Toyota Will Build Some GR Corollas In UK To Help Meet Demand

I was all but convinced that the new tariff situation would lead Toyota to cancel the GR Corolla, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The automaker recently announced that it would add GR production output to its UK manufacturing base, which will allow it to produce more cars, though Toyota was adamant that the move had nothing to do with the trade war.

May 27, 2025 - 16:05

Toyota Will Build Some GR Corollas In UK To Help Meet Demand

I was all but convinced that the new tariff situation would lead Toyota to cancel the GR Corolla, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The automaker recently announced that it would add GR production output to its UK manufacturing base, which will allow it to produce more cars, though Toyota was adamant that the move had nothing to do with the trade war.

Toyota will invest around $56 million in a dedicated production line for the GR Corolla, helping it meet demand and avoid wait times. While it said the decision was not related to tariffs, the Trump administration lowered tariffs on UK vehicles to 10 percent as long as the volume remains below 100,000 units. Japanese vehicles still face a 25-percent tariff, though officials are working to negotiate a lower percentage.

The GR Corolla is built in Japan for North America and other markets, but Toyota has struggled to keep pace with demand. The new production line in Derbyshire will add capacity for up to 10,000 additional vehicles per year starting in mid-2026. The facility already produces the base Corolla, easing the transition.

Toyota built around 8,000 GR Corollas at its Motomachi Plant in Japan, around a third of the facility’s total capacity. The automaker’s U.S. factories are focused on building hybrids, which are in high demand.

[Images: Toyota]

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