Toyota to Hike U.S. Output of Tacoma Pickups, Highlander SUVs

Toyota Motor Corp. is adding a third shift this month to boost output of Tacoma pickup trucks in Tijuana, Mexico, by more than 50% to nearly 110,000 units, Automotive News reports.

The company also has completed a $30 million retooling program at its factory in Princeton, Ind., to enable the facility to build Highlander SUVs on both assembly lines. The upgrade will increase the plant's Highlander capacity by about 30,000 units, according to AN. The Princeton facility also builds Sienna minivans and Sequoia large SUVs.

Toyota tells the newspaper it needs the additional output of both models to meet growing demand in the U.S. for trucks and SUVs.