Toyota India to increase its dealership to 150

Toyota Motors, world's largest car maker, is planning to enhance its dealership base in India to accommodate the sales of its much awaited small car Toyota Etios in the country. Company is also planning to concentrate on the localization-factor in the production of its cars in India. It is all set to increase the number of its dealerships to 150 from existing 99 dealers, so that it can enhance its market presence and customer reach in India.

Where the company's best selling cross-over Toyota Innova now has localization of 70 per cent, it is planning to use a high percentage of localization in its upcoming Etios, to price it attractively. The company currently has a market share of 3 per cent. The launch of Etios by the year-end from the new manufacturing base and the dealership expansion will help garner sales volumes of about 1.5 lakh next year, up from about 70,000 this year, Mr Sailesh Shetty, General Manager of Toyota Kirlosker Motor India.

The Toyota Etios model will be launched in India by the end of this year in the price range of Rs 4 to Rs 6 lakh. Initially, a 1.2l hatchback version of the car will be launched, and after analyzing the response of Indian buyers, a 1.5l sedan version will follow. Toyota aiming to increase its market share in India to 10 per cent, by year 2015.

The company recently stopped the booking of its luxury SUV Toyota Fortuner in India to clear the high demand backlog and reduce the long waiting period. Its sales far out surpassed their internal expectations. Therefore, company forced to stop booking as the wait list is now at 6,000 cars. This will take at last six months to clear the back lodge and wait list, added Mr Shetty.