Toyota Announces Plans to Export U.S.-Built Sienna to South Korea

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota today announced plans to begin exporting U.S.-built Sienna vehicles to distributors in South Korea.  

The Sienna is produced at Toyota's manufacturing plant in Princeton, IN.  A top seller in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, this is the first time the vehicle will be exported outside of North America.  Shipments are scheduled to begin in early November.  

Toyota began exporting U.S.-built vehicles in 1988.  These exports increased 30% in calendar year 2010 to about 100,000 units.  With the start of these shipments to South Korea, Toyota will now export U.S.-assembled vehicles to 19 countries around the world.  

Other export vehicles include the Georgetown, KY-produced Avalon sedan, the Princeton, IN-produced Sequoia SUV and the San Antonio, TX-produced Tacoma and Tundra pick-up trucks.  Combined, these three U.S. plants directly employ more than 12,500 team members.  They are also responsible for an estimated 65,000 other U.S. jobs at vendors and suppliers.

"Toyota's North American operations are constantly working to identify and expand new export opportunities for the vehicles we produce here, building on our extensive investments in auto production, research and development in the U.S. and helping to maintain a strong, stable base of jobs," said Yoshimi Inaba, president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.  "With this development and other possible achievements in the future, we hope to continue boosting exports from our North American operations."

Sienna exports to South Korea are initially forecasted at approximately 600 units annually.

About the Toyota Sienna
Toyota introduced the third-generation Sienna family van for 2011 model year with a sharper focus on comfort, versatility, style and fuel efficiency.  The 2011 Sienna also introduced a four-cylinder engine choice and remains the only van in the segment to offer an all-wheel-drive option.  For 2012 model year the XLE grade adds a standard power passenger seat and auto on/off headlights.

Sienna was completely redesigned last year to cater to traditional family van needs while also meeting growing demands for more responsive driving character and onboard "infotainment" technology.  The Sienna SE combines sportier exterior styling with more dynamic driving performance from a sport-tune suspension system.

The Sienna was designed primarily by Toyota's Calty Design Research in California and Michigan, developed at Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., and assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction in Mississippi. There are nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in the U.S., which sold more than 1.76 million vehicles in 2010.  Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.  Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from U.S. suppliers totals more than $23 billion.  For more information, visit www.toyota.com.

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SOURCE Toyota