Toyota Shuffles Production in Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. is reassigning production at several of its domestic plants to geographically concentrate output of similarly sized vehicles, The Nikkei reports.

Toyota will move assembly of its Vitz minicar from Japan’s Aichi Prefecture to a facility in Miyagi Prefecture that already makes several small vehicles, according to the newspaper. It says the transfer will begin in early 2017 and be completed two years later. The latter facility also will add Toyota’s upcoming small C-HR three-door crossover due next year, according to The Nikkei.

The reassignments will free up capacity at the Aichi facility to make crossover vehicles. Toyota also will move output of Corolla small sedans currently made at Toyota Motor East Japan to a Toyota-operated factory in Aichi Prefecture.