Toyota MPV to replace Qualis

By Our Corporate Bureau | 23 Jun 2003

Bangalore: Toyota Motors'' international multipurpose vehicle (MPV), expected to be launched late next year in many Asian countries, may replace the Qualis model in India.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Company is understood to be looking at the possibility of launching the international MPV for which its another joint venture in India, Toyota-Kirloskar Auto Parts, has been roped in to supply gearboxes.

Apart from India, the MPV, a new experiment undertaken by Toyota to slash the cost of manufacturing, will have components sourced from various Southeast Asian countries.

The project will have a single platform on which new models will be built. For example two different models will share basic components but their interiors and other features will be customised to local markets, which will not only make it unique but also take care of foreign exchange fluctuations.

The other model, which can be built from the platform, includes pick-up trucks and sports utility vehicles.