Fortuner launch preponed by a month

Toyota said on Wednesday that it will launch its Fortuner SUV in India by September 2009. Fortuner, the hardcore SUV is likely to come with Common Rail Diesel Engine and is likely to challenge the likes of Chevrolet Captiva and Ford Endeavour.

“The Fortuner is an important addition to our product line-up in India and we are currently in the process of finalising details for the launch,” said Mr Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director, Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

He added, “We are still working out the price details of the Fortuner, taking into account variations in exchange rates, but expect it to be around Rs 20 lakh.”

The Fortuner will be brought as a completely knocked down (CKD) unit and will be assembled in India which means that this product will be less expensive and more value for money as the import cost that the company has to bear is only 20% which when compared with the completely Built unit (CBU)is 120%.

As stated earlier by Toyota on Fortuner here there price of the vehicle was expected around Rs16 - Rs18 lakhs.

You can view the previous statement HERE

Mahindra Bolero emerged as India’s No.1 SUV for the third time in a row

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) Bolero has emerged as India’s No.1 SUV for the third time in a row, selling a record 55,924 units in 2008-09. Bolero is the first product in the SUV/UV/MPV category to cross 50,000 units for two consecutive years.

M&M launched the New Bolero in 2007 as a product which offered a bold new style, greater comfort and conveniences. In September 2008, Mahindra introduced the most powerful Bolero yet - the Bolero VLX powered by CRDe technology followed by the launch of the Bolero SLX with Micro-Hybrid technology which ensures better fuel efficiency by reducing wastage in October 2008

Speaking on the occation Mr. Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Auto Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said, “The Mahindra Bolero continues to create new records and scale greater heights as India’s No. 1 SUV. In fact, Bolero is among the top selling brands in the passenger vehicle segment, excluding small cars. This clearly points to the immense popularity enjoyed by this evergreen brand. The Bolero’s superior value proposition of style and rugged appeal coupled with our customer-centric approach to business have been major contributors to its success over the years”

The Bolero has evolved significantly since its launch in 2001, yet has retained its core DNA of ‘tough and rugged.’