Rumour: Toyota to bring Vios sedan to India by 2017

Japanese auto major, Toyota is rumoured to be considering the Vios sedan for India. The car is likely to be introduced in the market by 2017. It will slot in the gap between the Etios and the Corolla and will be positioned against the Honda City and Hyundai Verna.

Toyota plans to utilise free production lines at the Toyota Kirloskar Motor plant at Bidadi in Karnataka to roll out about 50,000 units a year. The company is also rumoured to be considering ending the production of the Etios by 2020 and fully replacing it with the Vios. However, the manufacturer has not decided on the scale of investment for the project.

At present, the Vios is manufactured in China, Thailand and Malaysia and sold in various Asian markets. Standing 4410 mm long, 1700 mm wide and 1475 mm high, the car follows Toyota's new design language, which we have seen on the recently launched, 11th generation Corolla Altis.

It comes with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 108 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 141 Nm of torque @ 4200 rpm. The car comes with a choice of automatic or manual transmission. For India, we would expect the 1.4-litre diesel engine from the current range to be considered as well.

Toyota has had a successful run in India, particularly in the MUV segment - first with the Qualis and then the Innova. Its Fortuner SUV is also the dominant player in its category. The Corolla sedan has also been a strong performer in the D1 segment over the years. If Toyota has had a weak link in its product line up, it is the Etios. The budget offering has not managed to be a strong enough rival for offerings from rival companies, particularly Maruti Suzuki.

Source: Nikkei