michael31

Toyota to use 90% locally procured parts in Canada-built Lexus Consistent with company policy, Toyota will use 90% locally procured parts when it starts building the Lexus RX330 SUV at its Canada plant (Cambridge, Ontario) this fall. It will be the first time Toyota has ever built a Lexus model outside Japan. Toyota chose its Canadian plant as the production site because the skilled workers there and the suppliers in the area meet Toyota's requirements. Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun (automotive trade paper) March 5, page 1

Canadian article from last year: Whew! All this, and I've still managed to save the best bit for last -- the RX 330 is set to be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) in Cambridge, Ont., making it the first Lexus ever to be built outside of Japan. The models you're seeing in showrooms now were built at Lexus's Kyushu plant, but come September, production moves to the little plant that could. This award-winning manufacturing facility has been updated with separate weld and assembly facilities, and a brand-new 300,000-sq.-ft. paint shop dedicated exclusively to Lexus. By the time production begins, there will be more than three million sq. ft. under one roof. The Lexus move represents a $650 million investment and the creation of 700 new jobs. The plant will be able to produce 60,000 units of the RX 330, an important criteria given that the marque accounts for about 40% of Lexus's total sales. The base RX330 is still built in Japan.

I live in Canada and I am told that only the base RX330 and the luxury package (sunroof) are built in Japan. The remaining models (higher end RX330) are built in Japan. The Ontario plant was Lexus first platn outside of Japan and it is a well documented JP Powers award winner for quality. Non-union. The plant also makes some Toyota cars.