Estimated price: Rs 6.2lakh
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., showcased the Etios which turned out to be a headturner at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January 2010. While the car was not a production model, people at the Expo got a fairly clear picture of what the car would look like once it arrived by the year end and also about what they could expect on it. Toyota displayed both, the hatch and the sedan models, at the Auto Expo.
Toyota launched the petrol variant of the Etios on 1st December, 2010. Toyota plans to launch the diesel variant of the Etios in 2011. Toyota might plonk the 1.4-litre diesel engine that even powers the Corolla Altis diesel.Design
The Etios was originally called the EFC, or the Entry Family Car. Etios means Spirit and Principle which Toyota intends to give to its customers in India. More than 2000 engineers in India and Japan have worked in close collaboration for four years to ensure the perfect blend of local design sensibilities and unmatched global quality standards are integrated into the Etios.The chief engineer of Product Planning at Toyota Mr. Yoshinori Noritake said, "In the process of development of Etios, I have visited many Indian cities and homes to understand the market and interact with customers. The Etios concept will cater to the basic needs of this market - highest standards of quality at competitive prices.
Toyota's new compact cars have been designed to offer innovative styling, roomy interiors, superior ride comfort and best in class mileage at competitive prices. The design concept of 'Bold Simplicity' represents the pursuit of the perfect combination of functionality and affordable luxury.
The Etios incorporates advanced technology and superior quality features that have been developed by Toyota, specifically for India, by leveraging the world class innovation that Toyota is globally renowned for.Mechanicals:
As we had predicted there will also be a diesel car as a diesel version of the car would make a lot of sense for several buyers especially here in India. Also, considering it would come from the Toyota stables, most buyers would be only too happy to put down the extra thousands for a diesel engine by Toyota, humming under their hoods. The fact that Toyota has recently launched the Toyota Corolla Diesel, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think that Toyota would launch the Etios only with petrol engines.
Competition:Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Swift Dzire will be the main competition for the Toyota Etios. In addition to the sales in India, the car, which is Toyota's biggest project, the car will roll out of the Bangalore plant and will also be offered for sale in China, Russia and South America. The company already has Toyota Corolla, Toyota Innova, Toyota Camry and Toyota Innova along with newly launched SUV, Toyota Fortuner, in its portfolio.
