) will continue,” Jim Press, president-Toyota Motor North America, tells Ward's. “We are evaluating a number of opportunities for (CUVs).”

Press stops short of confirming a rumored Lexus-badged variant of Toyota's popular RAV4 small CUV, whose production will be shifting from Japan to a new plant in Woodstock, Ont., Canada, in 2008. Toyota already builds the Lexus RX 350 CUV at another Canadian plant, in the nearby city of Cambridge, Ont.

A recent report had Toyota discontinuing its Solara Camry coupe, in favor of a Toyota-badged CUV, to be built on the Camry line in Georgetown, KY. “We're not yet ready to talk about what will happen with Solara,” Press says.

Ward's data indicates a new all-wheel-drive Camry-based midsize Toyota CUV, FT-SX, is set for sale in 2008 as an '09 model.

Also reportedly on tap is a new Lexus midsize CUV, dubbed JX, going on sale next year as an '08 model.

The AWD JX will share the Lexus IS platform, NC250, rather than the RAV4 platform.