Toyota will move some GR Corolla production for North America from Japan to the UK - Reuters
Toyota is preparing to partially shift production of the GR Corolla sports hatchback from Japan to the UK, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. According to them, the company will invest about $56 million (8 billion yen) to set up a separate production line at a plant in Burnaston (Derbyshire) to produce about 10,000 cars a year for export to North America starting in mid-2026.
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The US recently agreed with the UK to reduce duties on cars to 10 per cent for volumes of up to 100,000 cars per year. For cars originating in Japan, the US has duties of 25 per cent. However, sources said the decision to partially shift GR Corolla production to the UK is not related to the Donald Trump administration's tariff policy.
Reuters' interlocutors noted that the main reason for the transfer is a desire to reduce waiting times for the GR Corolla in North America, where demand for the petrol "charged" version remains high. Production capacity at Japan's Motomachi plant, where the GR Corolla, GR Yaris and GR86 are produced, is already fully utilised - last year it produced 25,000 cars, of which 8,000 were GR Corolla.
The choice of Burnaston is explained by the fact that the plant already produces the regular Corolla and has the necessary infrastructure. Japanese engineers are expected to come to the UK temporarily to transfer production technology.
The sources also noted that Toyota's American plants are overloaded with the production of hybrids and other popular models, so the option of transferring GR Corolla production directly to the U.S. was considered as unlikely.
Toyota GR Corolla. Photo: Toyota
Toyota said in a comment to Reuters that it is constantly looking for opportunities to optimise production, but the decision has not yet been officially confirmed. The company added that it has no plans to raise the price of the GR Corolla in the US due to possible costs from tariffs - these will be offset through internal cost-cutting measures.
Source: Reuters
