The U.S. Corolla is badly in need of a new powertrain to replace its inefficient 4-speed automatic transaxle.
Toyota in the UK has started production of the all-new Auris at its Burnaston factory where it has been building cars for 20 years. The Aurus, known in the U.S. as the Corolla, is sold in Europe with gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains in hatchback and station wagon body styles. In the U.S., Corolla is Toyota’s second best selling car after the Camry with 240,000 sold year-to-date, and a new Corolla is due next year.
The Auris and Auris Touring Sports are being built at Burnaston alongside the Avensis and Avensis Tourer, which are not sold in North America. They are the latest models to be produced at the site, where more than 3.25 million cars have been built since operations began in 1992. The majority of the vehicles built by Toyota Motor UK are exported to Europe, as will be the case with the new Auris.
What’s interesting about the Auris is its hybrid powertrain; Burnaston was the first automobile factory in Europe to build a mainstream hybrid vehicle – Auris Hybrid in 2010. The 1.8-liter hybrid could easily find its way into a U.S. Corolla – small crown in Latin – production in the U.S. ended in 2010 when Toyota callously walked away from its only unionized plant in Fremont California after 3.2 million Corollas were built. (Toyota and Tesla to Build RAV4 EV at Toyota’s Woodstock, Ontario Production Facility, Not California)
However, the appreciation of the Japanese yen made exporting Corolla hybrids a losing proposition. Therefore, Corolla production in North America is once again underway in a non-unionized plant in Mississippi, originally planned to build Prius hybrid models, which begs the Corolla hybrid question. (Toyota Makes $3.2 Billion Because of Sales Increases, Cost Cutting). Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, added a second shift earlier this year and now has the capacity to produce 150,000 Corollas annually, not enough to satisfy U.S. demand.
