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A brief history of Japanese cars made in Canada

Did you know that all these Japanese cars have been built in Canada?

Gerry Malloy
Published: July 3, 2018, 5:15 PM
Updated: July 4, 2018, 8:00 PM

There are more than you may think

It’s a well-known fact that Canada’s best-selling car, the Honda Civic, is built in Canada. What’s not so well-known is that several other Japanese models have been and still are made in Canada as well, including both North America’s best-selling utility vehicles. ▲

In the beginning… the Isuzu Bellet

The story of Japanese car production in Canada begins not in Ontario, where it is now focused, but in Nova Scotia. In 1967, with support from the federal and provincial governments, a company called Canadian Motor Industries (CMI) began assembly of CKD (Completely Knocked Down) Isuzu Bellet sedans at a former Canadian Navy property on Cape Breton Island. (Photo by Tommi Nummelin) ▲

Canadian Corollas, Take 1 - 1969

CMI, which was founded by Canadian founded by Canadian business tycoons Peter Munk and David Gilmour, was the official Canadian importer for Toyota as well Isuzu. In 1969, Isuzu assembly at CMI gave way to that of the Toyota Corolla and about 8,000 Corollas were produced in Cape Breton between then and 1975, when CMI ceased production. Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the successor to that company. ▲

Honda Accord – 1986-88

Honda was the first of the second round of Japanese automakers to build cars in Canada. Honda of Canada Manufacturing (HCM) began production of the Honda Accord at a newly-constructed plant in Alliston, Ontario in 1986, as an early commitment to that company’s now long-standing global commitment to building vehicles close to where they are sold. ▲

Toyota Corolla – 1989-2018

In 1988, Toyota joined the Canadian production game, with the opening of the first Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) plant in Cambridge, Ontario. The first Ontario-built Corolla - a 1989 model - was driven off the TMMC assembly line on November 30, 1988. That car remains on display in TMMC’s lobby today. ▲

Toyota Corolla – 1988-2018

Corollas continued to be produced in Cambridge for the next 30 years, through six generations – more than 4-million in total. But the next generation of the world’s best-selling nameplate, beginning with the 2019 model, won’t be built in Canada. Its production has been shuffled off to lower-cost operations in Mexico, making way for production of more profitable models at Cambridge. ▲

Honda Civic – 1988->>>>

In 1988, Honda shifted production at HCM from the Accord to the Civic and the rest, as they say, is history. The Civic has been Canada’s best-selling passenger car for the past 30 years. And almost all those Civics (a few specific models excepted) have been made in Canada. Shown here is a 1989 Civic – the first model built in Canada. ▲

Honda Civic – 1988->>>>

So popular is the Civic, not just in Canada but in the U.S. where most of the HCM-built Civics are sold, that they’re also being produced in a second plant on the Alliston site, and have been for the past decade. Current production includes both four-door sedan and coupe models, among them this sporty Si. ▲

Suzuki Swift 1989-1994

Suzuki built sub-compact Swift models at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll from 1990 to 2001. The same vehicle was also sold under the GEO Metro, Chevrolet Metro and Pontiac Firefly brand names but it was, behind those badges, a Suzuki. ▲

Suzuki Sidekick/Vitara – 1989-2004

Production of the Suzuki Sidekick compact SUV began in Canada in 1989 at the brand-new CAMI plant, a joint venture of Suzuki and General Motors, in Ingersoll, Ontario. The second-generation model, introduced in 1998 (shown here), was renamed the Vitara. The Sidekick was also sold under various other badge names such as the Geo Tracker in the United States and the GMC Tracker, Chevrolet Tracker, Asüna Sunrunner and Pontiac Sunrunner in Canada.  ▲

Acura EL – 1997-2005

The Acura EL was, in essence, a badge-engineered Honda Civic with additional features and an Acura nameplate, intended to give Canadian Acura dealers an affordable entry level model to sell. Available only in Canada, it was built on the same Alliston assembly line as the Civic and it quickly became Acura’s best-selling model. (Photo by Michael Gil) ▲

Toyota Solara – 1999-2002

In 1998, Toyota moved its Corolla production in Cambridge to a brand-new plant, next to the original. That move made way for production of the all-new 1999 Solara model in the former Corolla facility and Solaras were built there until late 2002, when production of the second-generation model moved to Kentucky. ▲

