Toyota has introduced a very interesting sales technique for the customers related to the agricultural sector in Brazil. The customers can exchange their produce which includes soybean and corn for a Toyota Hilux which is a pick-up truck based on the Fortuner or a Toyota SW4 aka Fortuner or a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV. The manufacturer is marketing this scheme as “Toyota Barter” and it was launched recently on 4th August.
The manufacturer will be considering the market value of the foodgrains. They will be weighing the produce and then the value will be considered. It is important to note that this scheme is not for everyone. It is only for the agricultural areas. Toyota would be ensuring that the buyer is certified for rural production of these crops. The product itself should be of good quality.
Toyota Barter has been launched in Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Goiás and Piauí in Brazil. Toyota is considering launching the new sales project in Mato Grosso do Su, Paraná and São Paulo. This new scheme was introduced to improve sales in the agricultural sector. Currently, 16 percent of Toyota’s sales come from the agricultural sector.
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Toyota Hilux in India
Since last year there are rumours that Toyota will be launching the Hilux pick-up truck in India. The Hilux in India will directly compete against the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. Isuzu itself recently updated the V-Cross with a facelift.
Pick-up trucks are not very successful in the Indian market. The only manufacturer that has been able to break into the pick-up truck market and has some success with it is Isuzu. Tata Motors tried with the Xenon and Mahindra did with Scorpio Getaway. But both the manufacturers failed and eventually discontinued the vehicles.
The dimensions of the Hilux will be pretty close to the current Isuzu V-Cross. The length of the Hilux should be around 5.3 metres while the wheelbase would be more than 3 metres. The Hilux is based on the same platform as the Fortuner and the Innova Crysta. The platform is called IMV-2 but the Hilux will be longer than both the Fortuner and the Innova Crysta.
The underpinnings of the Hilux are the same as the Fortuner. So, we can also expect the interior to be the same. It could use a similar-looking dashboard and seats. The infotainment system would also be the same. Sharing the underpinnings would help in lowering the production costs.
The powertrain would also be the same as the Fortuner and Innova Crysta. So, the lower variants could get a 2.4-litre diesel engine from the Innova. The engine produces 150 PS of max power and 360 Nm of peak torque. This engine would be available only with rear-wheel drive. The higher variants would come with four-wheel drive and will use the diesel engine from the Fortuner. It is a 2.8-litre engine that produces 204 PS of max power and 500 Nm of peak torque.
Having said that, Toyota has not yet announced anything officially. But if the rumours are true then the Hilux could be priced competitively in the Indian market.
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