Toyota launch of compact hatchback shifts up a gear

[navdeep]

Toyota Motor Corporation, the world’s second-largest carmaker, has kick-started the process of launching its compact hatchback in India by inviting requests for quotations (RFQs) from Indian suppliers at a meeting held in Tokyo on February 18-20. Likely to be rolled out from its yet-to-be-finalised second plant, Toyota plans to launch the car in the first half of 2009. Toyota would join a swelling league that includes Honda Motors, which also plans to launch a compact car by 2010. Besides, Toyota’s new offering would compete with Maruti’s WagonR, Estilo & Swift, GM’s Aveo-UVA, the Tata Indica, Fiat’s yet-to-be launched Grande Punto and Palio and the Hyundai Getz.

The Toyota small car aims for a 10% share of the over 2-million strong domestic car market. Toyota’s current marketshare is around 5% of the 1.2-million market.A Toyota spokesperson said the company was conducting a feasibility study for the small car launch in India but refused to divulge further details.
The proposed compact hatchback, which the company described as an entry-level family car to suppliers, would be designed to avail of the 16% concessional excise duty for small cars. Cars up to 4,000 mm in length and 1.2-litre petrol engine size and 1.5 litre in case of diesel are classified as small cars in India.

Toyota launch of compact hatchback shifts up a gear

[scarlet.fever]

Thats gr8 news.IT looks like the hatch back segment would be hotting up further.Considering that Toyota is launching the car it should be a brilliant car.The other car makers will have to keep an eye.

[theMAG]

Toyota will rewrite the premium compact segment. Then would come Honda - using Toyota's experience and plonk an absolute market winner.

Do we care? We shouldnt. Its all good for us.

[rahul_intlad]

IN an earlier thread I had started,I had said toyota is looking at the Tata indica segment very seriously.

This new compact car[base model] would be priced at around
Rs. 2.88 lakhs[atleast target is that],would have a diesel option as well so its main competitors from the present models are Tata Indica,Hyundai santro and wagon R but also at the same time try to compete with the swift,getz,uva etc. The advantage Toyota have over Honda is Diesel,but another competitor Nissan[also have similar plans] which should give Toyota a run for its money.

Anyways heres more news:

Toyota small car may run on Bridgestone

[navdeep]

Toyota could make their compact car at their second plant in India

Indian financial newspaper Mint has reported that the Japanese automaker Toyota is considering making their planned compact car at their second plant in India.
The company aims to have their small car out in the market by 2009 and they are hoping to sell 52,000 units in the first year.
This car would be their mass selling product in India which is largely dominated by small car manufacturers like Maruti, Hyundai and Tata.
General Motors are expected to enter this particular segment this week with their Spark. Market sources state that the company would power this car with a 1.2 liter petrol engine and a 1.4 liter diesel engine.
The plant would have a capacity of manufacturing around 100,000 units a year.
Their existing plant in India near Bangalore in southern India has a capacity of 60,000 units. And they have available land just next to their existing plant to setup a new unit.




Toyota could make their compact car at their second plant in India

[LLL]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Toyota will rewrite the premium compact segment.

Cant and Dont agree. By the time toyota small car is here, Hyundai, suzukis, gms, fiats, tatas, nissans, hondas, renaults would have further strengthened their hold on the market. with multitudes of small cars, this will be just another small car...

Toyota will only be an also ran...

[amitverma]

@LLL: i respectfully disagree. Toyota aint world's second largest car maker for nothing. Honda may enjoy a certain snob value in India, but, Toyota is the No. 1 Japanese Car manufacturer. I think the car would have superb potential. I am not sure, but, an year or so ago, Top Gear tested the Aigo, and that car was clearly a very good option for India. i know when it;ll come here it will be stripped-down like hell. but still the car was really good.
Toyota aims at introducing it in mid-2009. and out of your list of manufacturers, i only see Fiat's Grande Punto coming out in small car segment, alongwith Hyundai's Pa. so not a lot harm done. Honda plans are till 2010.

