TOYOTA is to build a new £10 million car design centre in the south of France to enable future cars to be in tune with European styling tastes.

The new centre, which will be operational by 2000, will link up with Toyota's other centres - two in Japan and one in California - to compete with each other. The Brussels design centre, which played a key role in designing the Corolla and Avensis, as well as the Yaris small car due next year, will be integrated into the new Cote d'Azur centre.