[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Sure Liva D will come around Oct itself? How do they plan to address the booking numbers for Etios? I do expect a good number of bookings which will lead to at least 3 months waiting period.

I guess Toyota will take a call on launching the Liva D based on the booking numbers for Etios D. Like they delayed the Liva launch when Etios petrol clocked huge numbers.

Unlike etios liva is not flying out of the shelf. For liva toyota is eyeing the new swift all the way from the start. They are not worried about etios sales. Liva is a worry for them right now. Expect liva pricing a little below the swift in case maruti goes overboard in making money on brand equity of swift, but it is unlikely to be. Nevertheless liva diesel will be priced equal or even 5K lesser than the new swift.

[rajeev k]

Whether it would go the taxi way and get branded like Indigo is the only criteria to be watched.

[kaks15]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Whether it would go the taxi way and get branded like Indigo is the only criteria to be watched.

according to one of the toyota workshop manager, the manager at their showroom has already started pitching cab owners for the diesel version !
with the great legacy innova carries in that segment, they already have a brand name, i don't think they will be against huge volumes in this segment.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Whether it would go the taxi way and get branded like Indigo is the only criteria to be watched.

There are so many Innova's running as high end taxis and that has not impacted to private buyers in any way.

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Nitrous Power

There are so many Innova's running as high end taxis and that has not impacted to private buyers in any way.

Unfortunately it has affected the Innova sales. People like me looking for a 7 seater MUV, don't want to buy an Innova just because of its taxi image.

[novice_alto]

Originally Posted by MAS

Unfortunately it has affected the Innova sales. People like me looking for a 7 seater MUV, don't want to buy an Innova just because of its taxi image.

But then again, almost all the MUV or the people mover as they are called more often than not are taken up in good numbers by the taxi industry. Innova, Xylo, Tavera, Maruti Eeco. You are left only with Aria then I guess or may be the mercedes MUV for that matter. And yes one more thing, taxi wallahs use the base models usually, so private owners always have the other variants to choose from.

I for one don't take this as demeaning for a vehicle to be lapped up by taxi people because if any vehicle is being used heavily in taxi industry, in my opinion, it means only one thing. It is a pretty good and hassle-free vehicle.

Cheers

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by MAS

Unfortunately it has affected the Innova sales. People like me looking for a 7 seater MUV, don't want to buy an Innova just because of its taxi image.

Innova is constantly clocking around 4.5K a month. Do you think that all of these are bought by cabbies? I see more private Innovas than taxis.

[man_and_machine]

Originally Posted by MAS

Unfortunately it has affected the Innova sales. People like me looking for a 7 seater MUV, don't want to buy an Innova just because of its taxi image.

Then there is very little option then, well even a mercedes is a high end taxi (well just see the fleet from the 5 and 7 stars). Well, its a very useful vehicle. As a matter of fact, its usually "white" what they use so that way its not really looking taxi if you choose another color :-). But then that other vehicle can give you the same comfort, handling, hassle free usage and resale than and Innova?

[volkman10]

Seen testing at Bangalore- Etios and Liva diesels

"Unlike the petrol, the diesel engines under both the bonnets will displace the same capacity. A 1.4-liter turbo CRDI engine will drive the wheels returning in excess of 21kmpl in the ARAI mileage tests. It will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Toyota has said that it is “ready with diesel technology” and is “waiting for the right time” to launch it. The diesel variants are being prepared in a hurry as demand for petrol cars have fallen to a worrisome extent.
Despite having a fancy sticker price and a Toyota logo, the Liva only garnered 4k bookings in the first month of launch. The lack of diesel engine has not hurt the Etios sedan, but over the next few months Toyota will feel the pinch of not having the diesel.
With the festive season almost here, car sales are bound to rise and the more popular choice will be diesel cars. Toyota will instill a new lease a life into the Etios twins with the diesel engines. There’s no doubt in our minds that the diesel Etios will take the fight closer to the new Swift and give it an edge over the Honda Brio."

Source:Toyota Etios diesel, Toyota Etios Liva diesel - Spied

[hossdoc]

The Altis D is one of the most ridiculous cars on the road, what with the hopelessly under powered 1.4 and that inflated price tag.
This engine belongs in the Etios and Liva though I wonder how Toyota will manage NVH on these tin cans that pass off as cars.
I am not so sure either of these cars will set the sales charts on fire. There are too many other better built options. Look at the Etios. After the initial hype and 7 month waiting periods sales have dipped once people realized that low price and space does not always equate to value. Ah well, time will tell I guess.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

The Altis D is one of the most ridiculous cars on the road, what with the hopelessly under powered 1.4 and that inflated price tag.
This engine belongs in the Etios and Liva though I wonder how Toyota will manage NVH on these tin cans that pass off as cars.
I am not so sure either of these cars will set the sales charts on fire. There are too many other better built options. Look at the Etios. After the initial hype and 7 month waiting periods sales have dipped once people realized that low price and space does not always equate to value. Ah well, time will tell I guess.

