Indian Autos blog

Toyota’s small car isn’t going to wear contrasting clothes. It will be one for the Indian on a budget.

We are yet to know if Toyota’s small car will be sold in India under the Daihatsu brand, but what Mr.Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motors informed us during the refreshed Camry launch in Bangalore earlier this year was it will compete with cars in both A and B-Segments in the later part of 2010.

Toyota’s small car, unlike Ford’s compact Figo, does not rely on any existing car or platform. The low cost car has been scripted from scratch, which in the initial stages will be offered only with a petrol engine. A diesel engine and sedan variant also is in consideration, but we don’t expect to see it right away.

Mr.Singh also told us the design of the car will not be radical; it will not look very unique compared to the existing crop of budget hatchbacks in India. The small car, which will be made using Tata Steel, is designed to suit the Indian buyer to the maximum possible extent. Into this small car project, Toyota has placed all the knowledge gained in their ten year stint in India. But that does not mean this car is solely for the Indian market. It will be sold in similar markets around the world.

click through to read more and view a higher resolution image

Toyota’s small car -

Indeed this is big news. It will be the first time a company in India is launching cars under a sub-brand.

Toyota has not introduced many cars in India. Look at their international line-up. It has so many cars that if you ask one of Toyota’s own engineers, they would not know how many they made.

Speaking to the humble man who heads Toyota in India, Mr.Nakagawa was finding my questions a little humorous at the new Camry’s launch in Bangalore exactly a month ago. I asked him questions like whether or not the iQ was on the Indian platter and if the Hilux (based on the Innova’s architecture) would reach here. I even asked him if the Aygo, Yaris and the Prius could make sense in India, since I felt those cars were cool (no, I don’t know what market survey is and yes, I do know they can always go wrong).

Toyota was sure their future small car could do a great deal of damage to their competitors’ bottom line. They were not willing to share details except that it would not look very unique and only a petrol engine would be fitted initially.

Now, BS Motoring reports more than one small car donning the Daihatsu badge would arrive in India. The big question here is if the new small car could also be among the Daihatsu arsenal.

Dato Akira Okabe, senior managing director and member of the Toyota Motor Corporation board -

We may look at launching more than one compact car model for the (Indian) domestic market. Our current market share in passenger vehicles is 3 per cent. In the next four years, we hope to sell three times our current volumes. And by 2015, our rate of growth will be in double digits.

Toyota’s entry-level SUV plans -

The recently launched Fortuner is priced at 18.75 lakh and the company is looking at bringing in a SUV that will be priced well under 15 lakh. This will mostly be an option for those looking for more fun, quality and character in the Safari-Scorpio segment. The next generation Safari and Scorpio are getting ready to see the light mostly by the end of next year and improvements in quality and technology could make it a little bit more difficult for the Toyota SUV to exercise dominance right from the start.

A report on economic times says Tata will supply steel for Toyota and Nissan’s upcoming small cars. Nissan will produce its next generation Micra/March near Chennai, while Toyota will produce its small car with a petrol engine by the end of next year.

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

At the Toyota Camry facelift launch in Bangalore, the Japanese car maker announced the likelihood of its entry into the A and B segments by end 2010 or start 2011.

The company stated that an all-new compact car platform for the Indian market is under development. The new platform will be underpinned to hatchback and compact sedan exteriors.

At present, Toyota plans to launch only petrol versions.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors announced today that its Urban SUV – Fortuner, will come to India by September ’09.

The car is expected to be priced around the Rs.20Lakh price bracket. It will be powered by a 3.0-Liter Common Rail Diesel Engine (163hp, 35kgm), that drives all four wheels using a full-time four wheel drive system. A 2.7Liter VVT-i petrol engine might also be available.

Have you heard of the saying “Be a Roman in Rome” Toyota is the world’s best and foremost automotive manufacturer. But once they came to India, they did something which they hardly ever do. They assigned Aamir Khan as their brand ambassador, a move that shocked people who knew about brand Toyota and their practice of not using brand ambassadors in any of their commercials. The next move from Toyota  [ 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 ]