CAMBRIDGE, ON - Toyota's award-winning manufacturingfacility in Cambridge, Ontario, today started simultaneous production of twoexciting new 2003 model automobiles that will go on sale at Toyota dealersacross North America just over a month from now.
The all-new, ninth-generation Toyota Corolla compact sedan and an all-new5-passenger "crossover utility vehicle" called the Matrix share the samechassis platform and will be built on the same production line, a first forToyota in Canada.
"Starting production of two cars on the same production line at the sametime is a big challenge for us," said Ray Tanguay, Senior Vice President ofToyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. "We stopped building the previousCorolla just before Christmas and in a few short weeks have transformed ourplant to build two totally new vehicles with features and improvements notpreviously seen."
"This quick ramp-up was only possible with the total commitment of over3,000 team members and our parts supplier infrastructure, concentrated inSouthern Ontario but stretching right across North America," Tanguaycontinued.
The first Corolla started moving down the assembly line on Thursdaymorning and was completed at 3:30 pm. The first Matrix rolled off just minuteslater.