On Wednesday, June 2nd, community leaders gathered at Huntsville’s Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) facility to view the unveiling of the brand-new 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross, the first vehicle to be completely produced at the facility. The Mazda/Toyota partnership is planning to hire more than 2,000 new employees to prepare for production of the Corolla Cross, as well as a yet-unnamed Mazda vehicle.

Say “Hello” to the all-new 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross

Over two years after the $2.3B Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant first broke ground, company leaders unveiled the first vehicle to be produced at the facility—the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross. The all-new, compact SUV has been described as “small but spacious and mighty” by Mazda Toyota Executive Vice President Hiro Kagohashi.

And the best part? The Corolla Cross will be manufactured entirely in Alabama! Mazda Toyota Manufacturing will be kicking off full-scale production of the SUV in the coming weeks, so you can expect to see the 2022 Corolla Cross in dealer lots by the end of the year.

But that’s not all. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s production capacity—300,000 vehicles—will be split evenly between Toyota and Mazda. A yet-unannounced Mazda vehicle will eventually be manufactured at the facility’s “Discovery” assembly line, a nod towards Huntsville’s history in aerospace. The Toyota Corolla Cross will be manufactured on the “Apollo” line.

2,000+ new jobs for Alabama

What does this news mean for Alabama? Recently, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing announced its plans to hire more than 2,000 new employees to prepare for production. With a current workforce of around 1,600, MTM plans to eventually employ up to 4,000 once production is in full swing.

Click here to see what Alabama’s auto industry has in store for 2021.