Toyota Kirloskar Motor Opens Bookings for the All-New Toyota Urban Cruiser Beginning August 22, 2020

 Highlights

* New compact SUV from Toyota to feature new powerful K-Series 1.5 litre four-cylinder Petrol Engine

* Available in both Manual & Automatic Transmission

* All Automatic Transmission  variants will be equipped with Advanced Li-ion Battery with ISG for enhanced fuel efficiency

* Distinct & dynamic bold grille, lending the compact SUV a very confident & energetic presence on the road

* Bold trapezoidal fog lamp design for a wide stance

* Spacious and alluring Dual-Tone dark brown premium interiors

* Dual Chamber LED Projector Headlamps with dual function LED DRL-cum-indicators and Electrochromic IRVM for a safer drive

* Rain Sensing Wipers and Cruise Control to add to amazing customer comfort and convenience

* Assurance of a delightful ownership experience through Toyota’s legendary sales and service propositions

* Booking amount announced at Rs. 11,000/-

* Aiding customer convenience, bookings can be placed both online (@ www.toyotabharat.com) as well as at the nearest Toyota dealership 

To aid customers plan their festive season car purchase, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced ‘bookings open’ for its much-awaited compact SUV, the all-new Toyota Urban Cruiser, beginning 22nd August 2020. The Urban Cruiser which is the youngest urban SUV from Toyota in India, is built for today’s young achievers who have earned respect for their achievements & bold choices in life & who aspire to own a Toyota SUV at a young age.

The latest offering from Toyota is equipped with a new & powerful, yet fuel efficient ‘K-Series 1.5 litre four-cylinder Petrol Engine’, to deliver superior driving experience. The Urban Cruiser will be available in both Manual & Automatic Transmissions (AT) and all AT variants will be equipped with an advanced Li-Ion battery with an ISG- Integrated Starter Generator (Torque assist, regenerative braking & idle start stop).  

The exteriors of the car will deliver a very confident & energetic on-road presence with a Two Slat Wedge Cut Dynamic Grille with Chrome & a Trapezoidal Bold Fog Area. It will be further accompanied with Dual Chamber LED Projector Headlamps, with dual function LED DRL-cum–indicators and LED fog lamps. Customers will also have the option of 16-inch Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels and an exciting choice of vibrant colours in dual-tone, including a unique brown colour.

In order to further enhance customer delight, the all-new Toyota Urban Cruiser is bundled with the renowned Toyota experience through superior warranty of 3year/100K Kms & extended benefits like express service of EM60, warranty extension and other convenience services like WhatsApp communication.

Sharing his thoughts on the opening of bookings, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Services, TKM, said, “We are very excited about our latest offering- the Urban Cruiser, as it has already started receiving a lot of attention & enquiries from interested customers. We understand that our customers would like to know more about the new vehicle from Toyota, so that they can make an informed decision about the vehicle of their choice, this festive season. Hence, we wanted to further aid our customers with more information about the car before opening our bookings.

Today, we have revealed few of the features which are bound to appeal the aspirations and expectations that the young & millennial aspire from a compact SUV in India. The Toyota Urban Cruiser will offer everything that the young customers look for and also extend to them the joy of owning a Toyota brand with a host of value added services with superior sales & service experience. We are confident that the Toyota Urban Cruiser will create a niche for itself with an ‘Urban Standout Appeal’ for those who love to ‘Travel in Style’. We are eagerly awaiting to welcome a new set of customers who dream to own a Toyota SUV early in life and experience our sales and after-sales services of global standards,” he concluded.

Customers can also look forward to alluring Dual-Tone Dark Brown premium interiors, ergonomically laid out wide and spacious cabin, Smart Entry with Engine Push Start/Stop Button and Auto AC. The Toyota Urban Cruiser will be loaded with high-end features such as Smart Playcast touchscreen audio with Android Auto/Apple Carplay and Smartphone-based Navigation, Rain Sensing Wipers, Cruise Control and Electrochromic Inside Rear View Mirror (IRVM), all combining to provide an exhilarating ride and great comfort.

Bookings for the Toyota Urban Cruiser are open from 22nd August, 2020 at a nominal amount of Rs. 11,000. Customers can make their bookings online on www.toyotabharat.com or also visit their nearest Toyota dealership. 

