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Old 10th March 2009, 10:45   #16
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Toyota really needs to tighten its belts now and start penetrating into other segments as well.
 
Old 10th March 2009, 10:50   #17
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History shows that Toyota is slow when it enters a new market. Limited products, detailed research and safe albeit steady progress is made. Then, once a certain level of comfort has been reached, a calculated assault on the market & competition begins. Not too many can argue with this approach where a solid foundation is built first.

Butttttttttttttttttttttttttt Toyota has been TOO DAMN LAZY in the Indian context:

1. Where is the Fortuner? Usually, a product is launched and then a market is created. Here, the market is waiting and Toyota wont do anything about it!

2. Why is the Camry still a CBU? Hello, in case you haven't realised, the Accord has been walking all over you. The world over, these two sedans are within 3 - 5% price differential. The Camry costs a whopping 6 lakhs more, OTR, in India. Simply inexcuseable.

3. Where are the cheaper cars? How about a 7 - 8.5 lakh rupee C segment sedan? Or a 5 - 6 lakh rupee Toyota hatchback?

4. All the Altis needs is a fuel efficient diesel to emerge dominant in its segment. Lets not wait for x'mas out here! And while we are at it, a diesel for the locally built Camry won't be a bad idea either.

According to me, this should be the short-term plan for Toyota India. Lets not take away from the fact that Toyota has sold some very relevant products (Altis, Innova) and maintained a class-leading quality of customer service in India. But clearly, more needs to be done else they will keep losing market share to the others.
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Old 10th March 2009, 11:38   #18
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Honda has increased the prices of their cars in the time of recession is Toyota next in line?
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Old 10th March 2009, 12:06   #19
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Toyota seems to be all over in Newspapers / Magazines specially business magazines there is an interview with their MD in financial express basically reiterating the following :
a. 10% market share by 2015
b. Expansion of 3200 crore on track to launch sedan and hatchback by 2010 end .
c. No answer to why there has been no new product for past 4 years
d. Prius : Market being studied
Looking at Japanese way only major product is 2 years away but will be worth waiting after all it is just .2 decades or .002 millenia
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Old 10th March 2009, 12:46   #20
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TKML is plain lazy and taking India for granted. Their products are great, but guess their marketing strategies are NOT!
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Old 10th March 2009, 14:03   #21
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If they were serious, they would launched a Diesel Corolla/Altis to take on the Skoda, Magnum etc. That itself can give them some very decent volumes.
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Old 10th March 2009, 14:13   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by headers View Post
TKML is plain lazy and taking India for granted. Their products are great, but guess their marketing strategies are NOT!
Hope they does not follow the FIAT route. Toyota want to restrict them self only with in the Premium or Luxury Customer. They dont wanna reach to Middle/upper Middle Class people's boundaries. Its may be that they dont wanna spread the Service Network to 2nd tier.
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Old 10th March 2009, 16:15   #23
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Not only lack of proper product line they are also very pathetic on marketing. I have never ever liked any of the TV commercials from Toyota. See how imposing are M&Ms adds, nice Safari add, even Jetta has started a good campaign. But Toyota they show only the weakest add picked from another country.

In news paper, Altis's ads are poorest, even smaller (Black and white) then Tata pickup ads which are colorful. Then they expect to hold a premium value. God knows what study they do. It is a total lack of killer instinct.

Then they do hell lot of surveys. Person calling from Gurgaon to know feedback about dealer, then dealers calling for satisfaction survey, then a person from survey company wants to meet about product purchased review, then a big form from GM quality assurance div for feedback. I feel they are too obsessed with quality and lack action on other fronts. They exactly know how to make best cars but don't know how to sell them.
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Old 10th March 2009, 16:20   #24
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Toyota has good products but it should not go the sony way otherwise in auto also some korians and some indian will take away the larger pie of the market share as in electronics
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Old 10th March 2009, 16:38   #25
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one of my relative had talked to a big guy in toyota kirolskar when they first came to india. when they were discussing the pricing of the corolla they had come up with at least 1-1.5L less than what they originally came up. had they released in that price segment, they would had a totally different market share. but they realised honda had released their cars at much higher level and they readjusted theirs accordingly.
so it is their mistake and it will take a lot of great pricing on their part to get that market share.

let them come up with a small car in the 5L segment, corolla/similar in the 8L and camry/similar in the 12-14L.
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Old 10th March 2009, 18:04   #26
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give them some time Most people in this thread will take their words back.
I do agree they are a bit slow with matters related to india.
like the Lexus brand should have made it long back to fight the mercs and bmws.
etc etc
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Old 10th March 2009, 18:19   #27
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This Article was not a surprise to me, and in many threads at various occasions we discussed this. Many team-bhpians have commented about the Toyota way in India, and their loose grip on product ranges. We have already pointed out that they lack focus on India - they are highly relay on Innova alone!

If one good competition comes from some one (say from Honda or Mahindra), Toyota will be another Fiat in India. As someone says, let us see how Toyota reacts to this, But I do not see there will be anything down the line from them, as they are facing a historic loss this year globally.
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Old 10th March 2009, 20:10   #28
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I suspect Prius (hybrid) is soon to be launched. I saw it being tested a couple of time on Bang-Mys Highway. Am afraid one more mistake in the making ;-(
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Old 10th March 2009, 21:58   #29
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lets hope toyota will not do the same thing which honda did with civic hybrid (14 l story)
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