The 2.5-millionth Yaris rolled off the production line at Toyota’s Valenciennes factory on 25 April, some 13 years after first generation model production started in northern France in 2001.
The milestone third generation car was a white hybrid, one of the most popular versions of the city car in Europe, accounting for 31% of total Yaris sales in the region during the first three months of 2014.
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Record Yaris sales in the first quarter have led to Toyota to add a third shift this summer when an updated model line goes into production. This will take daily production from 840 to 1,100 units and increase the workforce by 500 to more than 4,000.
The company is planning to increase production by 15% this year to 220,000 units of which 25,000 will be exported to North America.
