Toyota is renowned for toughness. And in a country like Australia, with some of the harshest road conditions in the world, you're going to need a car that can withstand the elements. But, it's not all about off-road either. Our reputation extends to the cabin, where some of the toughest tests come not from the outside, but from those inside. Your Toyota is also built to withstand any spills, bumps and scrapes courtesy of the bundles of joy in the back seat.

Built to last durability

Everyone knows someone with a story about a Toyota that didn't know when to say die. These stories are usually told excitedly; the owner still wearing the memory like some sort of achievement or badge of honour. Well, that story you heard, it's not alone. There are countless of them, because there are countless Toyota vehicles –long out of the factory–still going strong on the roads, all over the world today.

This is the result of one basic, enduring goal – to build great cars that stand the test of time. While quite simply it means that your car has been built to last, it also recognises that the true value of a car's life is while it's in your hands, not ours.

Indicative of this, 87% of new Toyotas sold in the last 20 years are still on the road in Australia today. It's fitting, but not unexpected, given the exacting standards we use to our build our cars. And it's comforting for you, the owners and drivers of our vehicles–that your car's not just been built for now. Odds are it'll still be around a long way down the track as well.

So, don't let anyone ever tell you that they don't make them like they used to. Because, we do. We always have and we always will.

• The foundations of Toyota Australia were laid in 1958 when four-wheel drive LandCruisers were shipped from Japan for use on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, a key infrastructure project in Australia's post-war development.
• Toyotas are consistently chosen as the vehicle of choice for those who depend on transportation for their livelihood. The more demanding the job, harder the terrain, and the more difficult the conditions, the higher likelihood the car in question is to be a Toyota.
• HiLux has built a reputation for being unbreakable. In fact, in 2003 the boys of Top Gear did their very best to see a Toyota off. They tried everything–including water, fire and demolition–and amazingly (for them–predictable we thought) a 1998 HiLux with 308,000km on the odometer just kept on going.

Quality isn't just a result. It's part of everything we do at Toyota. Starting with hand-selecting the right people to undertake the sketching of a car, right through to materials, the build and the delivery. And it never stops. Because the only way to ensure that you experience quality every time you sit in a Toyota is to ask ourselves, "how can we make this even better?"

Quality thinking in everything we do

Quality is appreciated with the senses, but only made possible by meticulous planning and smart thinking. Because whilst quality might feel like silk, smell like leather, and taste like chocolate, our senses didn't build these things. A lot of hard work, determination and never giving an inch did. Quality is never the result; it's a defining way of thinking and doing.

And that's a really nice way to think about how Toyota produces cars. From the initial first sketch to the tightening of the very last bolt, the parts you can see and the things that you can't. It's in the processes, components, production and people. Bringing together great minds, great resources, and great facilities wherever they are in the world, to make something as good as it can be. But, it's still not enough. Because next time around we'll take all of this and ask ourselves–how can we make this even better?

The time we spend producing your car infinitely exceeds the time you'll ever spend driving it. Hours upon hours are spent perfecting small things that you'll only ever use momentarily. Some might call this excessive, but it's our dogged determination to never be satisfied, which means that you will be.

• Toyota's fully integrated Australian manufacturing plant in Altona, Victoria incorporates state-of-the-art weld, paint and assembly shops to produce cars that have been independently recognised as Australia's best quality locally-built vehicles.
• Every Toyota plant has an Andon cord. It's a thin cord that runs the length of the production line and is pulled at the mere hint of any imperfection - immediately stopping the line.
• From the initial first sketch to the very last bolt, Toyota brings together great parts, processes and people-wherever they are in the world-so you get a genuinely world-class product.
• Quality is in Toyota's DNA. It is an integral part of the company's foundations laid by Kiichiro Toyoda - "By striving to maker better products, we improve day by day".

Sometimes we don't know when to quit. Our persistence in testing and refinement might be seen by some as relentless, bordering on obsessive. However, it's the benefits of our obsession that you'll see in the shape of old Toyota cars still on the road today. They might be a little past their prime, but a faultless start to each morning puts another proud smile on their owners' faces, which says it all–that's just one less thing to worry about.

Reliability that won't let you down

Jump in, put your key into the ignition, turn once and off you go. Sure, sounds easy enough. But in reality cars are complex pieces of machinery, with thousands of different parts that must work together to move you forward. It's only when things don't work just the way they should that reliability really gets put into perspective. That's why we make it our job to worry about these things so you don't have to.

The fact remains that Toyota vehicles have consistently rated highly on relevant industry reliability measures for a couple of decades. These reports have been compiled from many sources, from driver's experience to the hard analysis of faults. But it's no fluke. Every Toyota employee takes great pride, responsibility and ownership in each car that comes off the Toyota line, and they're given the trust and tools needed to focus on never letting you down.

