The Toyota Camry has long been a favourite amongst Russian customers and is considered Toyota’s flagship sedan model in Russia. Yesterday, the production of the new-generation Camry was celebrated at the Saint-Petersburg plant where it is produced since 2007. Together with the new model, the 1830-employee factory introduced two new production shops, a resin (plastics) moulding facility and a stamping shop, to further increase local production, bringing local content to 30 percent. Investment for the two new shops was 2.7 billion roubles.

Future plans for the Toyota plant in Russia include the doubling of the production capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 vehicles a year by the end of 2015, and the start of production of a second model, the Toyota RAV4, in 2016. Total investment in Saint-Petersburg will reach approximately 16 billion roubles in 2016. Future additional employment is estimated to be around 800 people. Toyota Motor Russia Saint-Petersburg produces for the Russian, Belarus and Kazakh markets.

Commenting on Toyota’s manufacturing presence in Russia, Toyota Motor Europe President and CEO Didier Leroy said: “Our global strategy is based on sustainable growth. Toyota is committed to sustainable development in Russia, and therefore we have planned a significant future expansion here in Saint-Petersburg with a doubling of the capacity in 2015 and the introduction of RAV4 in 2016. These commitments demonstrate the strategic importance of the Russian market for Toyota. Our efforts are aimed to satisfy Russian customers, develop manufacturing in Russia and contribute to the local and national economy.”

Camry sales make up 21 percent of total sales in Russia annually. Launched in 2011, the current Camry is the seventh generation of the model and the second one to be built in Russia, where it enjoys a rising, 24 percent share of the busy D-segment market, and an even stronger fleet share of some 42 percent.