Despite the usual and unusual deterrents – rising competition being usual; erstwhile diesel ban in Delhi-NCR being the latter – Toyota’s dominance in the MPV and the seven-seat SUV segment is quite clear. In November 2016, the company managed to sell 12,593 units. That’s an improvement of 10 per cent over what the company managed in the corresponding month last year, both in domestic and export figures.

The updated Etios (called Platinum Etios now), the best-selling Innova, and the new Fortuner have ensured steady sales this month. The Innova Crysta, launched earlier this year, has been successful, so much so that the company has sold 50,000 units in a total of six months. The new Fortuner, launched earlier this month, has received over 6,200 bookings, with the company claiming to have despatched 2,500 units already.

One must keep in mind that demonetisation might hit the sales, and the mentioned numbers are of the despatched vehicles (from the company to the dealerships). To overcome that, Toyota mentions, methods like 100 per cent finance, and cashless payments are being encouraged and accepted.

While there hasn’t been a mention yet, the next set of launches for the Indian market includes the refreshed Toyota Corolla Altis. The current line-up includes Etios Liva, Etios, Innova Crysta, Corolla Altis, Fortuner, and Camry.