Toyota Kirloskar to Optimize Production of Fortuner and Innova Crysta

NEW DELHI: Japanese-Indian automobile joint venture Toyota Kirloskar Motor is focusing its efforts on reducing the waiting period for its two mega revamped models-sports utility vehicle (SUV) Fortuner and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Innova Crysta, said a senior company official.

"We are capitalising all our efficiencies towards reducing the waiting period. The new Fortuner along with the Innova Crysta is produced in Plant 1 in Bidadi, Karnataka. Plant 1 has a production capacity of 100,000 units in a year and is currently running at 90-95 per cent capacity," N. Raja, Director and Senior Vice President (Sales and Marketing) mentioned.

"The new Fortuner currently has a waiting period of three months and our focus right now is to reduce the waiting period so that we can deliver the vehicle to our customers," Raja said.

The Innova has a waiting period of close to three weeks to a month.

Toyota Kirloskar has sold over 12,200 Fortuners -- price ranging from Rs 26.66 lakh to Rs 31.86 lakh depending on the engine and the variant-since it was relaunched in November 2016 with more than 20,180 booking orders.

Similarly the company has sold over 85,000 Innova Crysta's since its launch in 2016.

According to Raja, Innova Crysta has achieved a huge milestone since its launch considering the segment which it is in and the price bracket - over Rs 14 lakh to Rs 21 lakh depending on the engine and the variant.

Couple of days back Toyota Kirloskar launched Innova Touring Sport - a dynamic and sporty offering, for the first time from the brand Innova.

As an MPV with a SUV-like styling, the new Innova Touring Sport is a blend of dynamic exterior design, sporty interiors.

Toyota Kirsloskar has two plants in Karnataka with a total annual capacity of 310,000 units.

Japanese company Toyota Motor Corporation holds 89 per cent stake while the India's Kirloskar group owns 11 per cent stake in Toyota Kirloskar.

Queried about LC Prado and LC 200, Raja said the company is studying the market.

"We have sold 1,170 units of the LC Prado and 665 units of the LC 200 in India through the CBU (completely built unit) route," he added.

"The two models (Fortuner and Innova) are ruling the Indian roads in their respective segments. They are certainly owner's pride and competitors envy," a senior official of a rival company told IANS preferring anonymity.

Queried about the company not launching models for different market segments given the brand equity it enjoys, Raja said: "Toyota's aim in India is not just to sell volumes and chase numbers. We believe that Toyota should not just be a company to make new models, we believe in sustainable growth."

Toyoka Kirloskar also makes and sells models like Etios, Etios Liva, Etios Cross, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Corolla Altis.