Toyota’s ambitions of being the leader in the manufacturing of premium segment cars may have taken a beating in countries such as India and South Africa. However, the Toyota Liva hatchback and Toyota Etios sedan has had a reasonable visibility on Indian and South African roads. Toyota has much to cheer about as nearly 10,000 vehicles of the above models have been sold in these countries. Clearly Toyota has gained from this low cost segment. Toyota now plans to manufacture these models in Brazil as well.
Toyota, however, is shifting their strategy now. According to reports the company will introduce 8 new models soon. None of these 8 models will be catering to the low price segment though. This is in line with Toyota vying hard to retain the category of its premium segment range of cars.
With Volkswagen closing in on Toyota, this automotive giant from Japan will introduce these eight entry level cars without any sub models. This is attributed to the fact that Toyota already has the Daihatsu. Toyota is giving chase to Volkswagen (who claims to be the largest manufacturers of cars globally) and plans to sell over a million cars by the year 2015.
While Toyota remains tightlipped about the specifications of these new models, it is clearly targeting the new segment car buyers whose potential is immense in terms of volume sales.
