Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("Toyota Tsusho") announced today that it started SKD* production of Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota")'s Fortuner SUV at the Mombasa Plant of Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. ("AVA"), a vehicle production contractor in Kenya, on July 29, 2023 (Japan time).
* SKD: Semi-knockdown. A method of vehicle assembly that the welded and painted body is imported and the components parts are assembled with body and chassis, or its parts configuration.
Toyota Tsusho currently produces Toyota's Land Cruiser Pickup, Hilux, and Hiace at the AVA Mombasa Plant. This new production of Fortuner is Toyota Tsusho's first SKD production of an SUV in Kenya, with production planned to be 350 units per year. Demand for SUV vehicles has been increasing in Kenya in recent years, and the market is expected to expand further in the future. Through this SKD production of Fortuner in Kenya, it will be possible to shorten the lead time for supply of the vehicles to customers in Kenya.
To mark the start of production, a production start-up ceremony was held at the plant in the presence of Kenyan President William Ruto; Moses Kuria, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Kenya; and Japanese Ambassador to Kenya, Ken Okaniwa.
Based on the "WITH AFRICA FOR AFRICA" philosophy, Toyota Tsusho seeks to grow with the people and communities of Africa, and aims to contribute to the further development of Kenya's automobile industry through the local production of Fortuner.
