Toyota could build Kluger locally
March 5, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Though far from being official, Toyota Australia chief executive Max Yasuda has hinted at the prospect of a four-wheel drive vehicle, possibly the Kluger, being produced at the company’s Altona plant, in Melbourne.
While the move is welcomed news Mr Yasuda has stressed a decision will not be made until the global financial crisis subsides.
“If we build it here, obviously there is no need to produce (from Japan) for the Australian market, because Australia is the only right-hand drive market for this Kluger,” Mr Yasuda said.
If the Kluger is built in Australia, it will join the medium-sized Camry and six-cylinder Aurion models that are presently built in Melbourne.
“We have made no secret of our desire to produce a third model line-up as part of our manufacturing product mix,” Toyota spokesman Glenn Campbell said. “The possibility of a third model in unlikely in the next few years given the current economic climate, but when conditions improve it is one of the options we might consider.”
Print it: 
Maybe they could add some design cues off Verso (come Corolla, come Rav4, come Yaris) as they could do no worse! LMAO
That’s always good news, more jobs etc…
This rumour has been around for as long as I can remember. It won’t happen. The numbers do not stack up.
Toyota already build the 4cyl and V6 Camry here, why not add the wagon (Kluger) as well?
Spitfire is right. This sounds like Mr.Yasuda flying a kite to attract the attention of those who will decide his next posting. He obviously wants a non-descript job back in Japan.
Capt, probaly right, unless they’re chasing MORE govenment funding…..
Bret, they could be, but is the OZ government that stupid?
I dunno. $35mil to build a Hybrid Camry that they were gunna build anyway?
I’m pretty sure Toyota think they are.
do you really want an answer to that captain ha ha ha ha
you beat me to it bret ha ha ha
I wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota axe the “goal post shifting” Aurion and simply offer the Camry with both V6 and 4 cylinder engines like they did with previous models.. instead of building virtually identical cars with different front/rear ends [mind you they seem to do that throughout their range].. This would then give them room to build the Krueger.
I mean the lac lustere sales of the Aurion – in particular the TRD prove that it hasn’t been as much of a success as Toyta would have liked whereas the Camry has continued to do well
Building the Kluger in OZ is not as simple as swapping the Aurion outer panels for Camry ones. The basic structure between Camry and Aurion is the same.
Kluger is a totally different structure which would require tooling investment and local supplier commitment far in excess of any potential payback. But if the Govt. wants to write the cheque, who knows what might happen?
forget it,it has a face only a mother could love.
Only 1x Mother is bit light on!
toyota will keep the 2 body types as sourcing has already started!!!! they will not build the kluger here, not enough demand to make it profitable.
I reckon it’s a great press release to take peoples minds of the other problems and news leaks they are suffering. However the story (in full) does actually state that it won’t happen till after 2012, and that they won’t even take it into serious consideration till the Economic crisis has finished…………… It sounds very similar to the news leaks this time last year when their head of Aust said if the tarrifs were reduced he’d pull out, then after a week of government meetings came back out and siad he had been “mis-quoted”………..
yep, another vehicle nobody will buy. C’mon people, why don’t you build the 08 Toyota Crown Hybrid in here. That looks hot, is green, and its rear wheel drive and big, everything the Australians need.
Wheelnut
The “Aurion” is sold in China, UAE, Taiwan as Prestige cars.
You look at it as a V6 Camry with different styled bumpers etc. But for those countries the “Aurion” is prestige luxury.
about the kluger…
Toyota (Australia) has an almost impossible bid for this vehicle to be made locally here… I cant say since its confidential, but basically it makes sense to basically just can the Kluger altogether (for Oz anyways) than build it here…