Toyota rides high on Innova in Kerala

Toyota is betting big on Kerala, with its latest offering, Innova, garnering 30 per cent of the multi purpose vehicle (MPV) market share in the state in its year of launch.

Innova, which hit the road in March 2005, has already made its presence felt, recording a healthy 34 per cent share of the Kerala car mart till April 2006.

Shailesh Shetty, DGM (sales), told Business Standard from Bangalore that Innova, which has been positioned as a combination of an MPV and the Sedan, has been successful in winning the hearts of the customers of both the segments. The company has christened it as I-MPV, innovative multipurpose vehicle.

"Innova sales have been good and as per the expectations in Kerala during the year of its launch. And, with the vehicle drawing excellent response at present with a market share of 34 per cent already recorded till April 2006, we expect sales to ride a rising graph as days go by," Shetty said.

According to him, Kerala's car mart usually picks up during the second half of every year. This is because most of the festivals, including Christmas, fall during these months.

"We have witnessed sales getting accelerated when the year is into its second half. This year too, going by the number of enquiries and feedback we have received, the sales of Innova is sure to rise in a few months time," he added.

Toyota has two dealers in Kerala who have a state-wide presence. They have already sold 968 cars till April this year. Compared with the 700 cars sold during 2005, the number gives the company much scope to rejoice as the year-end is still a long way off.

Says R Hariprasad, marketing officer at Nippon Toyota, one of the dealers: "The car buyer in Kerala looks for comfort and value for money. In an I-MPV like Innova, he gets all he wants from a luxury vehicle. Compared to the other cars that come close to the platform where Innova is positioned, the Innova is the natural choice for the car customer. That explains the enquiries we get on this model."

Sabu Devarajan, sales officer at Nippon Toyota, seconds this view, adding that the safety factor that Innova offers is unique and car enthusiasts seem to know the vehicle is capable of safe and long-distance drives.

With around 17 prominent players vying with each other in a market full of sedans and MPVs in the Rs 5-lakh to Rs 12-lakh price segment, Toyota boasts of the highest market share in the south, said Shetty.

He adds that diesel cars sell the most in Kerala - almost 98 per cent of Innovas sold in the sate are diesel variants. On the company's other models, Shetty said that sales of Corolla, which falls in the premium bracket, also has recorded impressive numbers.

The company plans to sell around 400 Corolla models this year as against 300 sold last year.