Toyota To Focus More on Safety

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) will now focus more on safety rather than chasing the sales number. With this, the company looks to mark a premium position in each of the segment. Recently, the automaker has started offering airbags as standard across all its models sold in the country since the beginning of 2015.

TKM Senior Vice-President & Director marketing and Sales Division N Raja said, “We want to bring safety and create awareness on it. Even the consumers are also beginning to realise the need for safety features now. So, we have started offering airbags as standard across all model range in all the variants of our vehicles since January.”

It’s high time now that the government should realize the safety concerns and increasing fatality rate and thereby should make airbags and ABS mandatory to enhance vehicle safety. Toyota has recently launched the facelifted version of Etios Sedan and Liva hatchback along with the introduction of smaller 2.5 litre engine in the new Fortuner.

Looking at the sales report, the automaker sold 1.33 lac units in the Indian auto sector in 2014 and exported 18,500 units of Etios sedan and Liva hatchback in 2014.

“We want to be leaders in technology and safety. Our product prices have obviously gone up for sure but we don’t want to compromise on safety. Our aim is to offer value for money to our consumers,” Raja said, adding the company’s products would be at a premium compared to rivals in each of the segment it was present.

On Budget 2015 expectations, Raja said the company was hoping that there would be some provisions to support eco-friendly vehicles like hybrids.

“A government support to boost the hybrids will definitely be a welcome step,” he said adding TKM’s Camry hybrid has picked up sales to about 70-75 units a month from about 10-15 units earlier.

Source: PTI