Team members at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) celebrated the launch of production for the redesigned 2018 Camry at the Georgetown, Kentucky, plant in late June.
The eighth generation of the automaker's mid-size sedan is the first vehicle in North America to be designed and manufactured with Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), a strategic initiative to streamline production, increase efficiency and improve performance centered around a new modular platform innovation.
“The launch of the next-generation Camry is important for Toyota in America, and expands the company’s footprint in and commitment to Kentucky,” said Wil James, TMMK president, in a release announcing the launch. “We are proud to be the first in North America to produce a vehicle with TNGA. It’s a testament to the skill and dedication of our team members.”
To support the launch of the new Camry, Toyota invested $1.33 billion in the Georgetown plant for TNGA improvements and other makeovers to modernize and streamline the production process. Since 1986, the plant represents a $7 billion total investment by the automotive company.
The new Camry design features a sleeker profile with improved aerodynamics, a lower center of gravity and a more rigid body, all of which are aimed at producing a more comfortable and stable ride. New noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) countermeasures have also been added, including sound-absorbing insulation in the hood and upper and lower fender separator, along with foam/vibration dampening materials throughout the vehicle. The vehicles are scheduled to begin arriving at dealerships in late summer.
Prior to the new Camry's debut on the production line, TMMK added more than 700 employees to its payroll, bringing the plant's workforce to an all-time high of more than 8,000. TMMK is the largest Toyota plant in the world and has produced more than 11 million vehicles over three decades, including more than 8 million Camrys.
Last year alone, TMMK produced more than a half-million Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Lexus ES 350 vehicles, which represents nearly a quarter of the total number of Toyota vehicles produced in North America.