The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a lot of consumers to opt for personal mobility solutions in order to boost social distancing and avoiding public transport. Under the troubled economic conditions, carmakers are seeing a surge in demand for entry-level models, and the carandbike survey that was conducted earlier this year supports this notion. In line with this trend, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) is currently seeing a greater demand for the Glanza premium hatch, and more than half of them are first time Toyota buyers. Speaking to carandbike, on the recent episode of Freewheeling with SVP, Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, Toyota India said that 50 to 60 per cent of customers that have shown interest in the Toyota Glanza are new customers.
Also Read: 25,000 Units of Toyota Glanza Sold In India Since Launch
Talking about how the trend for the Toyota Glanza has been, Soni said, "In Glanza life history, there were two phases. Once, when we launched the car, during that period, we had a huge chunk of 50 per cent plus customers who were the first time Toyota buyers. They didn't have a Toyota in the family, but they rushed to the showroom and said let me see how's this Glanza from Toyota. In between, we saw the usual trend where the father buys the Glanza for his daughter, or the husband buys this Toyota for his wife because he's happy with the service provided by the dealership and etcetera. So, by that point of view, there was a period when this percentage was going down, and the Toyota buyers were coming back. Post-COVID, this trend is very similar to the launch period when we observed the Glanza. Again 50 to 60 per cent of first time Toyota buyers are walking into the showroom. That is a very important distinction I want to draw to. Initially, it was the initial draw of the product from Toyota, and now it's the personal mobility that is driving these customers."
Also Read: Toyota Glanza Review
Between June 2019 and March 2020, the company sold over 25,000 units of the Toyota Glanza in India
Also Read: Toyota Glanza Launched In India
The Toyota Glanza is the first product to come out as part of the company's partnership with Suzuki Motor Corp. and it's essentially a re-badged version of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Toyota first launched the car in June 2019, and from then until March 2020, the company sold over 25,000 units of the premium hatchback in India. Due to the lockdown, in April, Toyota for the first time witnessed zero sales that month, however, the company sold 1,421 units in May and June combined.
Also Read: Toyota Glanza Vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno: What's The Difference?
The Toyota Glanza is currently priced in India from Rs. 7.01 lakh to Rs. 8.96 lakh
The Toyota Glanza is offered in three variants - G, G Smart Hybrid, and V, along with CVT automatic options for the G and V trims. Like the Baleno, the Glanza too comes with the option of the 89 bhp, 1.2-litre Dual VVT petrol engine mated to the smart hybrid system and the 82 bhp 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine for the non-hybrid variants. While the former gets a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard, the latter comes with the option for both the 5-speed manual and the 7-step CVT automatic transmission. Currently, the premium hatchback is priced in India from Rs. 7.01 lakh to Rs. 8.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
