[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by NFS2024

While all this is great, there is a fundamental problem, which is, there is no product differentiation.

Apart from the Grille, there should have been a few more product differentiation from Brezza to entice the customer base of Toyota. A new Instrument cluster perhaps? different drive trains and automatics? a rear AC vent? Are all these too much of an ask?

Exactly. Nissan put lot more effort to make Terrano different from Duster. With Kicks they completely built a new outer shell (didn't copy Captur). Toyota is like - "I gave my badge guys, what else you want.".

[NiInJa]

I just wished the final product had some sheet metal and dashboard upgrades and six airbags in the top-most version.

If someone is willing to keep his car for 15 years or more, I would suggest the Urban Cruiser over any other sub 4 meter SUV. It looks better than the Brezza + Toyota's service is consistently good. For non-enthusiasts, a simple NA engine with strong mechanicals makes a lot of sense, especially after crossing 5-7 years. This is where Toyota trumps and is probably banking on considering the Brezza itself is 5 years old.

Below is just one example from our forum
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ilometres.html (13-year old Innova completes 10 lakh kilometres)

[Lazy Driver]

Originally Posted by stormdRider

Toyota Urban Cruiser new ad video released.

On a lighter note- the same actor was roped in by Datsun as well for their ads of Go & Go+, we all know where Datsun ended in India. Hope Toyota doesn't meet the same fate as Datsun met in India.

I am absolutely okay with platform sharing/rebadging agreements between manufacturers (think Sonet-Venue) but at least try to differentiate your car a little! This is a pathetic attempt by Toyota to earn free money from unsuspecting Indian buyers.

[CEF_Beasts]

Some pictures of the Urban Cruiser

[RJ2285]

Originally Posted by GTO

The criticism is well-deserved.

At the organisation level, such a jugaad looks pathetic for Toyota. The Vitara Brezza is now almost 5 years old and it was never class-leading in any way, to begin with! To take such an old product as-in, without adding any value whatsoever just sucks. Where is the originality? The creativity? Is this what the mighty Toyota has fallen to?

One look at their global portfolio and I can get depressed just thinking of all that Toyota does NOT sell here.

A sneak peek into their global portfolio in addition to products launched in India like the Etios and Liva just talks about their “Chalta hai” attitude when it comes to offering products to Indian consumers.

They probably believe that originality and creativity is not a MUST HAVE in a nation obsessed with “Kitna deti hai”.

Their ATTITUDE towards the Indian market is painful. Such a shame!

[avishar]

Toyota should be ashamed of themselves. You, Toyota, as a company don't stand for anything.

You are willing to sell re-badged versions of your competitor while selling it upon your strengths of safety and reliability.

Infact Toyota knows that the gullible Indian buyer will believe that they have doing some "modifications" to make this worthy of being a Toyota, when all they do is change the logo!

This same company then bleats on and on about how rules are unfair for them. When they are biggest automobile company in the world, and have atleast 3 different products which then can be suitably modified for India at little cost and produced here.

C-HR, Yaris Cross and/or the Corolla Cross.

Has to be the laziest automaker in India ever. Toyota, learn something from Renault. They are still not giving up. They studied the market hard and gave us the Triber, which turned into a success for them. Nissan on its death bed is trying one last time with the Magnite.

Even Honda has given respect to its fans of the City and has given us the latest generation at a competitive price.

Ford might have changed ownership but is developing India specific models with Mahindra.

VW-group has taken advantage of the 2000 unit CBU rule and has given us some interesting products which was well received. They too, are working on India specific products.



But no, Toyota is unhappy that it is not earning a 1000 crores per year as profit while doing nothing since its cash-cows have started to see competition!

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/toyota...000-crore-fy18

Toyota India makes almost Rs. 1,000 crore in FY18!


Toyota Kirloskar Motors has posted a profit of Rs. 965 crore for the fiscal ended March 2018. This is the fourth year in succession that the company has posted a profit in excess of Rs. 500 crore.

A look at the figures indicates that the company is aiming to maximise its profits instead of increasing its market share.

Toyota Kirloskar FY19 profit dips 58 pct to 407 crores

[dark.knight]

Suddenly I've an urge to start another firm, sell the same product under another badge +10% cost by citing a more premium feel and experience, repackage them with shiny sparkly logos and fancy literature despite the same product being put inside it and make some extra green in this dried up economy.

Of course I'll go the extra mile and ensure the old label is removed before the new one is stuck on, don't want to be a Toyota.

[Manan9876]

I think Toyota is playing the old illusion of choices that is taught in most managerial courses, while I will play the devil’s advocate in supporting them for NOT bringing their global products to India considering the convoluted taxation and manufacturing policies, the ‘kitna deta hei’ mentality, the very price sensitive market.

If they are making money out of this ‘re-badged’ job good for them, for it only reflects the Indian market sentiment of going for looks instead of substance.