[vasudeva]

[Cant and Dont agree. By the time toyota small car is here, Hyundai, suzukis, gms, fiats, tatas, nissans, hondas, renaults would have further strengthened their hold on the market. with multitudes of small cars, this will be just another small car...

Toyota will only be an also ran...[/quote]


Respectfully disagree. Toyota leads the world in long-term reliability ratings, and Fortune recently ranked it the 2nd most admired company in the world (behind GE). The quality, FE and reliability of Toyota and honda are way above what is offered by others. Though others are making improvements, they are still way behind in a game where Toyota and Honda are raising the bar. Look at the mid-size segment which was ruled by Esteem and Ikons. Come the NHC in 2003, and sales of these vehicles declined. Did you know that Toyota first exports to the US were the Toyopet in 1957. However, these flopped because they were prone to heating and vibrated at speeds of more than 60 miles per hour. But Toyota did not keep on selling it, and by late 1960 pulled it off the market. Toyota then went back and reentered the US market in the mid-1960s with the Corolla. The rest is history. The key is that Toyota is not known for iconic cars such as the Mustang in the US, or the 800 in India. They have become the 2nd largest car company not by making stylish hot products, but by making what car buyers most want--a reliable trouble free product that looks OK. This they have done consistently for over 40 years. If the forum requests it, I can put data summarised from 1.4 million users that show Toyota and Honda age the most gracefully.

[khanak]

Id like to see the Yaris coming up against the Getz and Swfit and the Aygo against the Santro and Wagon R

[kpbhatt]

SUSHMITA MOHAPATRA, MEENAKSHI VERMA & NANDINI SEN GUPTA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007 01:30:16 AM]

Bangalore/New Delhi

THE small car brandwagon seems to be in top gear. Japanese car major Toyota is reportedly working on a global small car platform which will also be manufactured in India and will likely be built with a strong India focus. The mini car will be part of Toyota’s stated target of hitting 10% marketshare in India by 2010 and will likely be cranked out of a brand new plant. When contacted Toyota Kirloskar Motor deputy MD KK Swamy refused to comment.

Sources in the company however, said that Toyota is seriously studying options that would help the company hit around 200,000 units in India by 2010, and the current concerns are cost-competitiveness, market and customer preferences. Auto component sources believe that Toyota will most likely kick off its global car project with India. Said a senior official with a top Toyota vendor: “We have been made to understand that India would be the first country where Toyota’s small car would be manufactured and Toyota seems quite clear about it.” Other vendor sources add that both India and Brazil will be manufacturing hubs, considering that most auto companies have more than one manufacturing hub to service BRIC countries.

According to sources in the supplier industry, the company — which has already announced that its 10% marketshare target won’t be possible without a small car — will also take a call on its second plant shortly. Its current plant is at Bidadi in Karnataka where it also has land for another facility. Toyota officials have, at various stages, indicated that the company is studying options including a small car and a small sedan below the Corolla.

At present, its stable includes the Innova minivan, the Corolla and Camry sedan and the Landcruiser Prado SUV. International media has been reporting Toyota’s intention to develop a 1-litre engine global car by 2010 which will cost around $7,000-8,000 (Rs 3-3.5 lakh). While it is likely to be developed alongside Daihatsu, it may be badged differently in different markets. Among the markets where the global car will have a big presence are central and south America, central and east Europe and, of course, India. The engine options could include gasoline, diesel and hybrid.

The global car is crucial for Toyota which is looking to improve its sales in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets. The small car — which will likely be productionised either out of a hub in India or Brazil — may be badged either Daihatsu or Toyota. Most component sources agree that Toyota will bring in a completely new platform to target India’s booming compact car market. However, it is likely that it will come with development expertise from Daihatsu, which along with Suzuki, is known for designing small cars globally.

While a vendor conference is expected to be held on the April 16, vendor sources expect a call on the global small car very shortly. The Daihatsu-Toyota combine has successfully rolled out a whole range of hot hatches like the Avanza and Xenia or the Passo/Boon in the international market. The latter was, reportedly, once being considered for the Indian market before the Daihatsu team red-signalled it on cost terms two years ago. That’s also when Toyota’s second plant plans in India slipped into first gear.

Threads merged.