Toyota Etios and the Etios Liva to be retained for taxi operators as there is a good demand from Ola and Uber.
According to reports on the internet, Toyota is keen on continuing with the sales of the Etios and the Etios Liva for fleet operators. The company says that there is good demand for the two models from cab aggregators like Ola and Uber. Though the launch of the next-generation Etios and Etios Liva is scheduled in the near future, the current cars will continue to be sold for fleet orders, something on the lines of the Maruti Dzire Tour and the Hyundai Xcent Prime.
The popularity of the Etios and Etios Liva seems enough to justify investments in upgrading the Etios platform to meet crash test norms and BS-6 emission norms. The Etios sedan was launched in India in 2010 and was followed by the Liva in 2011. Within a year, the Japanese automaker sold 1 lakh units of the Etios range. However, it’s 2018 now and both the sedan and the hatchback siblings have started showing their age.
The Etios sedan is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engine, while the Etios Liva gets a smaller 1.2-litre petrol engine along with the 1.4-litre fuel-burner unit. Transmission option is limited to a 5-speed manual gearbox for either of the cars. Prominent features on offer include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, powered ORVMs, cooled glovebox and a bluetooth-enable infotainment system.
Earlier this year, there were reports that the Etios twins will receive another facelift in a bid to keep them relevant in the Indian market. The Etios was developed specifically for India and is currently being exported to South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia. The Etios twins have been performing well in South Africa consistently featuring in the top 10 best selling cars list since their launch.
Toyota Etios Fleet Sales
– Toyota will not phase out the Etios series from the Indian market
– There is good demand for the Etios twins from cab aggregators like Ola and Uber
– In the near future, the Etios and Etios Liva will be sold for fleet orders only
Source – BusinessWorld.in
