“We are entering the C-segment crossover market with a fantastic product and with a hybrid powertrain from the start,” Johan van Zyl, Toyota Motor Europe president and CEO, said. At least for Europe, the company will build the production C-HR at its factory in Turkey.
The automaker originally planned the C-HR for the US as a Scion model and even displayed the concept that way at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, the brand’s demise means the crossover now gets to be a full Toyota product here.
The five-door CUV rides on the Toyota New Global Architecture, but test vehicles keep the production version’s styling hidden under heavy camouflage. The final vehicle reportedly looks like the concept, though. On this side of the pond, the C-HR will compete against compact crossovers like the Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade.
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Brussels, Belgium – Ahead of the presentation of the highly anticipated production version of the C-HR concept at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) shared today its production plans for the model in Europe. The vehicle will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Turkey (TMMT) in Sakarya, Turkey, in what marks the first time a hybrid-powered vehicle will be produced in the country. This will be TME’s third plant to produce hybrid vehicles in the Europe region, after Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK in Burnaston, Derbyshire (Auris Hybrid and Auris Touring Sport Hybrid) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (Yaris Hybrid).
TME also announced that the hybrid engine for the crossover is to be produced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s engine plant in Deeside, Wales.
The production destination for the vehicles will be greater Europe and regions outside Europe. Individual export countries are being considered at this time.
“I am extremely pleased to be able to announce this expansion of our local production in Europe,” said TME President and CEO Dr Johan van Zyl. “The crossover market has been booming and will continue to grow in Europe and elsewhere. We are entering the C-segment crossover market with a fantastic product and with a hybrid powertrain from the start. This will provide our European operations with further perspectives for sustainable growth. I have full trust in our team members in Turkey and the UK to apply their skills and quality mind-set to building what will be a very exciting product,” he added.
TMMT currently produces the Corolla and Verso models. Total production capacity for TMMT will increase from 150 to 280 thousand vehicles per year. Annual production of the future crossover will depend on demand. Employment at TMMT is expected to increase from 3,000 to 4,000 in the months leading to the start of production, which is planned towards the end of 2016. The additional investment at TMMT is around 350 million euros for the project. Cumulative investment will reach 1.7 billion euros.
At TMUK Deeside, an additional 7.1 million pounds are being invested in the facility and new equipment. Currently, the Deeside plant produces petrol and hybrid engines for the Auris, petrol engines for the Avensis, Corolla and Verso, and engines as parts to customers outside Europe. Cumulative investment at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (Burnaston and Deeside) will reach 2.2 billion pounds.
The production vehicle based on the C-HR concept will be revealed on March 1st at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be based on Toyota’s new global architecture (TNGA). The vehicle will become the eighth model currently produced by Toyota in Europe for the European market, along with Avensis, Auris, Yaris, AYGO, Camry, Corolla and Verso. Local production-to-sales ratio is expected to rise beyond the 71% achieved in 2015, further anchoring Toyota’s operations in Europe, close to its customers.
