Qualis will be available in two varieties--the eight-seater and the 10-seater. The eight-seater model is expected to have all the three rows facing front. The seats and arrangement have been styled to make easy entry and exit and also relieve fatigue associated with long-distance driving. The India-specific model will have a strong chassis and has been designed like a passenger car with a seating configuration of either 3-3-4 and 2-3-3.

Company officials remained tightlipped on the pricing of Qualis. It is expected that the pricing of the MPV would be based on value for money and as such may not differ much from other competitors in the country.

Toyota-Kirloskar is believed to have set a production target of 20,000 MPVs during the first year of Qualis launch. The targets for the second and third years are pegged at around 30,000 and 40,000 MPVs respectively.

Industry sources, however, aver that the production targets are not much to crow about considering the huge investments made by the company for its MPV facility in Bidadi, Karnataka. The company's investment in the MPV project would be around $170 million and $400 to $700 million respectively in two phases. It has already committed funds to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore for various projects in the country.

Toyota-Kirloskar is also kicking off a multi-crore ad-blitz within the next couple of weeks ahead of the MPV launch. The main focus of the campaign would be to peg the Qualis into a new groove christened Premium MPV. Analysts maintain that the company has a tough road ahead as the Indian marketplace is already saturated with a flood of vehicles.

As part of its launch strategy, Toyoto-Kirloskar would not have any advance bookings prior to the launch. The India-exclusive passenger vehicle's seats have undergone a thorough simulation test to ensure ease, durability and maximum comfort.

According to sources, the company is expecting to recover all its costs by the sixth year from the year of the launch. When contacted, Toyota Kirloskar deputy managing director KK Swamy was not available for comment on the date of launch.

The target for localisation content has been set at 55 per cent in the first year which would be more than DGFT guidelines of around 50 per cent to be achieved in three years. The company is planning to achieve localisation of 70 per cent within the stipulated time-frame of five years.

Toyota-Kirloskar is a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Kirloskar group. In May this year, Toyota Motor received clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to increase its stake in the venture to 87 per cent from 74 per cent by bringing in additional investments of Rs 78 crore.