HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Mazda Toyota Manufacturing officials pulled the cover off the first vehicle that will roll off the line at their new Huntsville plant later this year.

The company announced at a news conference Wednesday morning that the new Corolla Cross SUV will be manufactured at the plant in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County.

“We are excited to manufacture the all-new Corolla Cross and I’m proud of our team members’ tremendous work in preparation for the start of production,” said Mark Brazeal, Vice President of Administration. “We are continuing to hire new team members and I look forward to completing our MTM family so we can build high-quality vehicles for our customers, just like we built this plant from the ground up.”

Production will begin later this year, officials said, and the first Corolla Crosses will start showing up in dealer lots this fall.

The Corolla Cross features a L4 cylinder engine, turbocharged direct injection fuel system, and is a front-wheel drive vehicle. Combined, the vehicle boasts an average 36.2 miles per gallon fuel economy.

“We commit to build highest quality into each and every vehicle that we make with our own hands right here at MTM,” said MTM Executive Vice President Hiro Kagohashi.

The Cross, described by Kagohashi as “small, but spacious and mighty,” will be built on the plant’s Apollo line.

A Mazda vehicle that has not been unveiled yet will be made on the plant’s Discovery line.

Mazda and Toyota have joined together to build the $2.31 billion facility in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County that will build a Mazda crossover vehicle and a Toyota SUV.

Officials have said they hope to employ up to 4,000 people and have the facility up and running sometime this year. The plant has the capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles per year.

Officials said the company is still hiring.