Amidst high demand for its recently launched entry level sedan Etios, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) will now almost double the production of the car. The move has been taken in a bid to bring-down the mounting waiting period of the Etios sedan that has reached up to as much as eight months in the country. The increased production will enable the company to prevent prospective buyers from changing their decision of buying Etios and opting for other models instead.
TKM will start a second shift at its Bidadi plant in Karnataka for the purpose. According to company’s deputy managing director Sandeep Singh, “There is nothing much that we can do with the kind of demand the Toyota Etios has generated. It has taken us by surprise,” said Singh. “From April onwards, we will start second shift production at our Bidadi plant.”
Mr. Singh added, “Currently we produce at least 2,500 units a month, but the demand is of around 7,000 units. It is quite difficult to bridge that gap in a quick time. Production will be raised to 4,500-5,000.”
Since its launch in the Indian market in December 2010, the Etios sedan has been among the hot favorites and giving a tough fight to its competitors like Maruti Swift Dzire and Volkswagen Vento. The company has already received over 18,000 thousand bookings for the car in the country.
