Team-BHP - Toyota Glanza (rebadged Maruti Baleno). EDIT: Launched @ Rs 7.22 lakh

A noob query, I think Suzuki produce Baleno for Exports, Is there any difference in the sheet metal thickness or other parts/ engine that they do for Exports.

Toyota does carry a premium over Suzuki and I am sure there will be some differentiators over Maruti, perhaps Toyota will get Export spec cars to sell/ Produce?

Wonder how they will position this in the market. Toyota's premium pricing with Maruti's build may not be a good idea at all. Toyota gets limited variants and just the K12B with MT & AT, whereas you get a wider variant line up and multiple power train options (3 petrols & 1 diesel) with the Maruti equivalent and it would likely be cheaper to buy as well.

Toyota Kirloskar India is the laziest car manufacturer in this country. Why not make an effort instead and get the C-HR to India? Redevelop it for the Indian market, price it competitively. You have got a great looking and successful small crossover in your line-up, so why not bring it to India?

I hope the consumer sees through this laziness and rejects it. Badge engineering has never worked in India hopefully it does not become a trend now. Or else all these middle-tier companies like Honda, VW and Nissan will start lining up Maruti's gates.

And Glanza? Really? Sheesh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat (Post 4578952)

Errr, this is a "Laura" situation, has anyone dared googling what Glans is?

I did; after reading your post :D

Honestly, I am still not convinced Toyota selling Maruti cars. Hope they differentiate it well enough. Maruti engines, like the K series are already among the segment best, hence Toyota must target the safety & build quality aspects. May be slightly tinker with the looks too; though Toyota India is not known to design jaw dropping cars. This way they can charge and justify the premium pricing.

Wondering the Suzuki's next move. What they will be doing with access to Toyota tech remains to be seen now.

Regards,
Saket

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Originally Posted by avishar (Post 4579016)

TKM is the first car company in the world that is 'test marketing' products 20 years after a launch in a country. I'd hope at least the steel panels are different in its version to match the look of global Toyotas, but it looks like just a bumpers, wheels and the name are new.

But why? Why should I buy a re-badged Glanza when I can buy the original Baleno? Unless there is a major upheaval in terms of build quality and structure, there is no point in getting a Glanza.

And in case there is a change, then what is the point of Baleno at all? Why buy an inferior Baleno?
Suzuki's USP is extensive network and ASS, but if a better car is available from Toyota with Suzuki's service, I'd go with Toyota. please:

Ok, so why will anyone buy this if there is no differentiation? Are they making some internal changes as well to play on the reliability card? I doubt because Maruti's themselves are not unreliable.

Unless they do something about the build quality, i don't see them crossing the Yaris sales numbers with this. I have a felling that they will play with the interiors as well. Also, we might see some additional features in the Glanza or Maruti dropping some features in the next few months to create a differentiation.

Toyota will eat Suzuki for break-fast in the next few years. Consolidation is the next big thing and no one can stop it!

Am really curious, how would this car, being manufactured at Maruti's factory conform to Toyota's "The Toyota Way" quality standard.

Back in the day even GM tied up with Toyota to sell Chevy/Geo versions of the Corolla. But they never could inbibe the legendary reliability of their "Toyota" counterparts, even after trying to emulate Toyota's manufacturing/quality model.

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Originally Posted by Turbanator (Post 4578984)

My sister drives a Baleno in Australia. I've had the chance to experience the Indian version & Australian Version (Made in India & exported to Australia) - there is a good difference in the build quality of these cars. IIRC, Australian version was also considerably heavier (~50kg)

So in all probability, I believe Toyota would get the export spec and sell it here. Why ?

1. Justify the speculated premium pricing
2. Toyota's branding & corporate standards wouldn't be compromised - At-least their bosses in Japan wouldn't allow that. (Etios was among the safest indian cars in the NCAP testing)

But with new safety norms, even Baleno should be better. So it is difficult to quanititatively suggest how much better Glanza would be compared to Baleno.

As far as I remember, apologies if I'm wrong, GLANZA was the name of a variant of the Toyota Starlet supermini of the late 90's.
The Starlet was quite successful in those days, particularly in U.K. displaying all the time honoured Toyota traits of reliability and efficiency. But it was as bland as boiled celery , dynamically & aesthetically.
The Japan Domestic Market, (JDM), Starlet models, in think were more interesting with several special editions , one of them being named , you guessed it, GLANZA, and projected as a "sportier & more peppier" version of the plain vanilla Starlet. JDM always saw interesting variants of manufacture's existing models and it was no different with the Starlet. Apart from the GLANZA, the Starlet also had a "luxury" edition - which was never sold on Europe.
The Starlet was superseded by the Yaris in Europe before Toyota exited the supermini category, in entirety before re-entering it, with AyGo.

So, it seems Toyota India went ghost hunting and dusted off a rather old, (but reasonably successful), nameplate to adorn it's adopted child.

Time will tell whether it'll work or go the Micra-Pulse way.

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Originally Posted by fz_rider (Post 4578975)

Glanza is probably based on German word Glanz which means sparkle/glow/radiance.

Unfortunately for Toyota, more people in India know English than German. Beside, i'm a doctor so if you'd even even think of telling me that you're going to the petrol pump to "fill up your Glanz-ahh" I'd probably keep laughing for a day or two. lol: Just something to lighten up the mood.

With the Baleno and even the Brezza set to be manufactured at the Toyota factory, would there be any changes in some of the manufacturing processes or even parts basis a higher quality standard requirement?
In general, although not proven, I would like to believe that Toyota and other manufacturers like VW might follow certain manufacturing process and procedures that might be of a higher standard than say Maruti.
In this case, not only is Toyota is going to be using their facility to manufacture their versions of certain Suzuki cars, but also manufacture the same cars for Maruti in-house.

I cannot think of different quality standards for the same car with two different badges being made at the same factory.

If there is no visible difference in quality levels of a Toyota manufactured Baleno, then for sure the reputation of the brand is likely to come down a notch.

Going by the short time between the announcements & the launch, it is clear that there will be no real differences in the product.

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Originally Posted by rrsteer (Post 4578911)

My thinking is, that this is just dressed up as a partnership, but ultimately Toyota will take over Suzuki in some time.

Spot on :thumbs up! These are all just short-term useless activities to show shareholders how the partnership is "working". Toyota wants Maruti under its umbrella.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbanator (Post 4578984)

A noob query, I think Suzuki produce Baleno for Exports, Is there any difference in the sheet metal thickness or other parts/ engine that they do for Exports.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scarlet.fever (Post 4579017)

I believe if Toyota can give a better build quality they could justify the higher price they would be charging the customers.

There is no way Maruti will allow Toyota to sell a superior Baleno.