Toyota sells 3,866 units in June, down from 10,603 units a year earlier

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday announced that it had sold 3,866 units in India in the month of June. While this is a 235% jump in wholesales when compared to a manic May in which overall auto sales tanked to record lows, it was still a far cry from sales figures in June of 2019.

Underlining the gradual reopening of production facilities, dealerships and workstations, Toyota said that it had resumed catering to pending customer demands that had accumulated during the weeks of national lockdown. It also highlighted that with demand picking up in June, dealers were able to mostly sell vehicles to customers from their held inventory in May of 2020. "With demand gradually coming back in the market and with strong support from our dealer partners as well as the hard work of our SBUs (Strategic Business Units), we have been able to keep up with customer expectations," said Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, TKM. He also highlighted the role played by special offers and finance schemes that have been taken out in recent weeks. "We are also seeing a visible growth in online enquiries as well as bookings."

While the June sales figure would provide some relief, it is still substantially lesser than the 10,603 units the company had sold in the domestic market in the same month of 2019. This may well be the tale of every automaker in the country as the sector limps back to life in the aftermath of lockdown-related restrictions. With emphasis on social distancing at factories and showrooms, the priority remains on health in current times of challenge.