Toyota Motor Corp. recently introduced its entry in the full-size pickup market now dominated by the Big Three.
The Japanese automaker showed off the V-8-powered pickup truck, named Tundra, at the Indiana State Fair."In America, particularly in the Midwest, full-size pickup trucks rule," Don Edmonds, vice president for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., said at a news conference.
The truck, to be assembled at a plant under construction north of Evansville, Ind., will reach showrooms in late May.
The Tundra will offer an optional 4.7-liter, V-8 engine to compete against the Ford F-150, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
List price for the Tundra has not been set. "It's really too early to say where we'll set the price," Edmonds said.
An industry analyst said the Tundra will have much ground to make up against its U.S. competition.
"I think their past pickup truck efforts have suffered at least by comparison with GM, Ford and Chrysler entries in the field," said industry analyst David B. Healy of Burnham Securities.
The full-size Toyota truck will be available in two- and four-wheel drive, powered by a V-6 or V-8 engine, a standard and four-door extended cab, and dual air bags with a passenger-side cutoff switch.
"They're not going to woo away a lot of diehard Ford and GM loyalists, but they're going to put out a good product, and it certainly will improve their market share," Healy said.
Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. had planned to call the new full-size pickup the T150, but officials at Ford Motor Co. objected to the name as too similar to Ford F-150.
Toyota dropped the T150 name in a deal that included Ford's agreement to rename the Lincoln LS6 and LS8 as simply the LS.