The Hindu Business Line : Toyota Kirloskar studying feasibility of used car biz

According to Mr Toyohiko Ino, Director - Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the used car business involves the company itself offering warranties, and it will study this aspect before entering the business.

However, he said, trade-ins — exchanging old vehicles from any manufacturer for a Toyota vehicle — were happening at the dealer level.

Lanson Toyota Motors Pvt Ltd, the dealer in Chennai, has outsourced the trade-in activity, according to its Managing Director, Mr M. Lankalingam. It worked with four associates who valued a vehicle brought in for sale and paid the owner the money, enabling that person to go in for a Toyota vehicle.

Mr Ino and Mr Lankalingam were addressing the press on the occasion of Lanson Toyota opening its third sales outlet in Chennai. Lanson Toyota will invest about Rs 1.10 crore on the 10,000-sq ft showroom and will open a second service facility in Chennai in March 2006.

Mr Lankalingam said the new sales outlet was based on customer feedback. Customers can drop off their vehicles at the sales outlet and the dealer would return the vehicle either at the showroom or at the customer's house.

Mr Ino said Toyota Kirloskar planned to increase the number of sales and service outlets in the country to 60 in the next six months, from 49 now. It has two dealerships for Tamil Nadu - in Chennai and Coimbatore - and plans to appoint dealers in Tiruchi and Madurai.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page