Toyota may make more Lexus RX SUVs for North America in Canada where its Ontario plant is the only one outside Japan making the brand.
A source told Reuters Toyota was considering expanding production capacity there and transferring some output from Japan. In 2011, the Allison plant produced 65,000 RX SUVs, the best-selling Lexus model globally.
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Toyota has gradually been transferring some of its domestic production abroad, saying in principle it aims to make products near markets in which they are sold but also repeatedly vowing to safeguard production of some 3m vehicles a year in its home market, roughly triple the equivalent output at Nissan Motor and Honda.
Toyota plans to boost output capacity at its plant in Canada in early 2014, and is considering transferring production of about 30,000 RX SUVs to Canada from its Miyata factory in southern Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Toyota produced about 81,000 RXs at Miyata in 2011.
The total number of vehicles produced at the Miyata plant would likely be unchanged, as other models would be made instead of the RX, Reuters’ source said.
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By GlobalDataToyota is set to make an announcement on the matter soon, the source added.
Earlier this month, Miyata started production of the Lexus ES 2013 model, which will be exported largely to the United States and China, but will not be sold in Japan.
