NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota today
announced it began to export U.S.-assembled Venza crossovers to its
distributor in South Korea last
month. Venza exports to South
Korea are initially forecasted at approximately 600 units
annually. The announcement was made by Toyota Motor Sales
U.S.A., Inc. Senior Vice President
Bob Carter at the Barclays Capital
Global Automotive Conference.
These Venza vehicles will be produced by team members at
Toyota's manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky. The plant is Toyota's
largest manufacturing facility outside of Japan, employing about 6,600 team members
directly and creating nearly 20,000 additional jobs with vendors
and suppliers in Kentucky and
other states in the region.
This is the first time the U.S.-assembled Venza will be exported
outside of North America.
Toyota began exporting U.S.-assembled vehicles in 1988, and now
exports U.S.-assembled vehicles to 21 countries around the
world. These exports are expected to increase in calendar year
2012 to more than 130,000 units – a 52% increase from last year and
an all-time high for Toyota.
The company began exporting Indiana-assembled Sienna minivans and
Kentucky-assembled Camry sedans to
South Korea last year. Other
exports include the Kentucky-produced Avalon sedan, the
Indiana-produced Highlander and
Sequoia SUVs and the Texas-produced Tacoma and Tundra pick-up
trucks.
"We are proud that Venza, designed, engineered and assembled in
the U.S., has garnered so much interest not only here, but abroad,"
said Mr. Carter. "The export of Venza vehicles to
South Korea helps maintain
Toyota's strong, stable base of U.S. jobs, and is the result of the
great work of our talented U.S. team members and our extensive
investments across North America. We look forward to other
opportunities to continue expanding exports from our American
operations."
Venza exports to South Korea
will ship from the Port of Hueneme, near Oxnard, Calif.
About the Toyota Venza
The Toyota Venza, first brought to market in 2008, is a
versatile five-passenger vehicle that couples the styling and
comfort of a passenger car with the flexibility of a sport utility
vehicle (SUV), to give customers a stylish alternative to the
traditional sedan.
Venza was primarily engineered at Toyota Technical Center in
Ann Arbor, Mich. Its design
was the creation of Toyota's Calty Design studios in Newport Beach, Calif., and Ann Arbor, Mich. A 109.3-in. wheelbase,
overall length of 189 inches and height of 63.4 inches give Venza
about the same footprint as a midsize sedan. Calty designers leaned
toward a sleek sedan-like concept with a wide stance that featured
a sporty exterior, but also included important SUV attributes, such
as cargo space, towing capability and available all-wheel drive
performance.
Venza is assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky
(TMMK), in Georgetown, Ky., also
home of the Camry and Avalon sedans. More than 70 percent of
Venza's components come from North American suppliers.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates
14 manufacturing plants. There are more than 1,800 Toyota,
Lexus and Scion dealerships in North
America which sold nearly 2 million vehicles in 2011. Toyota
directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its investment here is
currently valued at more than $23
billion, including sales and manufacturing operations,
research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's
annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from
North American suppliers totals nearly $25
billion.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or
www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Media Contact:
Javier Moreno
212-715-7469
jmoreno@tma.toyota.com
SOURCE Toyota