Toyota officially unveiled the Etios Cross at the recently concluded Auto Expo. In a new development, dealers have started accepting a sum of Rs 50,000 as booking amount. The car has been included in the company’s official website for India. At the unveiling Toyota said the pricing and launch date will be announced in May this year.
Although based on the Etios Liva hatchback, the Cross features aggressive body kit for the mean crossover looks. The resultant vehicle is taller, longer and wider than the Liva hatchback, but retains the same wheelbase dimensions. The vehicle also features roof rails with a load bearing capacity of 50kgs. The 10 spoke 15-inch alloy-wheels are diamond cut and suit the aggressive styling.
The vehicle’s interiors feature a piano black colour on the dashboard, a two-DIN music system with Bluetooth, USB and Aux-In and steering mounted controls. Distinctly, the car gets white stitching on the seats with the brand logo embedded in it.
The Etios Cross is already on sale in international markets like Brazil and Argentina, albeit in left-hand-drive. The delay in launching the car might be due to the tooling required to make it right-hand-drive. India might be the first market to get the Etios Cross as a right-hand-drive.
In India, the Etios Cross will compete against the VW Cross Polo, and the upcoming Punto Avventura. The vehicle will be available in three engine options a DOHC 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre petrol and the 1.4-litre D-4D oil burner. The 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.4-litre diesel might pass off under the excise concessions but the 1.5-litre might be penalised as the rules don’t allow an engine capacity larger than 1.2-litre for petrol.
The 1.5-litre petrol engine equipped Etios Cross might be the range-topper and could be expensive by a considerable margin over the other variants. We shall wait until Toyota officially announces the pricing and the launch date in May. Will the Etios Cross be priced under Rs 9 lakh mark? Watch this space for more on the Etios Cross.