Toyota sold around 1K units of Corolla last month (highest in segment by a big margin). I don't know if you have driven the car or not, but it is no way hopelessly under powered. Yes, it does not generate as much power as Cruze but it is targeted to all to different clientele. Same goes with Liva and Etios.

If you go by GTO's official Review of Corolla Diesel, it is a highly refined engine and same engine will be used in Liva and Etios with FGT. Following is are GTO's remark for 1.4 D-4D:

Engine refinement at idle is phenomenal. Except for a subtle murmur, there is absolutely no indication of the diesel under the hood. No vibrations on the gear lever or on the steering wheel either. The engine remains highly refined all through the revv range. In fact, sitting on the back seat (where most of its owners will be) while cruising, there is no engine sound at all.

[man_and_machine]

Toyota is not doing well even in the US. They need India for their future. And its the ETIOS and the LIVA that will need to do the trick. Many times its a hassle free car that matters more than what you get in the trim, so that way they might not really loose ground. I am also wondering if the ETIOS is looked at as an upgrade car from a Maruthi (for most indians). It has the necessary "Foreign car" tag (its a Toyota), reliability (as this segment thinks of the running cost much before the price tag) and gets the job done. With targeted marketing (which could have been better) they can clearly get the numbers they want. If I were to do the branding for Toyota I would project it as an urban car and then later give it a mass appeal. Its always the pride of what you have that matters than what you exactly have, works all the time!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Nitrous Power

Toyota sold around 1K units of Corolla last month (highest in segment by a big margin). I don't know if you have driven the car or not, but it is no way hopelessly under powered.

The Altis was the segment leader even BEFORE the 1.4D Altis was launched; the petrol itself is a strong seller. The diesel Altis did not improve the car's sales performance as much as expected.

If you go by GTO's official Review of Corolla Diesel, it is a highly refined engine and same engine will be used in Liva and Etios with FGT. Following is are GTO's remark for 1.4 D-4D:

Don't miss the following comments from my review:

• Merely 87 BHP on tap, and 0 - 100 of 14.8 seconds. Performance equal to 2 segments lower
• Prominent turbo lag below 2,000 rpm. Affects driveability

Where the Altis 1.8 petrol has excellent low-end throttle response, the 1.4 diesel is the diametric opposite. Despite a variable-nozzle turbo, there is substantial turbolag below 2,000 rpms. Even flooring the accelerator at 1,500 – 1,700 rpms (a range you will frequently access within the city) makes no difference to this Toyota. The engine is dead at low rpms

Expect to make judicious use of the gearbox within the city. And frequently end up annoyed!

Overtaking those fast moving Volvo buses also requires careful planning. You will always have to shift down to overtake as the in-gear acceleration is poor.

The Altis D is undoubtedly under-powered relative to its competition. That said, the 1.4L D4-D should meet the segment requirements at the Etios / Liva level (which are 2 segments lower than the Altis).

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

I am not so sure either of these cars will set the sales charts on fire. There are too many other better built options. Look at the Etios. After the initial hype and 7 month waiting periods sales have dipped once people realized that low price and space does not always equate to value. Ah well, time will tell I guess.

If we are going to buy a car just for its build quality then nothing can beat the Linea with its "tank like build" or in the words of GTO "tijori" like build. But then we look at the overall package. Yes the Etios leaves much to be desired in a couple of areas, but it ticks most of the boxes which matter the most (reliability, good after sales service, frugality etc). Also the initial long waiting periods are common for any new launches & the situation was aggravated by the tsunami in Japan. However now after the ramp-up in production things seem to be under control & also due to the sluggish demand, waiting periods should have come down drastically.

When Etios was launched, it put me off with the design (shape), cost cutting measures (like single wiper, centre mounted instrument cluster etc). But going by the first hand experience of the owners, it seems these design lacunae can easily be overlooked given the virtues of the car. Also the design slowly grows on you. It is a no looker, but with the oil burner under the hood coming soon, it has now become a serious contender for me.

[heman_369]

Yes cost cutting is evident in Etios, but to credit of toyota it has not cut corners on the most important aspects of the car ie engine, drivetrain, gearbox and overall comfort and pleasure. Those writing off Etios only on the 'cost cutting' part should drive and feel the suprisingly superb driving experience of Etios. We should not forget that Etios is in the segment of Manza and Dezire and neither of these can boast of build quality as their virtue