Toyota Fortuner bookings closed

Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) is facing order backlog of 5,000 cars for its Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Toyota Fortuner and closed the new bookings again. Toyota opened the bookings recently in the month of August after holding it in January as there was huge order piled up already.

As per Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD Toyota Kirloskar, the company is already having a huge booking backlog of Toyota Fortuner and it cannot not take on any new bookings as of now. It will take five to six months to fulfill the order. The company has increased the manufacturing to 1,000 cars every month which was 500 cars few months back. Toyota Motors is beaming with orders on other models as well but the bookings are also piled up for the sedan Toyota Corolla Altis and SUV Toyota Innova. Toyoya Innova and Toyota Corolla together have recorded orders for more than 2,000 units.

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Toyota is manufacturing its cars which includes Toyota Innova, Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Corolla Altis at its first manufacturing unit in Bangalore which has the capacity of manufacturing 70,000-80,000 cars every year. The company does not wish to extend the capacity any further.

Nakagawa said that, the plant is unable to produce more than these number of cars at the first plant which is in Bangalore and is looking towards maximum production capacity. And currently there are no plans to increase its capacity.

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Toyota Motors apart from dealing from this crunch situation is ready to launch its new car Toyota Etios in the domestic market. The car is an ambitious project from the Japanese auto giants. The new car from the group will be firstly launched in sedan version and than in the hatchback which will come after three months. Toyota Etios is expected to be launched in December. The company will manufacture the new car Toyota Etios in its second manufacturing facility in Bangalore. The initial capacity of the plant is 70,000 cars every year. As per the company, the two plants will in total produce 1.50 lacs cars every year in India which will help the company.

See More Toyota Fortuner Pictures                                                                                                         Read More on Toyota Fortuner

Nakagawa also said on the localisation of Toyota Etios engine that, Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) will set up an engine and transmission plant which will be located near the manufacturing units. He went on saying that, the company wish to start by 2012. The Hatchback and sedan models of the new car will be loaded with petrol engine (sedan will come in 1.5 litre and 1.2 litre will be in hatchback).

See More Toyota Fortuner Pictures                                                                                                         Read More on Toyota Fortuner

On localisation of engine of Etios, Nakagawa said the Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) is setting up an engine and transmission plant near the existing ones to cater to Etios models. He added that by 2012, the company expects to start sourcing the Etios engine from India from TKAP. The hatchback and sedan versions of Etios will be powered by a petrol engine (sedan – 1.5 litre and 1.2 litre on hatchback) and the company said it is "deliberating diesel engine on it.