- Japanese automakers are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to boost their presence in key Asian markets.
- Mitsubishi will begin building the Outlander Sport in Indonesia.
- Toyota is increasing production capacity in Thailand.
TOKYO — Japanese automakers continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in fast-growing Asian markets. Among the most recent moves, Mitsubishi said it will begin assembling the Outlander Sport crossover in Indonesia by mid-2012 and Toyota will build a new assembly plant in Thailand.
The Outlander Sport will be assembled under contract at P.T. Krama Yudha Ratu Motor Factory (KRM), Mitsubishi's local partner in Indonesia, and will supplement the Pajero Sport in that market.
Mitsubishi said the assembly venture is intended to "strengthen its operations by improving and firmly cementing the Mitsubishi Motors brand in emerging markets with promise of future growth."
Separately, Toyota said it will invest more than $250 million to build a new assembly plant that will add 70,000 units of capacity a year when it opens in mid-2013. Part of the investment also will be used later this year to reopen a smaller plant that was crippled by the massive floods that swept through Thailand last May.
When completed, the facilities will boost Toyota's annual production capacity in Thailand to 760,000 units.
Inside Line says: Japan's auto industry wants nothing less than to dominate the smaller Asian markets outside of China, India and Korea.
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