The Hindu Business Line : Toyota plans to launch Indianised Innova next year

Sources connected with vehicle development in the company told Business Line that the Innova, launched in Indonesia early this month, will be modified to suit Indian conditions.

Innova is part of the international multi-purpose vehicle platform (IMV), for which Toyota-Kirloskar Auto Parts is supplying transmission parts.

Sources said that Toyota-Kirloskar recently carried out a survey among car buyers, dealers and others in the industry. The report indicated that the market is ripe for a crossover vehicle.

However, sources said Toyota will keenly watch the progress of Ford Fusion in India. Widely known as an urban utility vehicle, the crossover combines the elements of a hatchback, an SUV and a minivan.

A Toyota official had earlier said that the company plans to invest around Rs 600 crore for a new passenger vehicle project next year, which will be funded through internal accruals. The pricing is expected to be around the same as Ford Fusion, which is all set for a launch in December this year. Sources also said that an internal debate is currently on in the company to decide the fate of the Qualis, the multi-purpose vehicle and Toyota's largest selling vehicle in India.

A view gaining ground among the top brass of the company is that the Qualis is increasingly seen as a taxi while it was earlier positioned as a lifestyle vehicle when it was first introduced in the country four years ago.

Hence, there was a need to change that image among customers and introduce another lifestyle vehicle, which also looks like one.

The Toyota-Kirloskar's Marketing Director, Mr T. Ino, however, said that while the company is looking at bringing in more vehicles to India, no decision has been taken since the company is studying various segments of the market.

Mr Ino said the Kijang Innova, a product on the IMV platform, is a revolutionary concept of globalising production pioneered by Toyota.

The first product to be launched on this platform was a pick-up, the Hilux Vigo, in Thailand in late August.

"As you can see, different types of vehicles can be produced on this platform," he said. "We are also part of the (IMV) platform through our transmission project, Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts. However, we have not decided on any vehicle production on this platform in India yet," Mr Ino said.

The Kijang Innova has been positioned as a lifestyle product and is designed with low coefficient of drag, which enables to create an aerodynamics body. The exterior design is far more stylish than the Qualis while the cabin inside is more spacious and has a wooden panel dashboard and a tilt leather steering wheel. The vehicle has intermittent wiper with time adjuster, auto air conditioner with integrated real blower, an advanced stereo system, flexible seat arrangement and more storage spaces while the Optitron meter with LED technology is outfitted with a multi-information display.