Customers are preferring SUVs over smaller cars: Toyota Kirloskar Motor

The sports utility vehicle (SUV) market in India is on the rise. And 2020 saw a big battle in the compact SUV segment.

However, the mid-size and premium SUV segments are also seeing growth and Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) began the year by introducing the new Fortuner and also a variant in the Legender.

The Fortuner rivals the Ford Endeavour and MG Gloster.

“There is a trend away from passenger cars to SUVs. Of course, there is a loyal base for passenger cars, but the SUV segment is getting more and more exciting whether it is the entry-level, mid-size or premium SUVs. Customers are preferring these vehicles,” said Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, TKM.

Tadashi Asazuma, Senior Vice President, TKM, said of the 4x2 Legender: “More and more customers are buying SUVs. We found that customers who use these SUVs want style. It is more in the cities and that is why we brought in the Legender 4x2. We will see how the customer reacts to it and will think about it in the future (about the 4x4 variant)."

Soni added: "When you are having this much power and torque, 4x2 automatic will be more than sufficient."

The just-launched Fortuner has come with several upgrades, including a more powerful diesel engine.

Yoshiki Konishi, Chief Engineer, Toyota Motor Corporation, explained the changes in the new launch: “There is a new power steering, which is the variable flow control power steering. It also has special off-road mapping and we have also done tuning for Indian road conditions.

“We have three key areas. First one is a high-performance battery and second is connectivity. When I spoke to customers, they wanted a more powerful powertrain. Also, there are also many speed-breakers in India and there was a need to bring in more comfort with this new Fortuner," he added.