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Japanese automakers ramping production for renewed American sales

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan took quite the toll on the automotive industry in that nation. Not content to lean on that tragedy as excuse for slagging sales, the Japanese automakers are planning on a major production expansion in North America. The aim is to reclaim the market share lost from the Tsunami-based dip, and overcome a dollar/yen exchange rate that makes exporting to America unprofitable.
Following the Tsunami, Japanese automakers ramped up production in their North American facilities to compensate, but according to Automotive News, Nissan, Honda and others have all reported plans for still-further increased production in the year ahead. As part of this ramp-up, Mazda will open a facility in Salamnca, Mexico before March of 2014. Part of that increase in output is 50,000 units of a Toyota-badged compact car, which Mazda will produce.
Other Mexican production facilities opening include a Honda plant, which will open in Spring 2014 in Celaya, and a Nissan plant, set to open later this year in Aguascalientes. Nissan also said that it will need another plant in North America within the next five years. According to Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn, the company aims to raise its stake in the US market from 8 percent to 10, and adding production will help achieve that goal. Even Mitsubishi is aiming to boost production at its Normal, Illinois plant. Production of the Outlander Sport is currently at 50,000, which Mitsubishi wants to raise to 70,000.

Automakers drop support for Trump effort against California emissions

WASHINGTON — Toyota, Fiat Chrysler (now known as Stellantis following its merger with Peugeot) and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru, said in a joint statement they were withdrawing from an ongoing legal challenge to California's emission-setting powers, "in a gesture of good faith and to find a constructive path forward" with President Joe Biden. The automakers, along with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said they were aligned "with the Biden administrationÂ’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards." Nissan in December withdrew from the challenge after GM's decision in November shocked the industry and won praise from Biden. On Monday, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to put the California emissions litigation on hold to "ensure due respect for the prerogative of the executive branch to reconsider the policy decisions of a prior administration." Biden has directed agencies to quickly reconsider TrumpÂ’s 2019 decision to revoke CaliforniaÂ’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require rising numbers of zero-emission vehicles, as well as Trump's national fuel economy rollback. Asked to respond to the automakers' action, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said in a statement that "after four years of putting us in reverse, it is time to restart and build a sustainable future, grow domestic manufacturing, and deliver clean cars for America." California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the automakers on Twitter for "dropping your climate-denying, air-polluting, Trump-era lawsuit against CA" and urged them to join the voluntary framework. TALKS WITH BIDEN Separately, an industry trade group on Tuesday proposed to start talks with Biden on revised fuel economy standards that would be higher than Trump-era standards but lower than ones set during the prior Democratic administration. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts under the Obama administration rules it discarded.

2016 Nissan Titan XD arrives with diesel V8 power

Feels like this one's been coming soon (or is that #CumminsSoon?), forever. Over a decade since the Nissan Titan launched, the Japanese fullsize pickup has finally been given a full redesign, and it looks to be a worthy – and interesting – competitor in the light-duty pickup class. First and foremost, the truck debuting here in Detroit is the Titan XD – it's not a trim level, but a totally different version of the standard Titan, despite looking the same. The best way to explain the difference is that if the Titan competes with a Silverado 1500, the XD competes with something a step higher, but not a full 2500. Think of it as a Silverado 2000 or something – a step between light and heavy duty. Nissan truly thinks there's a white space in this pickup segment. The company isn't ready to release details on the standard Titan just yet, and the XD with the diesel engine will be the first version to come to market. The diesel in question is the long-awaited 5.0-liter V8 from Cummins, producing 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. When properly equipped, the Titan XD can tow up to 12,000 pounds, and has a payload capacity of 2,000 pounds. Nissan has confirmed that gasoline V6 and V8 options will be available on both Titan and Titan XD models, but has not released any details at this time. The 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8 will only be offered on the XD. Nissan is upgrading its Around View Monitor with features to aid with towing, too. Shown here as a Crew Cab, the Titan will be offered in King Cab and Single Cab configurations, as well, with three bed lengths (a 6.5-foot bed is seen here). Nissan has also told us that a lower-grade work truck will be available, as well. As the models roll out, the Titan and Titan XD will be offered in several trims, including a rugged-looking Pro-4X model and a new, top-of-the-line Platinum Reserve. All except the Pro-4X can be had with two- or four-wheel drive. Speaking of looks, we have to say, this is a pretty nice looking truck. Its appearance is fresh and modern, if awfully reminiscent of other trucks in the segment (hard to offer a unique design with that shape, of course). Up front, there are premium elements like available LED headlamps with LED running lamps, and out back, those same modern bulbs are used for the taillamps.