Toyota do Brasil LTDA (TDB) has opened its new engine manufacturing facility in the city of Porto Feliz. Built on a plot of land that covers an area of 9.39 million sq. ft., the new facility represents an investment of $170 million and approximately 320 direct jobs in the region. With this new manufacturing operation, Toyota reinforces its commitment to the Brazilian economy and increases its support for Latin America and the Caribbean region as a whole.

The new Porto Feliz facility is Toyota’s first engine plant in the region. Its capacity to produce up to 108,000 units annually will serve production of Toyota’s 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter NR engines, which come equipped with Dual VVT-I, four cylinders, and flex fuel. These engines are used in the new Etios, which is manufactured in Brazil specifically for customers in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC region) markets, according to the company.

Toyota production in Brazil dates back to 1959 with a Complete Knock Down facility of TDB, Toyota’s first manufacturing affiliate outside of Japan. Since then, Toyota has aimed to manufacture vehicles valued by Brazilian consumers on location; a goal symbolized by the more than 100,000 “Bandeirante” UVs produced and sold between 1958 and 2001, according to the company.