Honda Motor Co.'s go-it-alone strategy looks increasingly risky as the alliance-happy auto industry scales up to cope with the soaring investment needed for self-driving vehicles, electrified powertrains, connected-car technologies and artificial intelligence.
In the latest industry tieup, Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. announced Friday plans to jointly invest in a $1.6 billion assembly plant in the U.S. with the capacity to produce 300,000 Toyota Corollas and a new Mazda crossover model starting in 2021.
Toyota will acquire about 5 percent in Mazda, which will hold a 0.25 percent in the bigger automaker. The duo will also combine engineering efforts on electric vehicle development and car-networking know-how.