Toyota Kirloskar Motor has stopped the production of its luxury hybrid sedan, the Camry Hybrid in India. The reason that is being considered as the halt in production is the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and the recent hike in cess that making sedan manufacturing expensive at the brands unit in Bangalore. After cess revision, the car became costlier by Rs 6 lakh, to tag with the price sticker of Rs 38 lakh. Owing to this, the gap between the petrol and hybrid variant become Rs 7.5 lakh from Rs 1.3 lakh.
Late last month, Toyota has halted the Camry’s production due to hike in sales by 73 percent as against corresponding month sales figures. Toyota claims to invest Rs 39 crore in India for the Camry Hybrid in different projects. A share of Rs 15 crore for a Camry production facility in Bangalore and the rest Rs 24 crore for training, campaign, and service. On the contrary, Toyota pulls back its project of introducing a wide range of hybrid owing to higher taxation on hybrids.
Powering for the Camry Hybrid comes with a 2.5-litre petrol engine paired to an electric motor. The integration cumulatively produces the peak power and torque, 205PS and 213Nm that is mated to E-CVT transmission. The carmaker offered Camry Hybrid with electronic attributes such as driving modes: EV and Eco. in the EV mode, the car runs only on electric power without any use of power generated from the petrol engine.
In terms of rivalry, the Camry Hybrid knock its horns with the opponents such as Skoda Superb, Honda Accord, and the lately introduced Volkswagen Passat.