Forgive me for sounding so bitter, but this bought up old memories of me buying the force gurhka and of being lectured how it was inferior to the similarly priced 2 wheel FWD SUVs sold by Tatas, Kia and Hyundai.

[RSR]

When Renault and Nissan shared products and launched the Micra & Pulse, Sunny & Scala and Duster & Terrano, people mercilessly bashed them for not putting enough effort to bring in their own products and taking the easy route out. It was a somewhat similar story with Škoda when they launched the Volkswagen Vento as their own Rapid.

At least those three companies had the decency and respect for the Indian consumer to do a proper badge-engineering job - change of soft parts like both bumpers, front & rear lights, grille, wheels plus changes in the feature list etc. Renault and Nissan/Datsun eventually graduated to platform & engine sharing with differentiated top hats such as the Kwid & Redi-Go, Captur & Kicks and upcoming Kiger & Magnite. Škoda and Volkswagen will also do the same with their future products.

Here we have the world's largest/2nd largest car company entering into a marriage of convenience and shamelessly churning out exact carbon copies of existing old products with their badges slapped on (not even a proper badge-engineering job!) and we are supposed to go gaga over the great service they're doing to Indians and queue up at their showrooms with chequebook in hand???

The tragedy is that while the honest badge-engineering efforts by Renault-Nissan and Volkswagen-Škoda failed, this cheap badge-swapping trick by Toyota might see moderate sales. That'll lead to even more arrogance, entitlement and laziness from Toyota, and their shockingly condescending attitude towards Indian consumers will become much, much worse!

I will not be surprised at all if the following are the new products Toyota has lined up for launch over the next year in India.

The all-new Toyota Altois (a micro Altis):



The all-new Toyota Eco-Ace (a mini Hi-Ace):



The all-new Toyota RAV2 (a mini RAV4):

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Suddenly I've an urge to start another firm, sell the same product under another badge +10% cost by citing a more premium feel and experience, repackage them with shiny sparkly logos and fancy literature despite the same product being put inside it and make some extra green in this dried up economy.
.

It sounds so easy only if your firm has a legacy and a clean track record of many years that people are aware of, and the choice of your product is something that you can bank on. Else it will be another renault nissan story, which was better in terms of the effort, but neither brand had the kind of standing Maruti and Toyota have.

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by RSR

I will not be surprised at all if the following are the new products Toyota has lined up for launch over the next year in India.

The all-new Toyota Altois (a micro Altis):



The all-new Toyota Eco-Ace (a mini Hi-Ace):

The all-new Toyota RAV2 (a mini RAV4):

Very funny names. If at all Toyota brings these above products into the market, it will be a natural death of the brand in India. Many Toyota loyalists (including me) are very upset about this badge engineering. I really hope Toyota stops this badge engineering with Brezza and Baleno and share what really is more important (Technology sharing in terms of EVs, Hybrids, new ICE engines, may be a 1.5 L BS-6 diesel, bringing in new car models through JV,etc)

[sv97]

Continuing on the trend of badge engineering Toyota might call the people's mover to be launched next as

The all-new Toyota Urban-Mover



And in the company presentation they would be terming it as The Brother of Innova

[pk1972]

Maybe Toyota has seen the writing on the wall - its a matter of time before Kia / Hyundai combine introduce more powerful, feature packed and reliable competitors for Innova and Fortuner and eats away into those sales. What is Toyota left with then except to be fold and leave India?

They will survive with the re-badged farce and in the process make some money.

It will be interesting to know if Toyota has ever done this in any other country in the world? Pick cheap cars and slap their badge on them? Something tells me they have - else this will never pass the bosses in Tokyo ...

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by audioholic

It sounds so easy only if your firm has a legacy and a clean track record of many years that people are aware of, and the choice of your product is something that you can bank on.

I would hope so, 3600% growth since inception and quadruple annually, put on a company level and overall turnover that is nothing for the Japanese brothers in arms, fractions of point percentages, but put it in individual scale and those are figures of growth that these 2 companies can only dream of.

Also their firm legacy and clean track record has been marred n number of times, be it Takata scam, sticking acceleration pedals leading to fatal crashes etc (which were suppressed by PR else Toyota was heading into oblivion) and then we have Maruti.. well I don't want to say anything about that seeing that you are a customer and would feel hurt, but enough and more BHPians are awakening to its quality.

[deetjohn]

This car is all about that badge on each side. Isn't it? Many Indians are going to take this one home happily.

And no other brand in India can get away with what Toyota is doing with the watchman's son here! And they know it. Also, I don't think any brand can get away with what they are doing here in most countries. Guess they know that too!

Toyota should have added a 6 speed AT at the bare minimum. It's no big deal for the #2 automaker in the world. All they need is a bit of heart, that's all. But Indians aren't going to punish them for this. They know that as well and this pattern isn't going to change!

Soon, XL6 will join this err.... Brotherhood. ideally, I should look at that specific episode of Game of Thrones to name this gathering ready for the battle. I guess, I know to do better than that!