After a bruising stand-off with workers, Toyota Kirloskar Motor bounced back in May, posting a 6% increase in vehicle sales compared to the same month a year ago.
The jump was helped by the launch of its Etios Cross SUV and the new Corolla Altis. It may be noted that the Cross enters a segment that has seen strong debuts by Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster.
The number also seems to indicate that May may be a good month for automakers in India on the whole, when the stock markets rose considerably on foreign inflow of money.
Toyota sold 13,230 units in May 2014 compared to 12,502 units in May 2013. The growth was largely in the domestic market, while exports declined.
In the domestic market Toyota sold 11,833 units in May 2014 as compared to 10,023 units in May 2013, registering an 18% growth.
The company exported 1,397 units of Etios series in the month.
“We have resumed normalcy in production and have registered growth in May,” said N Raja, Director and Senior Vice – President, Sales and Marketing.
It had launched its Etios Cross and a new version of its Corolla Altis last month.
“We have received a very good response for the new Launches and would like to thank the customers for their appreciation. We started dispatching the new models, in May,” he said.
Toyota India sold 555 units of Etios Cross and and 548 units Corolla Altis in the month.