Toyota’s Etios tests customer patience

Toyota Kirloskar Motors launched the Etios sedan in December to a blockbuster response.

But the flip side to the roaring success is that the 8-month long-waiting list for the car is turning the company’s dealers fidgety because impatient customers are cancelling bookings.

Etios bookings overshot targets within four days of launch. So much so, Toyota had to close bookings between December 6 and 9. Three months since, the car has seen 22,000 bookings.

Of this, Toyota said, 1,651 cars were delivered in January.

Dealers said the unprecedented waiting period is turning out to be a headache.

“Initially, the excitement around Etios was huge. But no one has the patience to wait for 8-10 months for getting a car, whereas cars from competitor companies are available within 2-3 months,” said an official from Citibank.

A Mumbai-based dealer, who received 189 bookings, said half of them have been cancelled. “While most cited the long waiting period, some also cited lack of features in the car as the reason for the cancellation,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Another dealer from Pune said Toyota had promised the delivery of the Etios in 4-6 months. “However, the waiting period further increased to 10 months. Some customers have been asked to wait for even one year,” this person said, again not wishing to be named. 

A Bangalore-based dealer said he has seen only 5% cancellations so far, but worries the number may rise if the waiting period extends.

Dealers from Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad have witnessed around 8-12% cancellations so far, they told DNA.

The Citibank official said with petrol prices rising relentlessly, diesel cars are attracting more interest.

Mid segment cars that compete with Etios such as the Indigo CS, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Dzire and Ford Fiesta are available in diesel variants.

But Sandeep Singh, Toyota’s deputy managing director, remains unfazed. “There will be some cancellations. However, it is not a concern for us. We are working on building our capacity. Waiting periods should come down after February this year when our new plant will be fully operational,” he said, referring to the company’s second plant located in Bidadi, near Bangalore, close to its existing plant.