Toyota Will Invest $170 Million In Corolla-Building Mississippi Plant

Toyota is planning to invest big in its existing Mississippi plant where the next-generation Corolla hatchback will be manufactured

The $170 million investment will result in the creation of 400 additional jobs over the next 12 months. Toyota will also use the funds to replace the current production lines in a bid “to produce advanced vehicles more efficiently and better adapt to changing market needs.”

These actions form part of a broader plan to invest $10 billion in Toyota’s U.S. facilities over the next five years. Since this plan was announced in 2017, Toyota has already invested $4.27 billion in the U.S. alone.

The automaker unveiled the 12th-generation Corolla in European guise at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Underpinning the new car is the brand’s TNGA platform which makes the Corolla 1.5 inch (38 mm) longer, 1.2 inch (31 mm) wider, and 1 inch (25 mm) lower than its predecessor. The hatchback’s wheelbase has also been extended by 1.5 inch (38 mm).

North American customers will only be able to purchase their new Corolla with a single engine in the form of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol mill working alongside a six-speed manual or a new CVT ‘box. Local sales of the 2019 Corolla will commence this summer.