Flying in the face of convention.
Japanese automakers Suzuki & Toyota have reached an agreement that’ll see the latter supply & build the former a new hybrid estate car, based on the Toyota Corolla estate, for the UK & European markets. This announcement comes at a time where carmakers are curbing their commitments to the UK in light of their withdrawal from the European Union, which comes as a welcomed boost for the automotive sector there.
“Seeking to produce additional volume for other customers is one example of all the efforts we are making to keep our UK manufacturing operations as competitive as they can be.” – Marvin Cooke, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK
Toyota remains concerned about its prospects in the UK should a no-deal Brexit be the case, as the UK’s EU membership was one of the major factors in its investment into facilities there.
“We have consistently said for the medium- to longer-term, continued free & frictionless trade and common automotive technical standards will be essential to support the international competitiveness of the UK automotive sector.” – Marvin Cooke, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK
A joint announcement between Suzuki & Toyota explained that the latter would be re-tooling a petrol-electric hybrid Corolla estate for Suzuki to sell as its own, which should hopefully bring more volume to Toyota’s plant as Suzuki markets its version of the car across the UK and the rest of Europe. It’s presently unclear if that model will reach markets further than that but frankly, the Corolla’s such a looker that there’s really no need for an alternative.
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