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Ring in the new, ring out the old, even if old was gold. Toyota
Kirloskar India has got the maxim right. It has withdrawn its hugely-popular multi-utility vehicle Qualis from India since December
31. The blockbuster Toyota Qualis, a popular high-way utility and
reliable fleet-member, is history. Enter Toyota Innova. Coming to
India in February.
Toyota Qualis recorded its highest-ever sales in India at 4,092 units
in December. Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) sold 36,698 units of the
Qualis between January and December 2004, registering a growth of 20
per cent over 2003. But the Innova, as they say, is an idea whose time
has come. Farewell Qualis.
The company, confident the Toyota Innova will outsell Qualis in India,
has asked its dealers to stop accepting bookings for Qualis and clear
inventories. Toyota has not revealed the expected price for the new
car. Dealers are currently clearing old Qualis stocks, with huge
discounts. The company is yet to officially announce the upcoming
model, since that will effectively stop sales of Qualis models still
in the godowns. Hence the discounts.
Though the Toyota Innova looks ages ahead of the Qualis, one wonders
how it will take its predecessors' place. Qualis has been a huge
success as a taxi, while Toyota Innova is more of a lifestyle vehicle.
The customer shift and brand issues will need to be sorted out.
The launch is expected in February. As usual, we will the first to put
out news on the Toyota Innova India launch. Watch this space.
BY A CORRESPONDENT
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