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Empowers 1 Lakh People to Fight Against the Spread of COVID-19

 In its mission to help citizens fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has been undertaking several initiatives. One such initiative is the distribution of health and hygiene kits through an employee led CSR program, Sanjeevini.

Under the Sanjeevini initiative, TKM distributed health and hygiene kits to 5,000 employees, each of whom took it upon themselves to distribute the kits to five families in their neighbourhoods in Bangalore urban and rural areas benefitting totally 25,000 families. The kits comprised sanitizer bottle, three-ply facemasks and hand-wash soap. The volunteering employees also created awareness on the safety precautions vital to contain the viral outbreak with special emphasis on maintaining health and hygiene in these times. The intention behind involving the employees was to propagate important hygiene practices and the use of masks to as many people as possible in their neighbourhoods.

Commenting on the successful completion of the initiative, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility & Corporate Governance, TKM, said, “Since the onset of the pandemic, TKM has been proactively responding to the crisis according to the needs of the community as well as by supporting the Government efforts. The distribution of the health and hygiene kits carried out over the last one month is another such program aimed at empowering the community we live in. The idea for distribution of the kits stemmed from the view of safeguarding not just our employees but also the other families residing in their neighbourhoods. In all, 25,000 families or about 1,00,000 people were benefited by the health and hygiene kits. As a responsible corporate citizen, we will continue with such endeavours in the battle against the coronavirus spread.”

In the recent past, TKM has contributed INR 2 Crore to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund followed by the handing over of 3,000 Hazmat suits to the Government Health Volunteers in the state. About 3,500 essential kits, benefitting over 15,000 members were given to daily wage workers. TKM deployed 14 buses to support the health department in the state in addition to the distribution of sanitizers and masks to the state police. TKM also supported its supplier partner, Stump Schuele and Somappa Springs to ramp up its production of face shields from 275 to over 17,000 units per day.

Further, TKM handed over a Mobile Medical Unit to the Indian Institute of Science to help scale up COVID-19 testing in the state. TKM has also provided 45 thermal scanners, 45,000 hand sanitizers, 100 beddings, consumables for 100 patients, 20 sets of equipment such as intravenous stands, blood pressure monitors and safety gear including 12,000 examination gloves, 70,000 three-ply face masks and 7,500 N95 masks to the Health Department, Government of Karnataka and Bangalore police personnel. The company handed over 10 fumigation equipment to Victoria Hospital through Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute and another 10 to the Town Municipal Corporation of Bidadi, Ramanagara District as per their requirements.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Salutes the Indian Armed Forces Through their ICARE Initiative

In its pursuit to bring about a positive change to the community and enrich lives, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) concluded its 16th ICARE outreach initiative today, coinciding with the 74th Independence Day. ICARE, an employee volunteer initiative of TKM which is designed to bring the employees and their families together to make a difference in the community. 

Not allowing the current pandemic to dampen their spirits, over 100 TKM employees and their families came together virtually through an e-enabled platform this Independence Day to pay tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Indian soldiers guarding our borders across Leh and Ladakh. The e-enabled event was graced by the honourable guest speaker, Air Vice Marshal B K Murali [Retd], who was a part of the Kargil War in 1999. He shared insights on the current scenario and selfless contribution of warriors who are at the forefront to save our lives.

The core theme of this initiative was to send a message of gratitude, love and best wishes to our soldiers at Leh, Ladakh, who guard our borders day and night. Towards this end, as a part of this initiative, the employees and their families sent out handmade eco-friendly Rakhis and greeting cards that will be handed over to the soldiers posted in Leh, Ladakh via the Army Post Office (APO) Northern Command. In addition, a video message was also sent for the soldiers.

Expressing his thoughts on this occasion, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Senior Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “The bravery, spirit and enthusiasm of the armed forces to protect their motherland India is unparalleled and any tribute to this valour and devotion is not enough. Through our ICARE initiative, we pay our tribute to the soldiers by honouring them with a token of gratitude.

ICARE program has created a platform for employees to come together and make a difference in the community. The initiative actively engages employees and strives to enhance their understanding on numerous societal issues, contributing to address vital needs within TKM’s CSR framework. We are happy to see such energetic participation of our employees and their family members who are emerging as ‘Social Transformers’ in each ICARE activity. With this, we intend to expand the horizon of serving the society with our holistic approach.”

