The Auris will replace the Corolla

Chancellor Gordon Brown visited the Burnaston site on Monday to see the Auris come off the production line.

It will not mean more jobs, as the Auris is replacing the Corolla, but it should safeguard the future of the plant's 4,149 staff.

The move comes in contrast to many other UK car makers which have closed down or transferred business abroad.

The company also revealed it was putting extra investment into its other plant - an engine assembly plant in Deeside, north Wales, securing another 200 jobs.

Peugeot's Ryton plant near Coventry closed in January with the loss of 2,300 jobs when production of the 206 moved to Slovakia.

And nearly 6,000 Rover workers lost their jobs when MG Rover went into administration nearly two years ago, but Nanjing Automobile hopes to restart production at Longbridge in the next few months.

Gordon Brown says the plant is critical to the local economy

The West Midlands plant was inactive for almost two years after Rover's collapse in 2005.

Speaking at the Toyota event on Monday, Mr Brown said: "The economic investment that is being made here and the new model that is being created is critical to the economic future of Derbyshire and the East Midlands, is a symbol of the continued vitality of the motor car industry in our country."

Toyota UK's managing director Hein Van Gerwen said the production of the new car showed the company's commitment to Derbyshire.