Toyota opens company-owned used car outlet

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has opened a new pre-owned car outlet – Toyota Used Car Outlet (TUCO) – in Bengaluru.

Instead of being a dealer facility, this pilot showroom is a company-owned outlet, located on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. TUCO has been incorporated under TKM’s existing pre-owned car certification and sales channel – Toyota U Trust – and is being claimed to offer an OEM-refurbished used car to the end customer.

TUCO facilities will only deal in the purchase and sale of used Toyota models, which will undergo a detailed 203-point inspection at a TKM workshop, prior to undergoing complete refurbishment based on TKM’s global vehicle quality standards.

The company has positioned TUCO as a one-stop solution for all value-added services of a Toyota used-car buying experience, and will also facilitate finance and insurance, as well as offer accessories  to pre-owned car buyers. “We aim to reinstate the commitment of creating a transparent and reliable used-car market for Toyota customers across India, and for the society as a whole,” said Vikram Kirloskar, vice chairman, TKM, at the inauguration.

Each car will be certified by TKM after due diligence of documentation, quality levels, vehicle history

and Toyota refurbishment. Those that meet all parameters will be certified to be sold through TUCO, along with receiving a certification, attractive warranty and other value-added services. Customers of pre-owned cars from TUCO could also avail tailor-made finance options from Toyota Financial Services India, along with RTO assistance for smooth documentation and ownership transfer.

The TUCO facility will also be digitally integrated for potential used-car buyers to conduct a preliminary virtual evaluation of their prospective used car through the digital tool that takes into account various parameters such as vehicle age, ownership sequence and mileage to arrive at a ballpark value. “Our focus will be to offer our customers with the best quality refurbished cars with convenience, transparency and offering the right value for money. We are committed towards creating a reliable and transparent used-car market which will enable faster disposal of cars at right prices and quality to the buyers,” Kirloskar said.

TKM’s used-car programme Toyota U Trust is available through its dealers in 111 cities across India, and only intakes pre-owned cars which are less than seven years old or driven a maximum of 150,000km. The refurbished Toyota cars in particular, even when purchased from U Trust outlets - are offered with a TKM certification, as well as a warranty of 2 years or 30,000km.