Toyota India is hoping 2009 will be a good year. The Japanese automaker’s India division plans to sell 60,000 automobiles to drivers in India, and Toyota’s success hinges upon the introduction of the Toyota Corolla Altis. Toyota executives believes this new model will give the brand renowned for its quality the boost necessary to achieve 60,000 cars in India.
“The economy of India is growing at a rate far faster than the mature economies of the West,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas exotic car rental business. “Toyota is smart to bring a redesigned Corolla to India right now,” says the Texas business consultant and author.
Toyota Redesigns Corolla for India
Launching today, the Corolla Altis is a redesigned version of the popular Toyota Corolla Sedan. Toyota, which currently sells about 50,000 automobiles each year in India, is anticipating that the new Altis will help them get a larger share of the market.
By 2013, Toyota hopes to expand its Indian market share to ten percent of all cars sold. With a current market share of three percent, this is an aggressive goal, but if projected sales of the new Toyota Corolla Altis are any indication, this goal is achievable. The automaker anticipates that it will sell an average of 2,000 of the new Corolla’s each month.
“Toyota has a great reputation as a reliable and high quality carmaker,” says Sturgeon, who also owns an exotic car club in Dallas and a business that provides automotive dream tours in Texas. “Although slightly tarnished lately in the United States by less than top marks from Consumer Reports, Toyota’s reputation for quality will certainly help draw buyers in India and will certainly help Toyota India hit their sales figures in India.”
Toyota India Builds Second Plant In India
Toyota, which is currently building its second Indian automobile plant, plans to begin production of a new small car for the Indian market in 2010 or 2011. Images courtesy of Toyota India website.
Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services
