Toyota Customers send us over the moon and back more than 1,000,000 times as Toyota Canada celebrates its 4,000,000th vehicle sale in Canada

TORONTO, ON – In celebration of the sale of Toyota’s four-millionth vehicle in Canada, we thought it would be fun to provide some context and perspective around how we’ve grown since Toyota put its first “for sale” sign on a windshield back in the mid-1960s.  

 

Our success is due in no small part to the support and loyalty of our customers who, over the last 46 years who have travelled to the moon and back with Toyota over a million times – literally.

 

Here are a few facts and figures that provide some context around Toyota’s successes since entering the Canadian market.

 

1.   More than 1,000,000: That’s how many round trips to the moon Canadians could have made in their Toyota-built vehicles. Since our first customers took their Toyotas for a drive in the mid-1960s, Canadian owners have recorded 783,144,824,052 kilometers on their Toyota vehicles (based on annual average driving statistics). With a trip to the moon and back averaging 768,806 km, that works out to 1,040,564 memorable family vacations.*

 

2.   More than 80: That’s the percentage of Toyotas sold in Canada in the last 20 years that are still on the road today. At Toyota, we’re pleased, but not surprised. From design and materials selection to quality manufacturing and top-rate after-sales service, we’ve worked hard to make sure that every Toyota vehicle is a quality product that will provide years and years (and years) of useful service to its owner. That’s why we’re proud that Toyota and Lexus models took top honors in seven categories in the Canadian Black Book’s 5^th annual Best Retained Value Awards and that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada earned a Gold Plant Quality Award in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.

 

3.   100: That’s the percentage of 2011 Toyota models that are standard equipped with the Star Safety System – six active safety technologies that work together to help Toyota drivers avoid problems on the road. Toyota is the only full-line manufacturer to include, as standard on every model, these six technologies: Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Brake System, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Brake Assist, Smart Stop Technology. Toyota’s unwavering commitment to the safety of its customers will continue as the company introduces a dozen all-new or next generation models to Canada over the next 12 months including the Canadian-built, significantly refreshed Toyota Corolla - among last year’s top safety picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

 

4.   More than 18,000: That’s how many Canadians work for Toyota – either as associates at the corporate level, as team members in Toyota’s award-winning assembly plants, or as staff at more than 300 independently-owned Toyota, Lexus and Scion Dealers from coast to coast.

 

5.   $8 billion: That’s the scope of Toyota’s investment and job creation activities in Canada – and it continues to grow. We’re proud that as increasing numbers of Canadians have turned to Toyota, Lexus and – more recently – Scion for high-quality, fuel-efficient, safe and sustainable vehicles, we’ve continued to increase our investment in Canada over the years. This investment includes several manufacturing and distribution facilities from coast to coast and a cold weather testing facility.

 

6.   4 Million: Not only is that the number of vehicles we’ve sold, it’s also the number of vehicles built right here in Canada. We believe it’s important to build our vehicles where we sell them, which is why 50 per cent of all vehicles we sell in Canada are built in Canada – a claim no other full-line manufacturer can make.

 

7.   World’s largest automotive manufacturer: That’s right, Toyota was named the world’s largest automotive manufacturer for the third year in a row. A testament to the support of our customers and their passion for the vehicles they drive.

 

8.   Almost 40: That’s the number of years we’ve been testing the performance of Toyota vehicles in cold-weather climates right here in Canada – to ensure every vehicle is tested in the conditions Canadians drive in. Early testing began in 1972 and eventually led to the establishment of the Cold Research Centre in Timmins, Ontario in October 1998.    

 

For a video timeline including significant milestones for Toyota Canada Inc, and for the Canadian automotive sector over the last 46 years, please visit our website atwww.toyota.ca.

 

About Toyota Canada Inc.

 

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota, Lexus and Scion cars, SUVs and trucks, and Toyota Industrial Equipment. Toyota is the first full-line manufacturer to make all of the elements of the Star Safety System standard on every 2011 vehicle. The Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Smart Stop Technology (SST). TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.
 

* Claim based on data collected by an independent automotive research company.

 

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For more details, including a full list of media contacts, digital images and product details please visit media.toyota.ca.