Boost for Burnaston as Toyota reveals Suzuki deal

Toyota’s Burnaston plant has been given a boost with the news that the car-maker will build a new model at the Derbyshire factory.

Toyota will make a Suzuki-badged version of its Corolla Wagon, which will be fitted with hybrid engines from the Deeside plant.

Production will begin next year, says Toyota.

Toyota UK managing director Marvin Cooke said: “This is good news for our UK plants and demonstrates Toyota’s trust in the capability of our UK workforce to deliver the highest levels of superior quality products.

“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.”

Earlier this month, Toyota’s boss branded a no deal Brexit as “terrible”, which would create “big additional challenges” to Toyota’s UK operations’ competitiveness.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Didier Leroy said Toyota’s investment in its Burnaston plant was made on “significant trust in the UK that they would be able to achieve a good deal in Europe”.

He stressed, however, that Toyota had no plans to leave the UK.