Bangalore-based Toyota Kirloskar Motor, or TK, has roped in ace Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as brand ambassador for its mid-size sedan, Innova.

The company has signed up a one year contract with the Bollywood icon for a Rs 4.5-crore deal. Significantly, the company has decided to get associated with Mr Khan only for Innova.

When asked whether this will have a certain negative effect to the company's other brands, Mr Vikram Kirloskar, chairman TKM, told this newspaper, "Our products heavily depend on the quality aspect that Toyota is known for worldover. While this is for the first time that we are introducing a brand ambassador for Toyota in India, I am not really sceptical about any adverse impact on sales for our other brands."

Toyota's international brand ambassadors include Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and pop star Britney Spears. Mr Kirloskar added that TKM has set for itself an ambitious target of selling 42,000 Innovas in the current fiscal.

Mr Khan, for whom this is the third endorsement after Titan and Coke, said, "When TKM approached me, I started studying the company and the product. And I realised that with the Innova, the company is bound to create history in the Indian automotive sector by creating this new segment of cars."

TKM launched Innova a couple of months back. When asked why the company took so long to appoint a brand ambassador, Mr Atsushi Toyoshima, managing director of TKM said, "After the launch of the Innova, we wanted the car to settle down in the market first. Now, by associating with Aamir, we want to give the car a much stronger thrust."