Toyota’s Bukit Raja plant ranked one of the best in Asia – builds Vios, Yaris, Corolla Cross Hybrid

Built with an investment of about RM 2 billion, including land and equipment cost, UMW Toyota Motor’s Bukit Raja plant is one of the most advanced and efficient ones in Asia, said the distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia.

The new plant, operated by UMW Toyota Motor's manufacturing subsidiary Assembly Services Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB), has a capacity to build 50,000 cars per year (further expansions possible) and currently builds the Toyota Vios, Yaris, and Corolla Cross, including the Corolla Cross Hybrid.

Together with its Shah Alam plant (which is one of the oldest in Malaysia, since 1968) that currently builds the Toyota Hilux, Innova, Fortuner, and Hiace, UMW Toyota Motor has a combined production capacity of between 90,000 to 100,000 cars annually.

The new Bukit Raja plant is designed with Toyota’s “Simple, Slim, and Flexible” philosophy, with 5 main characteristics - High Quality, Better Efficiency, Higher Employee Skills, Employee-Friendly and Eco-Friendly.

Toyota won’t make its ranking of its best manufacturing plants public, neither will any manufacturer, partly because different plans have a slightly different focus, and also because there’s no need to create unnecessary friction between plants.

Some plants like the Shimoyama plant, only makes engines, including the ones that go into the GR Yaris, President Akio Toyoda’s pet project.

But if you want a list of Toyota’s best plant and if we could take a guess, Toyota’s Motomachi plant should be the best in terms of craftsmanship, as this plant focuses on low volume, specialty cars like the Toyota Century and GR Yaris, as well as the Crown and Mirai.

The Tahara plant that focuses on Lexus vehicles, including the LS, is another candidate.

For high volume models, the Takaoka plant, which makes the RAV4, Harrier, Corolla and Corolla Cross should rank at the top.

Outside of Japan, USA’s Kentucky plant that makes the Corolla, RAV4, and Camry for North American markets, plus Thailand’s Gateway plant makes the Camry, Corolla Altis, and Hilux, should be among the top, alongside Malaysia’s Bukit Raja plant.

The Bukit Raja plant is also powered by photovoltaic solar panels that can supply up to 2 MW of zero carbon electricity, while a rainwater harvesting system recycles 156 cubic metres of water.

The plant is also has the lowest Volatile Organic Compound emissions in Asia with the installation of a Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser, which converts hazardous vapours into less harmful carbon dioxide and water.

On a related matter, UMW Toyota Motor also announced the appointment of Takashi Obata as its new Deputy Chairman. Obata will succeed Akio Takeyama, also known as driver of Car No.1 in the local Toyota Vios Gazoo Racing Series, who has since returned to Japan.

Obata was previously working at the Product Planning in Sales & Operation Planning division at Toyota Motor Corporation, responsible for product planning of Toyota-brand models for the global market.