Toyota picks RP for Vios assembly

Local automotive parts manufacturers hailed a move by Japanese carmaker Toyota Motors to assemble the latest model of their Vios here in the country.

Egmidio Jose, chairman of the Toyota Suppliers Club-Philippines, said that the local assembly of Toyota’s all new Vios model that will be distributed here starting August, will ensure productivity for some 120 Philippine car parts manufacturing companies and employment to their 24,000 employees.

“We are very happy since it has created a great opportunity for us to sell our parts,” Jose told The STAR.

It was learned that Jose led a delegation of some 50 local car parts makers who were invited by Toyota Motors of Japan to a five-day seminar on their “Toyota Production System” in Bangkok, Thailand.

The seminar was in preparation for the assembly of their all-new Vios in the Philippines.

During the visit, Jose said that the Filipino car parts makers were given a tour of the three giant car assembly plants of Toyota in Thailand including their state-of-the art Bangphoo facility touted as the newest in the world and boasting of the latest in automotive technology.

It was learned that currently, Toyota only assembles their Innova vans in the Philippines. The carmaker also used to assemble here their Corolla Altis but this was phased out with the introduction of Vios.

The other Toyota models such as the Fortuner, the Avanza, Camry, Hilux and Land Cruiser are all “completely built up” (CBU) units or already assembled upon shipment into the country, manufactured in neighboring Asian countries like Thailand or Malaysia.