After Mahindra, Tata and Ford the Japanese giant car maker Toyota will commence exporting cars to South Africa. Toyota Kirloskar Motor announced the start of exports of its “World First, India First”- Toyota Etios & Etios Liva to South Africa. The company plans to begin export by March 2012.
The export model of Etios will be built on the same platform as Etios and Etios Liva, manufactured and sold in India. However, there would be a few changes in technical specifications/features, pertaining to the different needs of each market. The export model will be customized to suit the local requirements. The company will export only the petrol variants of the Etios.
Commenting on the beginning of TKM’s export operations , Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, TKM, said, “With the start of exports, TKM has entered a new chapter of business in India. This milestone is a defining moment for all of us at TKM. Exporting the Etios to South Africa would also mean showcasing the advanced technology and superior quality features that have been developed by Toyota for Etios. We are convinced that the Etios will be successful in delivering Toyota’s promise of quality in South Africa too.”
Mr. Shekar Viswanathan, Deputy Managing Director, Commercial, TKM added, “The start of the export operations of the company denotes the growing role of TKM in Toyota’s global operations. This is a tremendous achievement for us at TKM as we enter into a new phase of business. We see a big opportunity in this sector as exports have considerably grown when compared to last year. TKM’s foray into the export market promises a lot of growth for the company.”
