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Toyota prepped to spend $1.3B on plants in Mexico and China

Toyota is getting set to expand its manufacturing operations in a big way, with a pair of sources reporting to Reuters that the company was preparing to make a roughly $1.3-billion investment to add two new factories in China and Mexico. If Reuters sources turn out to be correct and the company's upper management decides to greenlight the two new factories, Toyota's annual output would grow by 300,000 units per year. Two-thirds of the capacity would come from the new Mexican factory, where the company may produce the next-generation Corolla, due in 2019. That facility would be in the state of Guanajuato, in the central part of the country, the sources told Reuters. The Chinese factory, meanwhile, would likely be built in Guangzhou, and may become a source of Yaris production sometime in 2018.

GM, Ford, Honda winners in 'Car Wars' study as industry growth continues

General Motors' plans to aggressively refresh its product lineup will pay off in the next four years with strong market share and sales, according to an influential report released Tuesday. Ford, Honda, and FCA are all poised to show similar gains as the auto industry is expected to remain healthy through the rest of the decade. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch study, called Car Wars, analyzes automakers' future product plans for the next four model years. By 2020, 88 percent of GM's sales will come from newly launched products, which puts it slightly ahead of Ford's 86-percent estimate. Honda (85 percent) and FCA (84 percent) follow. The industry average is 81 percent. Toyota checks in just below the industry average at 79 percent, with Nissan trailing at 76 percent. Car Wars' premise is: automakers that continually launch new products are in a better position to grow sales and market share, while companies that roll out lightly updated models are vulnerable to shifting consumer tastes. Though Detroit and Honda grade out well in the study, many major automakers are clumped together, which means large market-share swings are less likely in the coming years. Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts the industry will top out with 20 million sales in 2018 and then taper off, perhaps as much as 30 percent by 2026. Not surprisingly, trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers will be the key battlefield in the next few years, Car Wars says. FCA will launch a critical salvo in 2018 with a new Ram 1500, followed by new generations of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2019, and then Ford's F-150 for 2020, according to the study. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy said the GM trucks could be pulled ahead even earlier to 2018, prompting Ford to respond. "This focus on crossovers and trucks is a great thing for the industry," Murphy said. Cars Wars looks at Korean (76 percent replacement rate) and European companies more vaguely (70 percent), but argues their slower product cadence and lineups with fewer trucks puts them in weaker positions than their competitors through 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Silverado View 11 Photos Image Credit: Chevrolet Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Honda Nissan Toyota study FCA

2021 Hyundai Elantra vs. compact sedans | How they compare on paper

Despite the rising popularity of crossovers, the sedan market remains packed and fiercely competitive. It looks like it will stay that way with the introduction of the strikingly redesigned 2021 Hyundai Elantra. And since Hyundai was kind enough to provide plenty of specifications on the new car, we figured we ought to see how it stacks up to some of the latest and greatest small sedans on the market. For this comparison we picked the two best-sellers, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, one of the other recently redesigned sedans, the Nissan Sentra, and a perennial enthusiast favorite, the Mazda3. Below you'll find a chart with all the raw numbers for your perusal. Following that will be our usual break down and analysis of the numbers and any other noteworthy features not included in the chart. Performance and Fuel Economy While the design and chassis are all-new on the Elantra, the base powertrain isn't. It uses a version of the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder shared throughout the Hyundai and Kia line-ups, and it's again paired with a CVT. With 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, it's the second least powerful entry for conventionally-powered sedans, only ahead of the sluggish 1.8-liter base engine in the Toyota Corolla. For those looking for a peppy small sedan, the Mazda3's naturally aspirated 2.5-liter has the most power and torque, even ahead of the turbocharged Honda Civic's 174 ponies. On the other hand, the Elantra, which Hyundai says will have better fuel economy than the outgoing model, should get at least 36 mpg combined, and probably better, making it the most efficient non-hybrid of this group. For the best blend of power and efficiency, the Civic is likely the way to go, as its turbo engine can return 36 mpg combined in lower trims. If you want a manual transmission in this body shape, only the Civic and Corolla offer it. A manual transmission is available on the Mazda3 hatchback, and the turbo Civic can also be had with a manual in hatchback or Si forms. A new powertrain for the Elantra is the hybrid. It's unique compared to other hybrids in that it's coupled to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, rather than an electronically controlled CVT (which is not the same thing as a CVT) or something too complicated to describe in this sentence (the Honda Insight).