Oct. 08, 2002
Tianjin Toyota Launches Production of the VIOS
―Plan Calls for 30,000 Units a Year of New Chinese-market Passenger Car―
Tianijn, China― TIANJIN TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD. (Tianjin Toyota) held a line-off ceremony at its vehicle-production plant today to mark the manufacturing start of the VIOS* compact sedan, the first Toyota passenger car to be made in China. Approximately 600 people attended the ceremony, including China FAW Group Corporation (FAW) President Zhu Yanfeng, Tianjin Automotive Industrial (Group) Co. (Tianjin Automotive Industrial) Chairman Zhang Shi Tang, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) President Fujio Cho and TMC Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda, as well as representatives of the central and local governments, the construction industry, suppliers and dealers.
"We have much confidence in this new model, the VIOS, which features Toyota's most-advanced technologies, and we look forward to it having a large impact on China's automobile market and to it being well-received by many Chinese customers," said TMC's Cho in his opening remarks.
At full production, Tianjin Toyota plans to build 30,000 units of the VIOS a year.
Tianjin Toyota is passenger car-manufacturing joint venture between TMC and Tianjin FAW Xiali Corporation, Ltd. (Tianjin FAW Xiali) established in June 2000 with an investment of approximately US$100 million (about 10 billion yen at the exchange rate at that time). Ground was broken for the plant, which currently employs about 850 people, in July that year. FAW and Tianjin Automotive Industrial are the parent companies of Tianjin FAW Xiali.
In commemoration of the VIOS production start, TMC announced that it plans to fund the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Ansanshitao, a major central Tianjin thoroughfare, as well as donate a VIOS to the city of Tianjin.
*Derived from Latin "vio", meaning "go" or "travel"
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