Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM), the Indo-Japanese Joint Venture (JV), has rolled out a new limited edition variant of its popular Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) Innova called 'Aero' in the Indian auto market on September 27, 2012. The company has responded at a tremendous pace to its fellow Japanese rival, Nissan Motors that launched its new car Evalia dedicated at the MUV lovers of the country on September 25, 2012. The new Innova Aero is now available at all TKM dealerships across the country.
The Limited Edition Toyota Innova Aero will leave the Indian buyers enchanted and grappling for its possession, as only 1,200 units will be available in the domestic market till December 2012. The launch of the new baby from the stables of Toyota will add to the domestic MUV enthusiasts' piling confusion with a number of exciting products in the segment like Toyota Innova, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Mahindra Xylo and the newly launched Nissan Evalia. Thus, the Indian MUV market got more exciting in just a span of 48 hours.
The almost immediate launch of Limited Edition Innova Aero just after Evalia, seems like shrewd and a well placed strategy from business point of view by TKM, in order to snatch all the attention from the Nissan product. Evidently, Indian buyers will surely indulge in a little comparison between the new launches before making up their minds.
Expressing his views on the new Limited Edition Toyota Innova Aero, Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (MD), Marketing, TKM said, “Toyota Innova has delighted customers for seven years now. It set precedence by breaking the clutter and introducing a new segment to the Indian market. Its spaciousness, reliability, practicality and ride quality has made it a popular choice with the Indian customers. It packages all the qualities that a customer desires in a family car, making it the most favourite car in its segment. The new Innova Aero will provide new and unique ownership experience to customers who are looking for a trendy and sporty look. We are extremely happy to bring this new offering to our customers for the festive season and thank them for their patronage of this legendary brand – Toyota Innova.”
Appearance wise both Evalia and Innova Aero are very different and have been designed and engineered while keeping in mind specific purposes. The Evalia looks boxy, more like a van on its rear side, while its front fascia appears futuristic and best-in-class. The Evalia also flaunts its first in the segment sliding doors, which complements its practical and convenience oriented designing. The 2012 Toyota Innova Aero features revamped exterior finishing of the current generation Innova, while flaunting its fresh new sporty avatar. The car looks appealing and follows up expectations regarding how the new Innova should be like. Indian car aficionados can purchase the new Innova Aero in two colour options, precisely Super White and Silver Mica Metallic.
Coming to the engine specifications, the 2012 Nissan Evalia holds the much talked about and popular Nissan K9K 1.5 litre turbo-diesel engine under its hood, which delivers a peak power output of 85 bhp and torque capacity of 200 Nm. The Nissan K9K power-mill of Evalia has been mated to a 5MT manual transmission system, that entails the MUV to possess hassle free driving and smooth gear shifting. Further, the K9K powertrain complies with Bharat Stage IV emission levels as well. The newly launched Toyota Innova Aero is based on the existing GX model, that features a 2.5 litre, 2494cc, 2KD-FTV, diesel power-mill with Turbocharger, which churns out a maximum power-torque output of 101 bhp and 200 Nm, respectively. The engine has been assimilated with a Common-Rail Direct Injection fuel supply system and four inline cylinder configuration, which ensures superb engine performance and driving experience. Further, the Innova Aero has an impressive low Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) rating. It can be easily inferred that the Toyota product rules the roost here, since its claim to fame factor has been it’s under the hood configuration in the Indian passenger car market.
It a statement on the new Limited Edition Innova Aero, the company said, “The limited edition of the highly popular Innova is aimed at providing exclusivity to customers, by lending the vehicle a sporty edge. The Aero kit specially designed for the limited edition, enhances the overall appearance of the vehicle, lending it a refreshed look.”
The pricing difference definitely appears between Evalia and Innova, but Indian buyers must be watching closely what the two Japanese auto players are offering in their packages. The Limited Edition Innova Aero comes at a price bracket between Rs. 12,25,677 and Rs. 12,30,207 (ex-showroom Delhi), while the Nissan Evalia forces a slightly humble pricing starting from Rs. 8.5 lacs till Rs. 9.99 lacs. Considering the price and the 'New' factor, Evalia possesses a slight edge on its Toyota competitor and its lesser pricing may come in handy for boosting sales of Nissan Motors India. However, TKM has been a dominant player in the MUV segment with its Innova for many years, and any new product to challenge it does raise some eye brows. Nissan will find a little difficult to challenge the new Innova but it is up to only the Indian buyers, regarding the future turnout of the new products from the two Japanese contemporaries.
