Toyota March sales up 80%; closes FY17 with 11% growth

Sales were driven by its Innova Crysta and new Fortuner models

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Friday reported 80 per cent increase in its sales in March at 13,800 units driven by its Innova Crysta and new Fortuner models.

The company had sold 7,637 units in the same month last year.

For the financial year (FY) 2016-17, TKM posted a growth of 11 per cent at 1,42,500 units as against 1,28,500 units in the previous FY.

"Our growth has been largely driven by Innova Crysta and Fortuner. We have so far delivered 75,000 units of Innova Crysta and 10,350 units of Fortuner in five months since its launch," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Director and Senior Vice-President Sales & Marketing N Raja said.

The robust demand of the two vehicles helped the company make up for five months of absence in Delhi-NCR region during the fiscal when diesel cars and SUVs with engine capacity of 2,000cc and above were banned, he added.

"Earlier in the fiscal, when the ban was on in Delhi-NCR we were looking at flat growth but in the last few months of the year our sales have picked up," he said.

In December 2015, the Supreme Court had banned registration of such big diesel cars and SUVs due to pollution concerns. It was lifted in August last year.

Raja said overall for the industry passenger vehicle sales are expected to grow by around in single digits in the FY17.