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Of the limited manufacturers attending this year’s Auto Expo, Toyota is one big name. The Japanese giant has been soldiering on in the country with the Innova and the Fortuner as unrivalled segment leaders. However, the Etios and Liva were left behind with diminutive sales figures. Meanwhile, Toyota had no contestant in the spicy C-segment all these years. But that might change now. Toyota plans to finally debut the Vios in India at the Expo stage.
Also known as Yaris Ativ in many markets, the Vios has been in Toyota’s pipelines since a few years now. The Vios is Toyota’s take on the segment dominated by the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento. It will be positioned above the Etios as the flagship sedan. The Vios has been spotted testing on the Indian roads on many occasions already.
As far as the specification is concerned, the Indian-spec Vios will be similar to the ASEAN-spec launched in Thailand and Singapore. It will measure 4,425 mm in length, 1,730 mm in width and 1,475 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,550 mm and a 133 mm ground clearance. Powering it will be the 1.5-litre VVT-i petrol engine that produces 105bhp and 140Nm of torque. The oil burner could be the 1.4-litre D-4D diesel engine that develops 87bhp and 205Nm which also does its duty in the Corolla Altis. Toyota might offer the five-speed manual as standard with the option of CVT as well.
The Vios is a handsome looking sedan finished with the same design language as the modern Toyotas like the Prius and the Camry. It carries sleek LED headlights with DRL and similarly designed tail lights, stylish 16-inch alloy wheels, large gaping grille with air vents and subtle overall styling. On the inside, one can expect all the features that could be offered in this segment like touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, sunroof, rear AC vents, and dual-tone cabin. Toyota also boasts of the best-in-class cabin space which could give it an instant upper hand over its direct rivals.
We expect Toyota to keep the prices competitive. The Vios will fall in the price bracket of Rs 8 – 11 lakhs. With a good pricing and Toyota’s rock-solid reliability, the Vios could be the best bet in the mid-size sedan segment giving the established players a run for the money.
