Toyota
today marked the official start of production of the new Auris Touring Sports
at Toyota Manufacturing UK's (TMUK) Burnaston car plant.
The
Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, UK Secretary of State for Transport, joined
Didier Leroy, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Europe, at
a ceremony to see the new car off the line at the Derbyshire factory.
Welcoming
Toyota's continued investment in British jobs and manufacturing, McLoughlin
said: "Toyota's on-going investment in Burnaston is a huge vote of
confidence in our thriving car manufacturing industry, proving again Britain's
ability to make world class cars that appeal to a global customer base. It is
thanks to the support of manufacturers like Toyota that we are encouraging more
young people to pursue an engineering career. This is an industry that is
helping generate the jobs and wealth we need to secure the UK's place in the
global economic race."
Leroy congratulated TMUK on
its latest production milestone and expressed the significance of Auris Touring
Sports in extending the Auris range's appeal to even more customers. He said:
"TMUK has the Members with the skills, experience and capabilities that
make it an ideal centre for manufacturing new Auris Touring Sports. Adding this
model to its production portfolio will help bring production levels at TMUK up
to its full current operating capacity."
Expressing the new car's
significance for Toyota in Europe, Leroy added: "Auris Touring Sports
marks a further stage in our programme for bringing more Toyota hybrid models
to the market in Europe, cars that meet the needs of an even wider range of
customers. It will be a unique proposition as the only model in the European
family/compact estate car market to offer the choice of full hybrid, in
addition to conventional petrol and diesel power."
TMUK is the sole production
centre for Auris Touring Sports, a model that has been developed exclusively for
European customers. It is a compact estate car based on the British-built Auris
hatchback, and will go on sale in some early European markets as from July,
taking its place alongside Toyota's new Auris and Verso compact MPV to compete
at the heart of the family car market.
It is the only model in its
segment to offer the option of a full hybrid powertrain, demonstrating Toyota's
commitment to make the high efficiency, low emissions and smooth driving
experience of its hybrid technology available to more customers.
It will add to the momentum
of hybrid in Europe, where it now accounts for more than 20 per cent of
Toyota's new car sales.
Within the Auris Touring
Sports range, hybrid is expected to take a higher 45 per cent share alongside
the petrol and diesel versions. The steady increase in the popularity of hybrid
demonstrates how customer attitudes to the technology have matured and that it
is now regarded as an affordable, reliable and desirable alternative to
conventional petrol and diesel, rather than a niche choice.
TMUK has built strong
expertise in hybrid vehicle manufacturing at its Deeside engine plant in North
Wales and at Burnaston, since starting production of the first generation Auris
Hybrid in 2010 - the first Toyota hybrid to be built in Europe.
The addition of Auris
Touring Sports production at TMUK alongside the Auris and Avensis models
reaffirms Toyota's commitment to building cars in the UK. Since 1992 it has
invested more than £2.1 billion in its operations.
Currently TMUK employs more
than 3,800 people and supports an extensive supplier chain in the UK, from
which Toyota Motor Europe typically purchases around £850 million worth of
parts a year. Its manufacturing makes a significant contribution to the British
overseas trade, with around 85 per cent of vehicle production being exported to
Europe and other world markets.
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