BENGALURU: Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) plans to introduce new models once the regulations pertaining to emissions, safety norms among others settle down.
The launch of cars in any segment has to be perfect. "It has to be perfect to succeed," said Shekar Viswanathan, Vice-Chairman & Whole-time Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. He was speaking to Express in Bengaluru at his office.
No new launches have been done for a while and that's because of what the automobile sector is going through. The Indian automobile sector is on the "cusp of change", he added.
One victim of the regulatory flip-flop is the popular SUV from Toyota stables, the Fortuner. Toyota will not be introducing the new model till the ban on diesel vehicle registration in Delhi is lifted. The Supreme Court, on Thursday, extended the ban on registering diesel vehicles that are over 2,000 cc in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the regulations are all set to change. First, there are the crash regulations. If you introduce regulations that are of global standards, cars would become expensive.
Second, Toyota wants the government to come out with regulations that meet global standards.
If Toyota introduces expensive cars that would meet global standards, while the other cars remain cheap, then it would lose out. If the regulations are introduced, will the old cars be allowed to ply on the road, he asked.
In terms of emission norms too, the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency norms, called CAFE norms are set to be introduced in 2017. "This would impact the product mix," said Viswanathan. The second set called CAFE II are set to be introduced by 2022.
Third development to affect the sector would be the introduction of fuels that meet Euro V and Euro VI standards. If Euro VI fuels are introduced, "we need other technology and this will mean redesigning the cars," he added.
He also said that the introduction of a new line is a very long process. It takes from two to five years.
"Till four months before a launch, we are not sure, if we are launching a certain product."