Larry Vellequette

Toyota will invest $912 million into five plants in five states to expand output of its popular hybrid vehicles, the automaker said. The investment is part of $10 billion in additional U.S. investments Toyota plans to make over the next five years.

New-vehicle inventories jumped more than 300,000 to start November at 3.14 million, according to inventory management firm Lotlinx, which noted that Toyota maintained the industry's leanest inventory levels.

Toyota Motor plans a fifth brand and will launch it with a supercar. But bringing those dreams to the U.S. may prove more difficult than crushing lap times.

The Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo is stacked with weird and wild concept vehicles, and that makes it far more interesting for showgoers than struggling U.S. auto shows.

Both Toyota and Lexus brands saw their U.S. sales rise 12 percent in October, thanks in large part to strong sales from their largest three-row crossovers.

Toyota Motor Corp. will bring at least some parts of its bespoke, hand-built Century line to the U.S. in coming years and plans to use a subset of Lexus dealers to retail the high-end vehicles.

Toyota's dedication to its "multipath" powertrain approach, highlighting both expanded hybrid options while also adding EVs to its lineup, has given it an advantage in the U.S. market.

Toyota is warning its dealers to prepare for a supply dip of its bestselling nameplate, the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover as the redesigned 2026 version goes on sale early next year.

Overall industry sentiment stayed relatively flat in the third quarter Auto Industry Confidence Index from where it was three months ago, largely because of changing fortunes between franchised dealers and automaker respondents.

Automaker confidence slipped in the third quarter in the latest Automotive News Auto Industry Confidence Index, with respondents citing tariffs and competition and trade issues with China as ongoing challenges to their businesses.

At the Lexus dealer meeting, retailers will hear of the brand’s plans to expand its product lineup as well as celebrate record profitability.

The Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX are propelling sales at their respective brands, but some of those sales have come at the expense of smaller crossovers.

New-vehicle inventory ticked up to 2.8 million in the U.S. to start the month, data firm Lotlinx said.

Toyota, which had its last major facilities program two decades ago, has developed a series of interior concepts to guide dealers whose stores might need a refresh. But brand leaders are quick to point out that the concepts are guides, and that upgrading is optional.

Subaru stores that comply with current brand standards will not have to meet the new requirements, a dealer told Automotive News.

Brian Nash will oversee developing and leading the sales, product marketing, dealer relations and aftersales strategy for Volkswagen.

The U.S. auto industry may not fully appreciate the existential threat that China presents, a panel of China-experienced consultants told the Automotive News Congress.

Toyota brand dealers are meeting in Las Vegas, where they will hear about how tariffs will impact pricing as well as details on expanded RAV4 plug-in hybrid availability.

New-vehicle inventory climbed slightly to 2.76 million to begin September, but EV inventory continued to fall dramatically ahead of the Sept. 30 expiration of federal subsidies.

2025 Rising Star: Ryan Sneir