Maruti Suzuki & Toyota Fight Over Glanza Sales Reports — The Claws Are Out

A deal signed by the Toyota and Suzuki Motor Corporation, allowed the two companies to sell rebadged versions of each others cars in India. As per the deal, the Toyota Glanza, a rebadged version of the Maruti Baleno is set to go on sale in the near future. However, Maruti and Toyota India are fighting over who gets to report the sales numbers to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) reports The Hindu Business Line.

According to the publication, Maruti Suzuki wants to report the sales numbers of the rebadged Glanza as part of its own numbers. However, Toyota India does not agree with this and claims that the wholesale sales reports numbers should fall under its name as it will be billing its dealerships for the new premium hatchback, who in turn will sell the car on to customers.

Speaking to The Hindu Business Line, RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said: "We will show the cars sold to Toyota as a wholesale number and will report that accordingly in our monthly sales." Maruti states that as long as SIAM continues to accept reports for wholesale numbers, it will continue to report the cars supplied to Toyota India as part of its sales reports.

However, Toyota India does not apparently see things the same way. Speaking to the same publication, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Deputy Managing Director, N Raja said, "Maruti cannot count the Glanza sales as wholesale numbers because we will do that ... it will be billed to dealers and then to the customers. We will report them as wholesale numbers every month."

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers has said that it will ensure that duplication of numbers will not happen. SIAM Deputy Director General, Sugato Sen told the Business Line "We (SIAM) will make sure double counting does not happen between Maruti Suzuki India and TKM when they sell their cross-badged cars. Toyota cannot report the wholesale number of a car that Maruti Suzuki has sold to them and reported as the wholesale number or vice versa."

What makes this situation even more in tersting is the fact that the Baleno and the upcoming Glanza will both be manufactured at Suzuki Motor India's plant in Gujarat. Suzuki Motor India is a direct subsidiary of the Suzuki Motor Corporation, and is not under the banner of Maruti Suzuki.

Let's just hope this doesn't turn into a something even more irritating in the future and the two carmakers sort the issue out logically.