Toyota, Peugeot Citroen Open Czech Plant

PRAGUE, Czech Republic May 31, 2005; The AP reported that Toyota Motor Corp. and PSA Peugeot Citroen SA officially opened a joint car plant in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, officials said.

The plant, Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile, was designed to produce 100,000 units of each of three types of small passenger cars -- Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 -- for the European market, said Matej Matolin, the plant's spokesman.

The plant was unveiled Tuesday, but production began in February. The maximum capacity of 300,000 cars a year is expected to be reached next year and creates some 3,000 jobs.

The vehicles will be available with 1-liter gas (0.26 gallon) and 1.4-liter diesel engines, he said.

The plant is located in the town of Kolin, 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Prague, and is the second major car manufacturing facility in the country after Skoda Auto, owned by German manufacturer Volkswagen AG.