Collaboration with Maruti helps Toyota get new customers

In a little bit below three years since Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) launched the Glanza — the rebadged model of Maruti Suzuki’s Baleno and the primary mannequin exchanged below the worldwide collaboration between Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor — the carmaker has bought 66,020 models of the premium hatchback. 
Of those 66,020 prospects, 66% (about 43,600) are first-time Toyota patrons. “The Glanza has given TKM a completely new set of consumers who could not have in any other case entered the Toyota household,” Tadashi Asazuma, govt vice-president, gross sales & customer support, TKM, instructed FE. 
On Tuesday, TKM launched the second era of the Glanza (primarily based on the second era Baleno launched on February 23), priced `6.39 lakh onwards (ex-showroom). 
gWe count on the brand new Glanza to be much more in style than the earlier one,” Asazuma stated, “primarily as a result of this time we now have been in a position to make it look fairly totally different in contrast with the automotive it’s primarily based on (Baleno).” 
In contrast to the previous-generation Glanza that seemed fairly just like the Baleno, this time the outside has been accomplished by Toyota designers (in partnership with Maruti Suzuki). Additionally, in contrast to the Baleno that will get the Suzuki Join (with 40-odd linked automotive options), the Glanza will get Toyota’s i-Join (with greater than 45 linked automotive options). “Our designers have additionally tried to distinguish as a lot as doable contained in the cabin,” Asazuma stated. 
The Baleno, powered by a petroleum engine, will reportedly be launched with a CNG variant as nicely, however Asazuma stated in the meanwhile TKM will deal with petrol and constructing a great buyer base. 
Whereas he didn’t share what number of models of the Glanza will Maruti Suzuki produce for TKM per thirty days or quarter, he stated it might probably differ month to month, and with the present semiconductor scarcity points, it’s troublesome to be outlined. 
So far as flexi-fuels are fuels are involved, Asazuma stated Toyota has these sorts of applied sciences in international locations resembling Brazil and the corporate’s automobiles can run on flexi-fuels. 
TKM can also be beginning a pilot challenge on March 16 in New Delhi the place a Toyoto automotive, manufactured in Japan, will likely be launched. The automotive will reportedly run on inexperienced hydrogen. “The hydrogen automotive is a pilot challenge at this second, nonetheless below feasibility for Indian roads. (In India) we do see momentum from the federal government, however there should even be a requirement from prospects,” Asazuma stated.