Toyota launches the Etios for India

Toyota claims that the Etios has been developed specifically for the Indian market, and will be built in Bidadi, near Bangalore, India. However, Toyota has plans to sell the car in other developing markets, such as China, Brazil, Thailand and some parts of South America.

The Etios is based on the Etios Concept Car that was showcased at the New Delhi Motor Show earlier this year, and the production car will be sold in India from early next year. A hatchback version will also be produced, called the Etios Liva and be marketed in India from April 2011.

The Etios sedan measures in at 4265mm long, which gives it a large boot space of 595 litres, and will be powered by a new 1.5-litre 16-valve DOHC engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The car will be available in J, G, V and VX trim levels, and will be Toyota's cheapest car on sale in India.

Mr. Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corp said: "India is a key market for our overall strategic growth plans, and the launch of the Etios is definitely a milestone not only for Toyota in India but for Toyota globally. We at Toyota believe, 'the road makes the car' and the Etios is a product of real-world testing on roads across India. Our testing has covered a hundred thousand kilometres on every kind of road that Indian drivers encounter, from Kolkata to Mumbai, from the Himalayan foothills to the tip of the Indian peninsula."