‘ICARE’– an employee voluntary initiative, is an effort aligned with the company’s commitment to sustained community development.  TKM believes that it is important for the employees to align with our morals and principles to make key contributions to the nation and society at large. This drive actively involves the employees and strives to enhance their understanding on various societal issues, contributing to address vital needs within TKM’s CSR framework. Since its launch in 2017, ICARE has grown manifold and managed to create a large impact in the society which benefited more than 40,000 lives. Currently, more than 700 employees have been registered under TKM’s ICARE initiative. So far, TKM has implemented 15 ICARE activities in the area of Education, Environment, Road Safety, Skill Development, Disaster Management and supporting special children by creating massive transformation in the society and providing enriching experience to employees every time.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor will further continue its various CSR activities keeping the development perspective of socio-economic structure of the society, providing aids to many individual’s lives to make a difference in their livelihood.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Forays into the Compact SUV Segment with its Youngest SUV “Toyota Urban Cruiser”

Forays Into Compact SUV 

* Slated to be launched in India this festive season 

* Aimed at fortifying the brand’s strong presence in the SUV segment

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced its much awaited entry into the compact SUV segment in India with the all-new Toyota Urban Cruiser- Toyota’s youngest SUV. A unique offering from Toyota in India, the new Urban Cruiser exudes an ‘Urban Standout Appeal’ for those who love to ‘Travel in Style’. The Urban Cruiser would endear itself to the discerning customers who are seeking more from a compact SUV. The company will launch the compact SUV in its India line-up during the festive season to cater to the growing demand for compact SUVs in India.

Commenting on the foray into the compact SUV segment, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Services, TKM, said, “We are very excited to announce our plans to launch the Toyota Urban Cruiser this festive season. With a customer-first approach, TKM has always endeavoured to fulfil the aspirations of its customers with timely introduction of new products and the Toyota Urban Cruiser is another such effort to satisfy the evolving customer needs.  Also, we hope that the Urban Cruiser gives us an opportunity to welcome a new set of customers who not only aspire to own a Toyota SUV early in life, but would also like to experience Toyota’s global standards of sales & after-sales services. We will share more details about the car and the launch in the days to come”.

Toyota considers layoff of 1,000 full-time jobs

Toyota Motor Corp is considering cutting more than 1,000 full-time jobs in North America and the United Kingdom to cope with faltering global demand, a news report said on Friday.

The details of the job cuts will likely be finalised by the end of the month, said the Nikkei, Japan's top business daily, citing an unnamed senior company official. Japan's top automaker could slash more jobs in other regions if global auto sales continue to slump, the daily said.

Toyota spokesman Yuta Kaga declined to confirm the report, saying nothing had been decided.

Mike Goss, a spokesman for Toyota's North American manufacturing operations, said Toyota is considering "additional steps" after making several production adjustments in recent months, but no decisions have been finalised.

"Current business conditions are not forcing us to make involuntary reductions of Toyota team members," he said in a written statement.

Hit by the collapse in demand for cars, Toyota is expecting to incur its first operating loss in 70 years. The company on Tuesday tapped Akio Toyoda, grandson of the Japanese automaker's founder, as president, paying homage to its roots amid a deepening global downturn.

The US-educated Toyoda, 52, is the first founding family member to take the helm at the Japanese auto giant in 14 years.

Like other Japanese automakers, Toyota has been reducing temporary workers at its auto plants in Japan to curb production amid the global recession.

Harley said its fourth-quarter profit fell 58 per cent to $77.8 million, or 34 cents per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with $186.1 million, or 78 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.

Revenue fell 6.8 per cent to $1.29 billion from $1.39 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The results fell short of Wall Street estimates. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected 57 cents per share on sales of $1.29 billion, on average.

Harley said its financial-services division swung to an operating loss of $24.9 million in fourth quarter, hurt by write-downs totaling $63.5 million. The company said it is evaluating ``a range of options'' to provide funding for the ailing Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Many analysts have suggested the lending unit may have to be sold because it has been unable to unload its debt in the financial markets.

For the full year, Harley said its earnings fell 30 per cent to $654.7 million, or $2.79 per share, from $933.8 million, or $3.74 per share, in the same quarter last year. Sales fell 2.3 per cent to $5.59 billion from $5.73 billion in 2007.

Analysts expected $3.02 per share on sales of $5.61 billion in revenue for the year. Harley said it would not provide earnings guidance for 2009, but analysts call for $2.15 per share.

Agencies