Toyota says new minicar for Europe will be built at Czech plant

Toyota has confirmed it will build its new minicar previewed by the Aygo X concept at its plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic.

The car will be produced alongside the Yaris small car and will use the same GA-B version of the Toyota New Global Architecture as the Yaris, Toyota said in a statement on Friday.

Toyota also builds the Yaris at its plant in Valenciennes, France.

Toyota is one of the few major automakers that intends to stay in Europe’s minicar segment with a combustion engine model. Ford and Opel are among companies that have quit the segment because of low profits while other automakers have switched to higher-priced electric versions in response to regulatory pressure to cut CO2 emissions.

The new minicar, along with the Yaris and the upcoming Yaris Cross, also on the GA-B platform, will give the automaker the economies of scale needed for producing small cars, Toyota Europe’s manufacturing boss, Marvin Cooke, said in the statement.

The car “is a European car in every sense, from development to production,” Toyota said.

Toyota said the model underlines the company’s commitment to expand European production and increase annual vehicle sales in its European markets including Russia to 1.5 million by 2025 for a 7 percent market share, up from from sales of just over 1 million in its latest fiscal year that ended on March 31.

Toyota builds the current Aygo at Kolin alongside the related Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1. Toyota took full ownership of the factory on Jan. 1. Previously it was a joint venture with PSA Group. Yaris production at the plant will start in the second half.