European styling and engineering in Japan has been in high demand, prompting Toyota to decide to export the Toyota Avensis, produced only at its UK factory in Burnaston, to its domestic market. The third-generation Avensis will start to arrive in Japan later this year, adding one more country to the other 47 worldwide. Toyota will offer the Avensis Tourer estate versions that will feature a 2.0-liter petrol engine with Multidrive S continuously variable transmission (CVT), resulting to a high fuel economy and a low emissions rating.
Production starts in July. Toyota will start to ship the cars from the UK at a pace of 750 units each month. British Business Secretary Vince Cable said that Toyota exports 85% of the Avensis units and engines it builds at the Burnaston and Deeside plants in the U.K.
This move to export the Avensis to Japan is seen as a tribute to its workforce’s skills as well as the products’ quality and plants’ efficiency. Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd Managing Director Katsunori Kojima said that when he met Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota on a recent visit to Japan, he had emphasized the importance of UK manufacturing. He said that the selection of Avensis is considered as a “vote of confidence” for the factory and its products.
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