Toyota has officially announced that it will be importing the American-made Tundra and Highlander to Japan later this year. With a new full-size pickup and three-row SUV on hand, Toyota said that it will aim to satisfy the diverse needs of its home market, as it also looks to “help further strengthen Japan-US relations.”
In due time, the US-built Camry will also be imported and sold in Japan. For the uninitiated, the Tundra is currently built at Toyota’s plant in Texas, while the Highlander and Camry are manufactured in Indiana and Kentucky, respectively.
This comes shortly after Honda introduced one of its North American models to the Japanese domestic market. Nissan followed closely, later locally debuting the Murano SUV, which is assembled at its Tennessee plant.
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In Japan, the Tundra and Highlander will be exclusively sold through official Toyota channels, with limited availability. Customers in Tokyo will be getting first dibs, but a nationwide launch will take place later this year.
The powertrains on the two American models should remain unchanged, but Toyota did mention that certain specifications may be altered upon release. It is unclear what those are exactly, but the Tundra will keep its 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6, while the Highlander retains its 2.5-liter hybrid system. Official Toyota accessories will also be made available for the two cars.
Given that the Japanese domestic market is not getting a full-blown launch, the chances of these vehicles coming to the Philippines are not very likely. While we’ve seen the Tundra and the Highlander on the gray market, an official release may not be in the cards. At least, though, the hybrid Land Cruiser 300 and the fully electric Hilux have been confirmed to be on the way.
