Toyota and Honda have both been around in India for about a decade and have made a mark for themselves. And yet, there’s one segment that has eluded them for the longest period — the one that screams “B-segment affordable hatch.” It may have been deliberate, but they finally have two spanking new concept cars to offer, both of which promise to turn the tide in their favour come 2011. Toyota, in fact, have a platform which will offer a hatch and a saloon, while Honda will have to make do with the hatch.
TOYOTA ETIOS
When the curtains were drawn on the two Toyotas last week at the 2010 Auto Expo, there was a collective sigh of relief from both the audience and members of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Limited (TKML). The debut of their concepts (which in reality are 90 per cent production ready) had taken them four years and 2,000 engineers, which may seem hard to believe at first, but it is the truth.
For Toyota, whose Etios is derived from the word ethos, it was indeed a revisit of their car making ethos with these cars. Best known for their quality cars at slightly premium prices, Toyota has always believed that quality engineering cannot be compromised upon, even if it means an increase in the car’s price tag. While this may not have been true at a certain point in time, it does hold true in recent times. Originally, Toyota were best known for their hardy vehicles, with a focus on reliability. With time, they’ve also added luxury bits and creature comforts, which have made their cars more upmarket and therefore a bit pricey. But with the Etios, they are going back to their roots. They’ve also looked at the Indian market very closely while developing these cars, focusing on what works in the Indian context, while also studying offerings from rivals. The combined knowledge of building quality vehicles and their experience in the Indian market has resulted in a car that maintains the fine grain of Toyota’s beliefs and yet attempts to address very Indian needs.
For one, the interiors use harder moulded plastics and the dials are centrally mounted. There are enough spaces for storage and the single-piece seats with integrated headrests let you know that some compromises have been made to keep pricing competitive. Other signs of cost savings include the use of a single wiper blade and air-conditioning knobs from the Innova. Toyota have also used some clever design techniques to liberate enough interior room for four to five persons.
With the focus clearly on making it a car conceived for India that will also do well across the globe, the two cars have been designed keeping practical considerations in mind. The tail lamps on both the hatch and sedan don’t impinge on boot space, while the flatter body panels help keep costs lower. And these are not apparent immediately, because Toyota’s focus on form and function has been equal. You get chrome highlights on the grille, side-strips and wheels to ensure the cars don’t give up on their premium feel. Like the Honda, the focus will be on heavy localisation levels to keep costs competitive.
Motive power for the two cars will come from two very different engines. The hatch will feature a 1.2-litre petrol engine, producing, by our estimates, upwards of 70 bhp and 10 kgm of torque. The sedan, on the other hand, will have a 1.5-litre petrol engine with over 100 bhp and 14 kgm of torque. These should be more than adequate for the job. With the two cars rolling out of Toyota’s new plant that has a capacity of over 100,000 cars a year, the largest automaker in the world (Volkswagen might beg to differ) has certainly set the ball rolling in India. Pricing will be key, and our guess is the hatch will be priced upwards of Rs 4.5 lakh, with the sedan starting at around Rs 6 lakh. This means that the Maruti Suzuki Swift/Dzire and Tata Indica Vista/ Indigo Manza are in for a tough fight. Expect the sedan to roll out by October 2010, with the hatch in January 2011.
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