Take the Andon cord for example. It's a single cord that runs over the head of employees on the line of every Toyota manufacturing plant. It's role: to stop production at even the hint of an imperfection. All team members have the authority to pull the cord, resolve whatever it is that's bothered them, and then restart the line again.

In addition to this, every angle and aspect of our cars is put through a demanding set of computer tests and human inspections, including simulating thousands of kilometres of road conditions, a brilliantly lit tunnel where we check even the slightest blemish, and weather testing more severe than you're ever likely to face.

It all seems extreme, but it's by not taking anything in our cars for granted that gives you a car that you can rely on; today, tomorrow and on every drive. Predictably, that's Toyota.

• We've been making cars since 1935. That's over 75 years of constant learning and refinement.
• Toyota is committed to worry-free, low cost motoring. Your car's reliability is something you can take for granted, because we haven't. Neither have we forgotten about the sales and service experience that you've grown to expect from us. So you can go on with your life, while your car (and your peace of mind) remains in great shape for a long time to come.
• We simulate thousands of kilometres of road conditions, test your car for blemishes under the scrutiny of a brilliantly white lit tunnel and weather test to levels far more severe than you're ever likely to encounter.
• Toyotas in Australia are built to last. They have to contend not only with our conditions, but also Australian Design Rules, which are amongst the toughest in the world.

Innovation doesn't always mean new for new's sake. At Toyota it means better for your sake. We have a word for it- "kaizen", which means continuous improvement, and it guides everything that we do. So whether it's something as revolutionary as hybrid technology, or as blatantly practical as a conversation mirror for mum, it's recognising the power of ideas that drives us forward.

Inspiring innovation

Recognising the power of ideas - both big and small - drives us forward. That's why the contribution of these ideas is so deeply embedded into the Toyota culture that it's impossible to separate where thinking stops, and doing begins. Each year, Toyota employees willingly suggest over a million improvements to the company. Which would be a staggering statistic on its own, if it weren't for over 90% of these ideas going on to be implemented.

Just like you, we'll stare in amazement at that next big idea. But we're also mindful that innovating doesn't always mean inventing; even the smallest of refinements can lead to revolutionary changes. We have a word for it - "kaizen", which means continuous improvement. It's a wise thought that we've made our own, so that it guides everything that we do.

Discovery, curiosity, vision - call it what you will, the important thing is that we're not only doing things differently, but also doing things that make a difference. That means backing a change because it's the right thing to do, not just because it's the profitable thing to do. It's why we focused on hybrids, while everyone else banked on the good times rolling on forever. And it's why we invest over $25 million a day - more than anyone else, anywhere - researching and developing technologies that will propel our industry forward.

This is the challenge we've laid down to ourselves - to create something truly great. And it's really hard not to be inspired by that.

• Toyota's proudest innovation – Toyota Production System–is often imitated but never bettered. It has come to set the benchmark to which automotive manufacturers and other large-scale manufacturers aspire.
• Toyota have more than 2.5 million hybrids on the road all around the world today. That's more than all other automotive manufacturers combined.
• Toyota has been in Australia for over 50 years. Over this time we've shown the flexibility to adapt and learn, and to bring the cars that Australians want to own and drive to them with the level of quality and support that Toyota has become renowned for.
• Our state-of-the-art local assembly and manufacturing has to-date assembled and manufactured eight different Toyota vehicles of various sizes and shapes, including the most advanced car ever built in Australia, Hybrid Camry. Today, we produce hundreds of thousands of cars for Australians each and every year, and export thousands more to places near and far, all over the world.
• Worldwide, Toyota spends $25 million every single day on furthering our lead in innovation–not only more than any other car company, but more than any other company, anywhere. In 2009, we spent US$9 billion on research and development activities. That's about $1.1 million an hour, and almost $200 million more than the world's next best.
• As the world's largest mainstream automaker, Toyota brings innovation to the masses. It will flow-down premium technology to improve the safety, comfort and convenience of all motorists.

At Toyota we ensure that we don't just meet the world's strictest safety standards, we exceed them. You'll find a formidable package of world-class active and passive safety features on board every one of our cars, but our safe thinking started a long time ago. It's so deeply embedded into Toyota culture that it's central to the everyday thinking of all employees too. You wouldn't expect any less when it comes to the safety of you and your family, so neither do we. We're proud to be overprotective.

Safety standards that start where others stop

Toyota has an extraordinary history in safety initiatives, beginning 45 years ago when we built our first crash test facility. Since then, we've gone on to pioneer a range of safety initiatives, as well as create a multi-award winning safety benchmark called the Global Outstanding Assessment program, or GOA.

