oes the premium sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment in India offer enough potential for growth? The world�s third-largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corporation, certainly thinks so. This month, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), a joint venture between Japanese automaker Toyota and the Kirloskar Group, entered India�s premium sports utility vehicle segment with its Land Cruiser Prado. The Prado is the fourth model from the Toyota stable to be introduced in India, after the Qualis, the Corolla and the Camry.

At Rs 37.53 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Prado is the third most expensive among the premium SUVs (Rs 16 lakh plus). The target naturally is high networth individuals. "The Prado is targeted at the wealthy, successful and elite Indian businessmen, entrepreneurs and celebrities," says B Ashish Kumar, deputy general manager, marketing, TKM. The company has set a sales target of 200 units for the new vehicle, being sourced from Japan, in the next 12 months. The market trends certainly seem favourable. ... more