Toyota said it would delay the start of operations at its planned new plant in Mexico to the first half of 2020 from the initial plan of 2019.
Reuters noted the automaker had initially planned to start building the Corolla sedan at the US$1bn Guanajuato plant but said last week it would switch production to a new US factory to be built with Mazda.
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Toyota said the delay was necessary to adjust its supply chain in Mexico to produce the truck-based Tacoma pickup model instead of the Corolla compact car. That factory could also build sport utility vehicles, a Toyota spokesman in Mexico told Reuters last week.
“With the production model change to the Tacoma pickup, the start of production will consequently be in the first half of 2020,” a Toyota spokeswoman told the news agency.
“However, we will make our utmost effort to advance the timing in order to minimize the impact to suppliers and the local community.”
Until the scheduled start of the joint venture plant with Mazda in 2021, Toyota will supply the Corollas that were initially slated to be built in Mexico from its factories in Mississippi and Japan, the company added.
