Toyota Etios spotted in Indonesia; likely to become a taxi

The Toyota Etios has been spotted in Indonesia in the parking lot of a taxi company at Jakarta. The Japanese automaker through its local subsidiary-Toyota Astra Motors-currently retails the Etios Liva hatchback (dubbed the Valco) but does not sell the sedan as there is believed to be very little demand there for entry level sedans. It is likely that the car will be targeted directly at the fleet market.

The Etios when launched in Indonesia will be powered by the 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 88bhp and 132Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. The Indonesian market is expected to only get the base variants but will be offered with features like power windows and a music system.

The Japanese automaker currently offers Vios Sedan as a taxi. It is roughly the same size as a Honda City and uses the same set of engines as the Etios and Etios Liva. The introduction of the former into the taxi market should help TKM who export the cars from India to Indonesia make up good numbers in terms of sales of petrol units.   

Source : Autonet Mags via IAB