Toyota has revealed the latest Avensis model at its Burnaston factory, despite suspending the night shift which produces the Auris until March 2009.
The Japanese car firm has been hit hard by the economic downturn, with net profits falling by 69 per cent between July and September. But Clive Bridge, Toyota UK’s corporate affairs director, is confident that this is the right time for the launch. “When times are difficult you want your best product on show.
“We launched it at the Paris Motor Show recently and that got a very positive reaction. All the consumer tests we’ve done have been very positive.
“We’ve been working hard for a number of years to get to this stage.”
Toyota’s factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire was forced to assign employees to community projects during the suspension, after admitting much lower quarterly profits than anticipated in November. The firm believes that the launch will help to protect the jobs of the 4,000 workers at the factory, in the face of halting consumer spending in the US.
