Toyota to drive in Prado diesel next year

Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), which tasted success in the sports utility vehicle segment with Fortuner, is looking at strengthening its position in the category by introducing the diesel variant of Prado by mid next year.

The upgraded version of Prado diesel will be launched in Japan by this December and will be brought to the Indian market three to six months later.

The Indian unit is in the process of seeking permission from the parent company for bringing the vehicle to India.

Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director, TKM, said, “The petrol variant could not bring us great volumes and we are selling just about 50-60 Prados a year. But now with the diesel variant coming in, we hope to spruce up volumes.”

Prado diesel will cost higher than the petrol variant which is available at Rs45lakh. Singh said, “We want to first focus on our SUVs and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), which include Innova, and our second focus will be on the passenger-car market which would also have our small car.”

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor, Auto Car India, said, “Prado as a product has a good following and it will do well for Toyota, though the volumes will be marginal as it is an expensive vehicle. Toyota’s SUV portfolio will primarily help enhance its brand image. However, according to me, the company’s main focus will be on its small car.”

A sales manager at Lakozy Toyota, a TKM dealership based in Mumbai, said for the Prado diesel to do well, pricing will play a very important role. “Earlier the Prado that you saw on the Indian roads was a diesel variant available through the grey market. So, people perceived it to be a diesel vehicle, but when it was launched in petrol version people were disappointed.”

“After its launch, we still used to get enquiries for the diesel variant but that too stopped after it was established that it will not be available. But now the diesel variant will definitely boost our volumes. This year we managed to sell only about five Prados, but the diesel one will easily sell 50-60 per year from my dealership alone,” he said.

Prado enjoyed a good market in Delhi and Chandigarh, but the numbers have been declining. The product could not make its mark in the western and southern market, he said.

Fortuner, which in a month’s span received 7,000 bookings, and sold over 1,000 cars in less than two months, has the ball rolling for TKM.