After spending GBP185m on its UK manufacturing and supply chain for new Auris, and recruiting 800 temporary production apprentices, Toyota’s English manufacturing unit Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) has marked the official start of production of the all-new Auris – Europe’s version of the Corolla – at its Burnaston factory, near Derby.
Toyota Motor Europe president and CEO Didier Leroy said: “Toyota chose the UK as the location for its first manufacturing centre in Europe 20 years ago and has regularly made significant investments to develop TMUK’s operations and expand their capabilities.
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“New Auris is at the heart of our European strategy and we expect it to strengthen our sales performance in the family car market. It is a unique proposition in its segment in being offered with petrol, diesel and full hybrid power in both the hatchback and new estate versions.
“Our TMUK members at Burnaston and at the Deeside engine plant continue to demonstrate they can deliver the superior quality and efficiency that are vital for building our presence in a highly competitive marketplace. With the benefit of our investment in new Auris, we are pleased that we are increasing our TMUK workforce and generating further new jobs among our suppliers.”
Of the GBP185m pre-launch spend, about GBP85m was allocated to the supply chain. Toyota’s total UK investment has passed GBP2.1bn since it launched operations in England in 1992, building a version of its then global D-segment staple Corona called the Carina E.
The Avensis is also built at Burnaston where 3.25m cars have been built since 1992. Most production is exported to Europe but some cars over the years have even ended up in Japan.
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By GlobalDataBurnaston was the first car factory in Europe to build a mainstream hybrid – the Auris in 2010.
Some new Auris engines, notably the 1.8-litre unit for the latest hybrid, will be supplied by the Toyota factory on Deeside.
Like Honda’s factory at Swindon, Burnaston has had its ups and downs, with output affected noticeably by the 2008 credit crisis that led to the closing of an assembly line and the shedding of some jobs.
But, last May, a senior Toyota executive told just-auto the automaker’s UK manufacturing base was ‘in revival phase’.
