Buyers of Toyota's redesigned full-sized pickup are acting like buyers of domestic trucks. They demand specific features, colors and trim levels, says Jim Farley, Toyota Division's former group vice president of marketing. Late last week, Farley became general manager of Lexus Division.
It's a switch for a company whose customers typically accept whatever is available from lean inventories of the Camry and other popular models, Farley concedes.
Tundra customers "say, 'I want the off-road package with the black leather interior,' " Farley told Automotive News. "They have a build-to-order mentality that we are not used to at Toyota."
Toyota is swapping Tundras among sales regions and allowing dealers to change build orders to meet customer demands, Farley says.
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