Its official! Toyota will be unveiling its Prius hybrid for sale in India at the 2010 Auto Expo in Delhi next January. Speaking to ZigWheels.com on the sidelines of the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, Kazuo Okamoto, vice chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, informed that the Prius will mark a gradual ramp up for Toyota in India. The Prius is the world's best known and also best selling hybrid passenger car and the version Toyota intends to sell in the country would be the latest generation model which was launched as recently as May 2009 in Japan and has also been a raging hit in this eco-conscious motoring mad nation.
"Contrary to what many think, Toyota has been gradually consolidating its operations in India and this might have meant fewer model introductions to date," said Okamoto. "However, from now on we will not be found wanting for new models and the pace of our step-by-step approach will be far quicker," he added.
The Prius hybrid is but one of a handful of stars destined to shine on the Indian autoscape which will grace Toyota's Auto Expo stand. The Japanese numero uno hopes to also unveil a concept version of its Global Small Car (code-named EFC800L) which will be made at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltds new plant at Bidadi near Bangalore from December 2010. This car will compete in the same segment which is seeing intense action with the likes of the Suzuki Swift and Ritz ranged against the Fiat Grande Puntos and the Tata Indica Vista, the Hyundai i20s and the Honda Jazz plus the range of high profile newcomers expected in the form of the Nissan Micra / March, the Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Figo.
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So bullish is Toyota about its India plans that Okamoto had no qualms in admitting his company had taken a bit more time than the others."To the outside world it may look like we have been running behind time but this is the same strategy we have used all over the world and it has paid off and we will definitely catch-up with everyone."
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