The test mule of the Upcoming Toyota Vios was spotted testing recently around the Toyota’s Bengaluru facility. When launched, it will likely be placed above the Toyota Etios, as the Etios has become a fleet car of late, which didn’t cater much to the passenger market.
The Etios sedan is luxury for fleet car owners and passengers hailing a sedan for a cab. However, it has gone far from being a passenger’s favorite. So, Toyota wants to fill this gap, as it doesn’t have a product to offer in the C-segment with only the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Toyota Camry.
The Vios is likely to be placed above the Etios and below the Altis to cater to that space, which has been left unattended by the Toyota. The mid-size sedan Vios will also display a slight exotic appeal, as it will be assembled at the Toyota’s Bengaluru plant, after being brought to India as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units.
The Vios will also likely be a close replacement to the Etios, as the Etios may soon be outphased due to lackluster sales. With the Toyota expecting to sell about 65,000 cars a year of the Vios, it will be clearly aimed at claiming a share of the mass volume space in the Indian market. The rivals to the Toyota Vios will also be the legendary Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid.
Expect the Toyota Vios to launch by late 2017 or early 2018 bearing a price tag beginning from Rs. 8-9 lakh and going up to Rs. 12-13 lakh. Both diesel and petrol powertrains may be expected. The 1.5-litre and 1.4-litre diesel mills and the 1.5-litre petrol motor powering the Etios, Liva and the Thailand-spec Vios retrospectively will likely power the India-spec Vios as well.
The Toyota Vios seems to have a great side profile with its sloping C-and-A-pillars and 500-litre bootspace. The bold, aggressive and high-ground clearing bumper looks attractive in the rear. The large and wide air-intake in the front is also sporty and daring.
The interior is also likely to be dual-toned with beige color more likely to feature. 2-DIN music system, automatic climate control, projector headlamps, ABS, dual airbags, etc. are likely to feature in the Toyota Vios. Recently launched Toyota innova crysta was well received by the Indian customers.
Source: Vicky.in
