Following the foot step of VW India, Toyota Kirlosker Motors also plans to have its single-make racing series in India. The company showcased Etios and Liva race cars which were developed by TRD (Toyota Racing Development), an in-house tuning shop for all Toyota, Lexus, and Scion cars. So what is so special about this particular racing cars?
- 16 valve DOHC, 4 Cylinder Petrol engine
- A full racing inspired body kit
- 17 inch alloys
- Sport suspension
- Lots of racing stuff such as sporty steering, muffler, racing seats with harness etc
- And a fire extinguisher as well.
Discussing on Toyota’s India’s operation, Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), TKM and Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) gave us an idea of the what the future has in store for Indians.
Toyota iQ –
I asked Mr.Nakagawa the prospect of the iQ. It is small, beautiful, fuel efficient and could be the apt city car. Yes, it may not satisfy all the requirement of an Indian small car, and with that in mind, I asked him if a watered down variant, without the airbags and gizmos could have a future in India. He replied it would not happen, and he did not have any plans for introducing the iQ in India. He praised the iQ for its innovation, but sadly it won’t happen in India.
Toyota Hilux/ Commercial Vehicles –
When I launched this question, Mr.Nakagawa was quick to reply. As the Hilux pickup truck is based on the same platform as the Innova and the Fortuner, I asked if it would be manufactured in our country in the coming years. I also asked him if they would introduce other commercial vehicles. He said he had no intentions of seeing Toyota CVs in India including the Hilux. The focus of TKM was now only on the small car, which would their next big launch, apart from the Fortuner next month .
Lexus brand –
Mr.Nakagawa smiled. I even asked him why he did not launch the Land Cruiser 200 as a Lexus. It could have marked the entry of the luxury brand in India. He looked me in the eye and said he wanted to see the LC only as a Toyota and as of now, Lexus in India is not on his agenda. He said the feasibility study has to be completed, and what the customer wants has to be addressed fully since the competition is tough. Don’t expect to see Lexus in India for two years.
click through to read more
Entry posted on July 31, 2009 by
Dave;
Read More on
Toyota
The new upgraded Toyota Camry was launched a few minutes ago in Bangalore. Below are the details from the launch
- Launched in four variants W1, W2, W3 & W4
- Price range from Rs.21.26 – Rs.23.43 lakh
- 2.4L VVT-i petrol engine to remain
- Bookings and deliveries to start on 1st August 2009
Exterior
- new Chrome Grille
- new front bumper
- Multi-reflector headlamps
- Chrome Ringed fog-lamps
- LED turn lamps
- Aero wiper blades
- Moon roof
- New 10 spoke 16″ alloy wheels
- New colours
- Printed antenna on rear glass
Interior
- New instrument panel
- Optitron meter with Multi information display
- 60/40 split rear seats
- 6 CD changer stereo
- ipod connectivity with AUX in ports
click here to view new Toyota Camry’s Interactive Dashboard
Toyota Kirloskar Motors has decided to launch a diesel version of SUV Land Cruiser Prado in Mumbai on 9th June ’09. Just like the petrol version, the diesel Prado will be imported as a CBU from Japan and will cost Rs. 40-50 lakh (4.5L V8 Diesel/282Bhp/662Nm)
Honestly, we’re sick of writing about Toyota’s Fortuner. We’ve been writing from it since the inception of Indian Autos Blog and other have been writing for years. I think the Fortuner has parks in a space in all our minds marked as a “future car.” I think people won’t believe that the car can be bought even after it has been released. Such is the perception it has created.
However news on the Land Cruiser diesel is new. All of the Land Cruisers in India have been imported via agents and its formal introduction will help source spares faster and easier.
A 4 litre, V8 diesel engine pumping out 286PS of peak power at 3600rpm and 650Nm of torque at 1600rpm will employ a 6-speed automatic transmission and 4WD system. The diesel Toyota Land Cruiser will be a CBU so don’t expect it to cost lesser than the Merc, Volvo and BMW SUVs.
Japanese automobile giant Toyota Motors Corp has decided to launch its hybrid sedan, Toyota Prius in India as a remedy for soaring fuel prices and concerns over emission issues. Mr Vikram Kirloskar told in a interview that they have decided to bring in the Toyota prius but they haven’t set any time limit as of now. He further added that they are currently working on service support and spare parts [ Read More ]
Toyota Kirloskar Motor said that it would double its investment in India to INR 2,800 crore as part of the launch of strategic small car in the country by 2010. Toyota Motor’s Senior Managing Director Akira Okabe said at the foundation stone laying ceremony of its second plant here that “We will double the investment in the future, which will go up to INR 2,800 crore from INR 1,400 crore”. [ Read More ]
