Sales of the Toyota Glanza hatchback, the re-badged Baleno which Maruti Suzuki India manufactures at its Gujarat plant for Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), have crossed the 10,000-unit mark. In fact, they are one short of 11,500 units.

Launched on June 8, the Toyota Glanza, the first product to result from Toyota and Suzuki’s partnership, is seeing an uptick in its monthly numbers. In September 2019, total despatches from Maruti Suzuki to TKM were 2,952 units, the highest since deliveries began in April 2019 (see stats below). The next in line rebadged product will be the Brezza, followed by the Ciaz and Ertiga but no timeline has been revealed yet.

Toyota Glanza sales
April 2019: 360
May 2019: 2,142
June 2019: 1,919
July 2019: 1,804
August 2019:  2,322
September 2019: 2,952
Total: 11,499

The Glanza, which shares its powertrain with its Maruti sibling, is available only with petrol engines – either the 83hp, 1.2-litre K12B engine or Maruti's new 90hp, 1.2-litre DualJet motor, which gets a bit of an e-boost from a mild-hybrid system. In fact, the Toyota Glanza is officially the most affordable mild-hybrid car you can buy in India.

The Glanza G is priced at Rs 722,000 (Rs 721,900 ex-showroom, Delhi). At this price, the sole hybrid version of the Glanza undercuts the Baleno DualJet Smart Hybrid in Delta trim – formerly the most affordable hybrid car in India – by all of Rs 3,000.

The DualJet engine develops 90hp – 7hp more than Maruti's K12B motor – and the mild-hybrid setup comes with a lithium-ion battery pack located under the front passenger seat. As its name suggests, the DualJet engine uses two injectors per cylinder instead of one, and, along with the mild-hybrid system, delivers significantly improved fuel efficiency. While the regular Baleno (and Glanza) delivers 21.01kpl under test conditions, this engine has an ARAI-certified fuel economy of 23.87kpl. The higher-spec Glanza V trim uses Suzuki’s 83hp, K12B engine that’s rated at 21.01kpl in manual guise and 19.56kpl with the CVT automatic.

While the aforementioned difference in price might seem unsubstantial, it is worth noting that the Toyota Glanza G matches the higher-spec Baleno DualJet Smart Hybrid Zeta (Rs 787,000) (7,86,712) on features. Spec-to-spec, the Glanza works out to Rs 65,000 cheaper than the equivalent Baleno hybrid. The Glanza G and Baleno DualJet Smart Hybrid Zeta get LED headlights, alloy wheels, keyless go, auto-dimming mirrors and 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment systems with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The Glanza also one-ups the Baleno with its more extensive 3-year/1,00,000km warranty; the Baleno comes with a 2-year/40,000km warranty as standard.

Toyota remains bullish on the Glanza
In a recent interview to Autocar Professional, Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Deputy Managing Director N Raja was quite bullish on the Glanza’s market performance. “The market response is quite positive and customers are appreciating the overall package we are offering, right from the three-year warranty for 100,000km and roadside assistance through to special finance packages. Overall, customer feeling is good along with the promise of welcoming new customers to the Toyota world for the reliable service."

"There was a misconception in the market that we will be costly, but we are not. Even on the service front, we will try to give more value to our customers. What we have seen is that nearly 50 percent customers coming in (for the Glanza) are new to the Toyota world — this is a real win-win situation for us. This is a premium hatchback where the metro city demand is around 65 percent and the remaining is from Tier I and 2 towns. We are offering the Toyota edge. Once a customer comes to us and his/her profile matches, we will give 100 percent finance, plus road tax, three-year insurance plus service package and an extended warranty covering up to five years. We fund all this for our customer. For example, if the vehicle cost is Rs 800,000, it will cost Rs 900,000 including all the features. We will fund 100 percent with a 4- to 5-year finance tenure. Such types of flexible schemes are not available in India today.”

TKM sells 10,203 units in September, down 18% YoY
Meanwhile, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has reported sales of a total of 10,203 units in the domestic market in September 2019, down 18.45 percent year on year (September 2018: 12,512 units).

Commenting on the sales performance, N Raja, deputy MD, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “The consumer sentiment continued to be subdued in September which has reflected in the sales slowdown in the industry. Thanks to the Navratri and Diwali festive sparkle around, we expect the consumer demand will see the much-needed revival resulting in better retails. To further add to the festive fervour, we have launched the enhanced version of the Yaris and the Celebratory Edition of Fortuner TRD. Customers are appreciating the new products with more style and distinctive looks. With the Navratra beginning, customer orders have been slightly encouraging. We hope the pace continues and the sluggishness in sales withers away in the festive season. The industry expects improvement in customer demand in the month of October.”