Toyota Cars To Be Made in Russia

Toyota has a reputation for producing some rather bulletproof vehicles. That’s their biggest selling point — reliability — even if recent reports indicate otherwise. Regardless, the Toyota brand is clearly on the rise and in an effort to expand its international presence, Toyota has opened a plant in Russia.

More specifically, the new production plant near St. Petersburg will pump out about 20,000 cars in its initial phase, but they will increase production to about 50,000 units in the years to come. If everything goes according to plan, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe hopes to increase production to 200,000 vehicles a year at some point in the future.

It cost Toyota about $202 million and 2.5 years to build the Russian plant. They have not indicated whether Russian-made Toyota cars are destined only for the Russian market or if they will be shipped worldwide.