Toyota’s best-selling model in Europe passes two million production milestone.

The Yaris was first produced in Europe in 2001 at Valenciennes factory in northern France, with an annual volume of 150,000 units. The car proved so popular that the production volume rose to a peak of 262,000 cars a year in 2007.

To keep up with the demand as the new generation Yaris entered production, Toyota announced the plant will return to three shifts in January next year and will recruit 800 extra workers, taking the employee total at Valenciennes to 4,300.

The two millionth Toyota Yaris is a 1.4-litre D-4D five-door in Burning Red, destined for a customer in France.

Makoto Sano, TMMF President, said: “This important milestone was achieved thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our members in TMMF. With the arrival of the new Yaris, TMMF is entering a dynamic new era. The latest model offers a promising prospect for our plant in Valenciennes.”