Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is pleased to announce that it will be manufacturing and selling the brand-new Corolla Cross in South Africa in the fourth quarter of the year. The model reveal, made by TSAM President and CEO Andrew Kirby at the annual State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) address, follows the company’s announcement in 2019 that it was investing R2.43 billion in the production of a new passenger vehicle in South Africa.
“As announced at the Presidential Investment Summit in November 2019, Toyota pledged to invest R2.43 billion in the production of a new passenger model, and I am so pleased to say that we are making good on that promise. We will be manufacturing this very model [Corolla Cross] in both right- and left-hand drive…on schedule…for South Africa and the rest of Africa… right here at Prospecton! The Corolla Cross is based on the acclaimed new Corolla TNGA platform and will be built on our passenger car production line alongside the Corolla Quest,” says Kirby.
TSAM’s Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Manufacturing Support Group, Nigel Ward, adds that the manufacturing of the new model will also include the development of three new Tier 1 and a number of Tier 2 suppliers, which is a significant step towards the transformation of the automotive value chain.
In addition to the investment, the local production of the Corolla Cross also ushers in a couple of “firsts” for TSAM’s manufacturing team at the Prospecton Plant. “This is a significant milestone for Toyota South Africa. It’s not often that we get to produce a brand-new body shape in our factory; plus it is the very first time that we will be manufacturing a Hybrid model which I believe will fast become a very popular choice. And it’s the first time for us to manufacture using the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) – which allows us to keep up with global technology and trends.” says Ward.
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