The 2019 Corolla hatchback has already moved to the Toyota New Global Architecture, and now it’s the sedan’s turn to adopt the technology. To prepare for the 12th generation Corolla, Toyota will invest $170 million in its plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi.
Toyota says it will completely replace the production lines inside the facility. Moving to the TNGA approach of designing vehicles, Toyota aims to create a more flexible production environment and shorten the time it takes to introduce updates to its cars. “We will be able to respond quicker and be more flexible in order to meet market demands down the road,” said Toyota Mississippi President Sean Suggs in a statement.
The production overhaul will create 400 new jobs over the next 12 months. It is part of Toyota’s plan to invest $10 billion in its U.S. facilities over the next five years.
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Last we heard, Toyota builds around 165,000 Corollas at the Mississippi plant. But in the future, Toyota will also build Corollas at its new shared plant with Mazda in Alabama. This plant, scheduled to open in 2021, will build an additional 150,000 Corollas a year. While the Corolla hatchback will go on sale this summer as a 2019 model, we don’t expect to see the sedan arrive until later, likely the 2020 model year. Motor Trend
