The Hindu Business Line : Toyota dealer offers free petrol for Innova buyers

FROM a waiting list, which stretched up to four months not so long ago, a Toyota dealer is now offering a year's petrol free for Innova cars, perhaps the first such scheme its kind in India.

Last week, in a similar offer, DaimlerChrysler, the world's fifth largest car maker, announced that it was offering more than $2,000 worth of free petrol to customers in the US to stimulate car sales.

DaimlerChrysler said customers will be given a debit card worth $2,367 in credit, which they can swipe at petrol stations.

In the case of Toyota, a dealer in Bangalore told Business Line that customers of Toyota Innova's mid-range G1 and G2 series can get 1,200 litres of petrol free for a year or 100 litres of petrol every month for a year.

The offer is through a tie-up with one of the auto finance companies.

Along with the car, customers will be given coupons, which they can exchange at petrol stations.

Customers can also opt for cash discount of up to Rs 60,000 if they do not want the free coupons.

In Delhi, customers are being offered up to Rs 80,000 cash discount through a tie-up with auto finance companies.

The ex-showroom price for G1 is around Rs 7 lakh and that of G2 is Rs 7.44 lakh. Toyota-Kirloskar Motor's Director, Marketing, Mr T. Ino, however, said the company itself is not offering any discounts on Innova.

If this is not enough, Toyota has started offering a loyalty bonus of Rs 30,000 for all Qualis owners who want to switch over to Innova. "As part of our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiative, we are currently offering Rs 30,000 loyalty bonus to current Qualis owners who plan to upgrade to Innova," Mr Ino said.

A dealer in Bangalore, however, said Qualis owners who want to upgrade to Innova are not eligible for free petrol coupons.

Qualis owners have been sent direct mailers on the loyalty bonus offer and over 500 customers every month have been switching over to Innova, Mr Ino said.

The competition among car makers has become so stiff that in spite of record sales of Innova, which has so far sold around 26,000 vehicles since its launch in March, Toyota is trying to push its sales further.