Honda Odyssey – 1999-2004

Also in 1998, Honda opened its second plant in Alliston, to produce the Odyssey minivan. The award-winning van was built there until 2004. ▲

Honda Pilot – 2003-2007

Honda’s all-new Pilot mid-size utility vehicle began production at HCM alongside the Odyssey and Acura MDX in 2003. It continued to be built there until the next-generation model was introduced in 2007, when production was transferred to the U.S., making way for additional Civic production in Alliston. ▲

Toyota Matrix – 2003-2013

Toyota introduced the Matrix – a station wagon with crossover aspirations – in 2002 as a 2003 model, built alongside the Corolla at TMMC in Cambridge. The product of a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors, it was a twin in all but sheet metal and trim to the Pontiac Vibe. (The Vibe was built at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, which now produces Teslas.) Sales of the Matrix ceased in 2013 in the U.S. and both sales and production in Canada stopped shortly after. ▲

Acura MDX – 2001-2012

One of the longest-running models to be built by Honda Manufacturing Canada was the Acura MDX – the first Japanese luxury model to be built in this country. It was produced there from model year 2004 through 2013, encompassing four generations. MDX production then shifted to Alabama, enabling greater capacity for Civics and CR-Vs in Canada. (2007 MDX model shown) ▲

Lexus RX – 2004->>>>

In 2003, after Toyota ceased production of the Solara at its original TMMC Cambridge plant, it began assembly of the 2004 Lexus RX crossover there – the first Lexus model to be built outside Japan. The brand has continued to produce Lexus’s best-selling model there ever since. (2010 model shown) ▲

Acura CSX – 2006-2011

The Acura EL was replaced for the 2006 model year by the Acura CSX which, like its predecessor, was built and available only in Canada. It differed more from the North American Civic than the EL, however, incorporating some of the Japanese market Civic’s features. Production of the CSX ceased in 2012, when it was replaced by the ILX, built and also sold in the U.S. (2010 model shown) ▲

Honda Ridgeline – 2006-2008

In 2005, Honda replaced the Odyssey minivan on its second Alliston assembly line with its brand-new 2006 Ridgeline pickup truck. The Ridgeline shared some core design features with the Odyssey, making it a relatively easy switch. Ridgeline production moved to Alabama in 2008 to increase Civic capacity in Alliston. ▲

Suzuki XL7 – 2007-2009

Suzuki partnered with General Motors to build the mid-size XL7 at CAMI. It shared its unibody platform and many of its components with GM’s Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent and Saturn Vue but offered a third-row seat those three did not. Low sales doomed the XL7 to withdrawal from the market in 2009. ▲

Toyota RAV4 – 2008->>>>

In 2008, production of the Toyota RAV4 began at a new, high-tech, greenfield plant in Woodstock, Ontario. It is now Toyota’s highest-production plant in North America and second-highest in the world. And it still can’t keep up with RAV4 demand… ▲

Toyota RAV4 – 2008->>>>

Because TMMC's Woodstock plant alone can't meet demand for the RAV4 – it’s the best-selling compact crossover in North America – the former Corolla production line in Cambridge is being switched over to produce RAV4s for the 2019 model year. (2019 RAV4 shown here) ▲

Acura ZDX – 2010-2013

Acura’s quirky ZDX utility/hatchback/sedan was built, during its short life-span, on the same Alliston assembly line as the MDX, with which it shared many components and features. Never achieving great popular success, it was discontinued after three model years. ▲

Honda CR-V – 2012->>>>

Production of Honda’s hot-selling CR-V compact crossover began in Alliston in 2012, on the same assembly line as the Civic and the Acura MDX and ZDX. Production of the MDX and ZDX models in that plant ceased a year later. ▲

Honda CR-V – 2012->>>>

Now, production on that assembly line is dedicated solely to the CR-V, which was all-new for the 2017 model year. Long the best-selling crossover in North America, the CR-V lost that title to the Toyota RAV4 for 2017 and is currently in a close battle to regain it. ▲

A lasting relationship

In the 50 years since those first tentative steps toward assembling Japanese cars in this country, Japanese automakers have become a mainstay of vehicle production in Canada, building quality award-winning vehicles for all of North America and beyond. It is to be hoped that trade tensions among the NAFTA partners won’t negatively affect the success of that relationship. ▲
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