Photo: Toyota
Recently voted the "Most American Made" car, the Toyota Camry is about to receive a major update as it switches to an entirely new platform. As a result, the Kentucky factory that makes it, along with the Avalon and Lexus EX, will receive $1.33 billion in investments.
The 2018 Camry will become the first Toyota vehicle made in the U.S. to fully incorporate the new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, together with its development and production technology.
“Toyota’s decision to invest $1.3 billion in their Kentucky plant is further evidence that manufacturers are now confident that the economic climate has greatly improved under my administration and echoes the recent National Association of Manufacturers' 2017 Outlook Survey showing that 93% of manufacturers are now optimistic, which is an increase of 37% from just a few months ago," President Donald J. Trump.
Kentucky is Toyota's biggest factory in the world, and it employs 8,200 people, 700 of which have just been added to support the Camry's launch. Last year, the plant made over half a million cars, nearly a quarter of the total number of Toyota vehicles produced in North America. Since opening in 1986, it has put 11 million vehicles on the road.
It' said that the new platform will make the production process far more flexible and will allow for further updates to the car to happen much quicker. Toyota even goes as far as to say it will inject fun handling.
The new mid-size sedan is two inches wider. Using the TNGA, engineers lowered both the passengers and the roof to improve cornering stability together with the wider tracks (0.7 of an inch).
There's also a new double-wishbone suspension system and four-point engine mounts for a reduction in vibration. The 2018 model will get an all-new lineup of engines too. The base 2.5-liter Dynamic Forge Engine has a higher compression ratio, direct injection, a variable cooling system and VVT-iE. There's also a 2.5-liter shared with last year's Highlander and Sienna, but the 8-speed automatic is new.
“Toyota’s decision to invest $1.3 billion in their Kentucky plant is further evidence that manufacturers are now confident that the economic climate has greatly improved under my administration and echoes the recent National Association of Manufacturers' 2017 Outlook Survey showing that 93% of manufacturers are now optimistic, which is an increase of 37% from just a few months ago," President Donald J. Trump.
Kentucky is Toyota's biggest factory in the world, and it employs 8,200 people, 700 of which have just been added to support the Camry's launch. Last year, the plant made over half a million cars, nearly a quarter of the total number of Toyota vehicles produced in North America. Since opening in 1986, it has put 11 million vehicles on the road.
It' said that the new platform will make the production process far more flexible and will allow for further updates to the car to happen much quicker. Toyota even goes as far as to say it will inject fun handling.
The new mid-size sedan is two inches wider. Using the TNGA, engineers lowered both the passengers and the roof to improve cornering stability together with the wider tracks (0.7 of an inch).
There's also a new double-wishbone suspension system and four-point engine mounts for a reduction in vibration. The 2018 model will get an all-new lineup of engines too. The base 2.5-liter Dynamic Forge Engine has a higher compression ratio, direct injection, a variable cooling system and VVT-iE. There's also a 2.5-liter shared with last year's Highlander and Sienna, but the 8-speed automatic is new.
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