We're often told the world is getting smaller, yet there are still considerable differences in safety standards across regions, countries, and even states. So, with GOA we take the world's toughest safety standards and ensure we don't just meet them, but thoroughly exceed them. We even pre-empt future standards by testing beyond what's currently required. It's because we're not just trying to satisfy criteria that we remain firmly focused on the most fundamental task of all–keeping everyone inside and around a Toyota car as safe as they can be.

And while Toyota has always been quick to adopt and develop new technologies, we've not forgotten the importance of building safety into our everyday thinking too. Some might call it proactive to the point of being pedantic, but that's what happens when safety is so linked to quality it's inseparable. Everyone at Toyota is personally committed; it's built into the job descriptions of designers, planners, engineers and manufacturers. With safety as a foundation to every decision we make, it's comforting to think that over 300,000 people from around the globe have your back.

• Toyota has pioneered many safety initiatives, and as the world's largest automotive manufacturer has made countless more available to a mass audience.
• All of Toyota's 300,000 employees worldwide work tirelessly on safety and remain committed to the well-being of everyone inside and around a Toyota car.
• In addition to making safe vehicles, we are taking a comprehensive approach with initiatives such as educating people, including drivers and pedestrians, and making proposals toward the creation of a safe traffic environment.

Toyota builds cars for today that are made for tomorrow. We have always sought to lead the industry with technologies that reduce our strain on the planet. But it's not just hybrids. Our manufacturing plants, business and people ensure the highest environmental standards across the range and across the board. It's long-term thinking vital to helping everyone breathe a little bit easier, for now and for generations to come.

Good today for a better tomorrow

The number of cars on our roads is set to double by 2020, bringing with it a whole set of environmental challenges for us all. At Toyota, we've made a firm commitment to sustainable motoring; striving to lead the industry with ideas and technologies that reduce our strain on the planet. Each day we come to work, we're looking ahead towards the future. A future where vehicles produce zero exhaust emissions and have no negative impact on the environment.

Our plants, cars, business and people are ensuring that the highest environmental standards are exactly that at Toyota - standard. Across our range and across the board. Long ago, we recognised that motoring's impact isn't limited to the ground underneath your tyres or the air around your car, so we now consider every single thing we do, including helping to build sustainable communities around the world. Since 1999, we've supported National Tree Day in Australia, and inspired everyday Australians to plant over a million trees across the country.

That's an extraordinary environmental legacy and an important contribution that we're proud of. But we're prouder still of the recognition that's come from others. In Australia, our cars have been awarded more five star ratings than any other manufacturer in the Australian Government's Green Vehicle Guide, plus our world leading Hybrid Synergy Drive® technology has been publicly endorsed by sustainability champion, Planet Ark.

But, all this is just the beginning. A small first step as we strive to create a better tomorrow. In the meantime, we're firmly focused on the job at hand today - helping everyone, everywhere breathe a little bit easier.

• In 2007, Toyota became the first automotive manufacturer in Australia to issue a sustainability report.
• In 2009/10, the company's capital and operating expenditure on environmental protection at its manufacturing plant in Altona totalled $2.10 million.
• Toyota is committed not only to sustainable motoring, but sustainable manufacturing and living as well. Take Toyota's Tsutsumi manufacturing plant in Japan where sustainability is the norm. The plant has specially engineered grass growing on the roof, uses masses of solar panels to generate power and is enveloped in a special photo-catalytic paint to help clear the air.
• Toyota employees are encouraged to plant trees and make positive contributions to their local communities.
• Whilst some manufactures were focusing on faster cars for today, Toyota was working on the car of the future. For over 30 years we've been working on and perfecting hybrid technology.
• In 2009, Toyota Australia also achieved the 2010 emissions target set by the industry, with corporate average emissions for all Toyota and Lexus light vehicles totalling 219.7 CO2/km in the year ending 31 December 2009, against the target of 222g by 2010.
• Toyota Australia has a product stewardship scheme to ensure that all hybrid batteries are recycled. The battery's plastic, metal and copper wires are recycled locally while circuit boards and battery elements are exported for recycling.
• Fresh water is one of our most precious resources and reducing consumption remains a priority for Toyota. In 2009/10, total water consumption at Altona was 364,716 kilolitres which represents a 28 per cent decrease from last year's consumption (463,893 kl).
• In 2009/10, total waste was 22,170 tonnes, of which 95 per cent was recycled. This represents a 35 per cent reduction compared to the previous year.
• In 2010 we launched the Toyota Environmental Dealership (TED) program to Toyota Dealerships nationwide. The new program aims to integrate sustainable business practices into daily operations and to encourage dealers to continuously improve their environmental performance.