Toyota Etios Launched In India

Toyota India has launched the Etios at a shocking price. The entry level Etios J is priced at Rs. 4.96 lakh. The Etios has been developed specifically for Indian customers – ‘World First, India First, My First’. The Etios sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX and is the lightest sedan in the Indian market, weighing in at just 900 kgs. The Etios has a ARAI tested mileage of 17.6kmpl. The company will launch the hatchback version, Etios Liva in April 2011.

“India is a key market for our overall strategic growth plans, and the launch of the Etios is definitely a milestone not only for Toyota in India but for Toyota globally. Toyota strongly believes in the ‘customer first’ philosophy, hence it was important to collect valuable feedback from our prospective customers right from the concept stage to what the Etios is today. We at Toyota believe, ‘the road makes the car’ and the Etios is a product of real-world testing on roads across India. Our testing has covered a hundred thousand kilometers on every kind of road that Indian drivers encounter, from Kolkata to Mumbai, from the Himalayan foothills to the tip of the Indian peninsula,” Mr. Akio Toyoda, President Toyota said.

Toyota Etios Highlights : –

(a) Exterior – A distinctive front grille with a smile line, sculpted surface and dynamic character-line in the front and rear, enhance the presence of the Etios. The rear has a fluent flowing C pillar, rounded end and three-dimensional combination lamps that enrich the vehicle’s exterior from different angles.

(b) Interior – The seats are ergonomically designed units with integrated head rests. An instrument panel clearly divided into the information area and operation area with a large centre meter provides excellent visibility. The Etios has class best cabin and luggage space of 595L, a spacious 13L cooled glove box, seven one litre bottle holders, mobile holder and many more such useful storage spaces inside the car.

(c) Performance and Comfort – A newly developed 1.5L, 16V DOHC engine coupled with a 5-Speed manual transmission that produces high output for best-in-class driving performance. The torque is available at low rpm for less gear shifting and stress-free city driving.

Electric power steering for excellent maneuverability and tilt steering ensures a good ergonomic driving experience. The steering comes with audio controls for comfort at the driver’s fingertips. The flat type rear floor design offers ease of movement for rear seat passengers. With its rigid body structure and world class Mac Pherson Strut, the Etios has superior dampening performance providing superior ride comfort. A class-first ‘clean air filter’ which is standard across all grades for purified air in the cabin.

(d) Safety – The Etios has various active and passive safety features ensuring the car matches global safety standards. The various safety features are (i) Energy absorbing body shell (ii) Driver & Passenger Air bags and (iii) ABS with EBD. Its centrally located combimeter reduces eye movement and hence the driver can concentrate on the road.

(e) Special Treatment – To adopt to the various diverse climate and usage conditions in India, special treatment and countermeasures have been implemented such as : –

Good ground clearance of 170mm
Under body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake lines
Anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas prone to rusting and stone hits
Chipping resistant paint on rocker mould & fender