The Hindu Business Line : Toyota Kirloskar still keen on small car project

Dr Hiroyuki Watanabe, Senior Technical Executive, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Dr R.K. Pachauri, Director General, TERI, at the unveiling of Toyota and TERI 3D urban air quality model for studying pollution levels in Bangalore on Wednesday. - Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore , Aug. 24

TOYOTA Kirloskar Motor has said that the company is keen on introducing a small car as part of its strategy to ramp up volumes, but is yet to take a decision. It hopes to garner a 10 per cent market share by 2010.

Stating this here on Wednesday, Mr A. Toyoshima, Managing Director of TKML, said: "We are still considering the small car project, but no decision has been taken so far." .

Answering questions on the sidelines of a press conference to announce a Toyota Motor Corporation's partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute, Mr Toyoshima said a decision would be taken soon, but declined to give a timeframe.

Mr Toyoshima said no decision had been taken on the location of the proposed manufacturing facility in India.

TKML, which has a market share of 5 per cent in the estimated one million car sales, has projected a 10 per cent share by 2010, when it expects the domestic market to register a sales of 2 million.

On Innova, the crossover model launched in February, Mr Toyoshima was confident of it reaching the targeted 42,000-mark this year. Apart from Innova, which replaced the Qualis, TKML's stable consists of Corrolla, Camry (a completely built unit) and the SUV Prado.

He also ruled out any capital expansion as the company had only recently invested to increase its capacity to 60,000 units per annum.

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