Toyota & Truck Domination

Please don’t get offended when I use the “f word” – F-150, in this post. When it comes to trucks no one dominates the way Ford does with their F-150. It’s been reported that over one million F-150’s are sold every single year. With sales like that, Ford can legitimately claim a dynasty. Now Toyota wants to usurp Ford from their position of truck dominance. Unlike Gm and Dodge/Ram, Toyota has decided to take a radically different approach.

When going to war with Ford, every automaker tries to play the ‘one-up’ game, creating a bigger, badder truck than Ford. That’s a losing game, because no one can ever do it. Ford has a very good R&D department and all the infrastructure in place. Toyota has figured out that the game is rigged so to speak. Instead they’ve decided to create a diverse truck lineup.

Already Toyota has the Tundra and the Tacoma. Two excellent trucks. Yet even combined, neither can even begin to touch the sales of the F-150. Instead Toyota has been building vehicles like the 4Runner and the upcoming Land Cruiser, all built off the same truck frame.

Let me put this into perspective, would you like to own an SUV that has all the capabilities of a truck? That’s exactly what the 4Runner and the Land Cruiser off, and unlike some competitors, Toyota has actually delivered.

The 4Runner has been a major sales force for many years now. Truck frame, SUV body, 400 HP V-8, and about 4,000 pounds of towing capability. You can take the kids to soccer, grab groceries and pick up some home improvement materials all on the same trip with the 4Runner. There is no other vehicle on the market that can match the 4Runner’s capability. That’s why the 4Runner has been in production for more than twenty years, by itself, an accomplishment.

Recently Toyota aired a commercial showcasing the upcoming redesigned Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is a resurrected name from the nineties. While there are many details that Toyota has been silent on, it appears that this is designed to take a shot at Ford’s Bronco. When the Ford Bronco came out, it was clearly designed to be a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. While Jeep hasn’t been unseated, the Ford Bronco has managed to generate impressive sales, and Toyota has noticed. The upcoming Land Cruiser has a boxy style body, and in many ways does look like an imitation of the Bronco, with one major exception; the Land Cruiser is built off Toyota’s legendary truck frame. In some ways the Land Cruiser will be a smaller 4Runner, but with some differences. The 4Runner tends to sell better to the suburban, middle-aged market. The upcoming Land Cruiser will appeal to the outdoors crowd. The camping/overlanding/hiking/surfing/biking crowd.

Remember Toyota already builds the excellent Tundra and Tacoma pair. The Tacoma literally started the mid-size pickup market. Without the sales of the Tacoma, there would be no Ranger, no Colorado/Canyon. The Tundra on the other hand has always been a sore spot with Toyota. The Tundra is an excellent truck on every front, and it has generated enough sales to keep it profitable, it has still never been a market leader. Recently Toyota has attempted to boost sales with a major overhaul of the Tundra, complete with new features and a the ‘I-Force’ engine, essentially a quasi-hybrid motor.

On their own, these vehicles won’t ever venture into F-150 territory. But combine them, and that’s where things get interesting. Remember, all of the aforementioned vehicles are all built off the same platform. Essentially, these are all trucks. What Toyota has done is built an army of trucks, that cover every single aspect of the market. Something no automaker has done to date. Toyota may be positioning themselves to become Ford’s only real competitor.

On a final note I would point out that what we’ve taken a look at is merely the outline of a battle plan. Its all well and good to have plans, but success is a different matter altogether. In order fr