Toyota will start making Lexus brand cars at its Motomachi plant in Japan in August, the automaker said on Thursday, expanding its production base as it wants both to boost both sales and the brand’s status world-wide.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda placed the 25-year-old Lexus brand directly under his oversight last year, a Reuters reported noted. He has promised to make it into a premium marque recognised globally – about half of current global sales are made in the US.
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Toyota will shift production of export GS sedans to Motomachi from nearby Tahara in central Japan and start making a new model at Tahara, spokesman Ryo Sakai told the news agency.
Toyota currently makes Lexus models at Tahara and Miyata plants and also makes the RX SUV in Ontario, Canada, the first and, so far, only plant outside Japan to make the brand. But Lexus vehicles will be added to output at Toyota’s key plant in Kentucky, US, from summer 2015, the Reuters report said.
Toyota sold around 523,000 Lexus vehicles in 2013, up 10% year on year.
US sales reached 273,847, according to just-auto data, up 12.2% on 2012’s 244,166. The Canadian-made RX was most popular with 13,169 sales, up 5.1%.
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