By IANS,
New Delhi : Eyeing the huge compact car market in India, Japanese automobile major Toyota Monday launched its entry-level hatchback car Etios Liva priced between Rs.3.99 lakh to Rs. 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
“Etios Liva has been designed focusing on the Indian customer’s aspirations, taste and preferences that were gathered, studied and understood through extensive research,” said Hiroji Onishi, president for marketing and sales at Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.
According to Onishi, the new hatchback will help in strengthening Toyota’s presence in the country and reinforce its brand.
The company said that the car would be available in four variants of J,G,V and VX, which are powered by a newly developed 1.2-litre petrol engine. The four-cylinder engine comes with a 5-speed manual gear shift transmission.
The hatchback gives 18.31 km per litre mileage and is equipped with electric power steering with audio controls.
Liva is the hatchback version of Eitos sedan which was launched in December 2010, and has sold over 20,000 units till date.
“We needed such a product in our portfolio. With Liva, we expect to expand our market share considerably in the hatchback segment,” Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director for marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, told IANS.
According to Singh, the company plans to produce 65,000 Etios sedan and hatchback cars this year and would ramp up its facility to produce 100,000 units by next year.
“Currently we will produce 65,000 Etios cars, including both versions. Next year we will start producing 100,000 cars,” Singh said.
The increase in production is expected by the second quarter of 2012, which would take the company’s annual production to 210,000 units.
“We will also start producing engine and transmission parts locally by the third quarter of 2012,” Singh said.