Toyota Motor is to begin selling Taiwan-manufactured vehicles in its home market from October, in what is believed to be the first such arrangement for the automaker's core models.
According to Nikkei Asia’s report, the company will import Noah and Voxy minivans produced at a joint venture facility in northern Taiwan, establishing a dedicated production line for the two models.
The decision reflects mounting pressure on Toyota's domestic manufacturing capacity, which is constrained by labour shortages, output limitations, and certification compliance requirements introduced following irregularities identified in 2024.
Domestic production currently runs at around 14,000 vehicles per day across all models.
Combined annual sales of the Noah and Voxy in Japan range between 70,000 and 80,000 units, but delivery lead times have at times stretched beyond one year, prompting the company to periodically suspend order-taking.
The Taiwan facility, which already produces the Corolla and Yaris Cross with total output of around 120,000 vehicles for the fiscal year ended March 2026, will target approximately 100,000 units annually for the two minivan models.
Output will focus primarily on lower-priced variants. Domestic production of the Noah and Voxy will continue alongside the imports.
Setting up a production line of that scale typically requires investment running to tens of billions of yen.
Currency conditions present a further complication: the yen is currently at its weakest against the New Taiwan dollar since August 1992, raising both manufacturing and capital expenditure costs at the Taiwan site.
Toyota has previously stated its commitment to maintaining Japanese domestic production above three million vehicles per year in order to support the country's industrial base and employment levels.
Earlier this month, Toyota launched the all-new Land Cruiser ‘FJ’ Series in Japan, joining the three existing Land Cruiser models, the 300, 250 and 70 models, as the Japanese automaker looks to expand the appeal of the Land Cruiser SUV brand.
The new off-roader retained the FJ’s traditional square cabin design, which prioritises habitability and cargo capacity.
