Toyota Releases 2 U.S.-Built Models in Japan

Nagoya, April 3 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp. released two U.S.-made models in Japan on Thursday. The Highlander SUV and the Tundra pickup truck were put on sale by a dealership in Tokyo. Nationwide sales will begin as early as this summer. The Highlander, a seven-seater with three rows of seating, is produced at a factory in Indiana and sells for 8.6 million yen. The Tundra, one of the largest passenger vehicles sold in Japan by Toyota, measures about 6 meters in length and two meters in width and height. It is manufactured at a factory in Texas and priced at 12 million yen. The Japanese automaker also plans to sell U.S.-built Camry sedans in Japan starting in the second half of this year. Toyota sells those vehicles using a new certification system introduced under last year’s Japan-U.S. agreement to simplify import procedures for U.S.-made vehicles. “By bringing these three U.S.-produced models to Japan, Toyota will meet the diverse needs of a broad range of customers and help further strengthen Japan-U.S. relations,” the company said in a statement. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]