According to a report published in Business Standard, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) will start production of diesel engines in the country. The company will first initiate trial production at its facility in Jigani, Bengaluru with commercial production set to start early 2016. Currently, only petrol engines are manufactured at TKM's Bengaluru facility, while diesel engines are imported from Japan.
Also Read: Toyota's Upcoming Cars in India
The engine production unit at the facility received an investment of about Rs. 800 crore, and will have an annual capacity of 100,000 units. Interestingly, the next-gen Toyota Innova MPV and the Fortuner SUV will be powered by engines from this facility. Also, this will allow Toyota India to bump the Innova and Fortuner's localisation levels up to 80 per cent.
About the 2016 Toyota Innova, it has been on test in India for quite sometime now. Spy pictures reveal that the new-gen model will get an all-new front fascia with two chrome slats on the grille, swept-back head-lamps with double-barrel projectors, and integrated LED daytime running lights. The bumper also looks different with a wider air-dam and new fog-lamps. The side profile will have new flared wheel arches and narrower glass area. The new-gen model will be based on Toyota New Global Architecture (TMGA), which will make it lighter and more agile than the current model.
As far as the 2016 Toyota Fortuner is concerned, it will also get the same twin-slat front grille as the one spotted on the next-gen Innova. Its bumper and fog-lamps will also be completely new, though the overall shape of the car may remain unchanged.
Considering the made-in-India engines and the increased localisation levels, we expect the 2016 models of the Innova and Fortuner to be cheaper than their respective predecessors.
