[karthi.stark]

When I heard that the Yaris was going to get 7 airbags as standard, I was like

But then, deep in my mind, I knew that there was going to be a twist in the tale and Voila!

If I had to pick a sedan in the segment, it's still going to be Hyundai's Verna: better features, superior engine and the only product with a diesel Automatic in the segment. Had Toyota priced it more competitively, I may have considered the Yaris.

With the Top variant costing approximately 17 L on the road in Bangalore, I'm sure some buyers might tilt towards the Innova Crysta, which is not priced far away (I'm talking about the base model). For 2-3 additional big ones, you can get the 2 extra seats, more spacious interiors and a much superior engine. That is if you're not stubborn on buying a sedan. That said, you do miss out on 4 precious airbags and a factory fitted ICE.

Will the Yaris succeed? Somewhat, as it carries the legendary 'T' Badge! Otherwise, it would have been the repetition of the case of the Tata Aria.

Regards,
Karthi.stark

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by GTO

Toyota has gone mad!

They have all the rights to, when they can manage to sell an MPV priced between 15-25 lac in humongous numbers (The base trim doesn't even get an ICE) and even the 2.7l petrol is also finding a few buyers (Probably comparable to what Tata sells in total for its offering) and have people queued up for a 40 lac SUV.

Above them all, they even manage to sell a proper 'full size' sedan with a 1.4l diesel engine (Highest selling in its segment in fact), they have all the rights to be mad.

And this one will also sell, right at this price, even without a diesel motor. They have got right things in place and added 7 airbags and then added the 'T' badge which itself costs 1 lac bucks.

When you are fighting the segment leader of 20 years, you have to be better prepared.

Etios story again, remember? 6 month waiting period, people paying in black and then.. what? It all faded in 6 months. Let's welcome the new but 'short lived' segment leader, even without a diesel engine.

Above everything, it has:
1) Roof mounted AC vents - something previously unseen and they look quite decent too.
2) 5 airbags more than the lower and middle trims of City and Verna
3) 2 Toyota badges outside and one on the steering wheel, all three in chrome

One thing for sure, no more yellow plate Honda City and Ciaz, the new yellow plate champ to sit above Etios has arrived - all hail!

[Sankar]

I went to Toyota to get the 35k service done for my InnoVan and the showroom floor looked busy today with lots of customers, some with family, who had come to check the Yaris.

The car looks good from the back, from the front not much but definitely looks different. I did not get inside, but the rear looked like three would be a squeeze in there.

On the specs side I'm happy to see that even the J variant gets 7 airbags and 4 discs with ABS which has got basic safety covered. Nice to see even G variant coming with a factory fitted stereo and auto climate control.

Regarding pricing I feel they have priced the J well but I don't understand why the G costs 1.8L more than J? The jump between J &G is the highest with a 1.8L difference. Difference between G & V and V & VX is 1.14L and 1.17L respectively.
PS: Chennai pricing and CVT variants, as mentioned in post #291

They should have priced it at par or lower than City.

Edit

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

J and G variants have only drums at the rear but J also comes with factory fitted stereo.

The rear parking sensors, fog lights, roof AC, better stereo set and ACC are some of the key additions to G over J.

Thats a bummer, i thought discs were standard for all.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by Sankar

On the specs side I'm happy to see that even the J variant gets 7 airbags and 4 discs with ABS which has got basic safety covered. Nice to see even G variant coming with a factory fitted stereo and auto climate control.

J and G variants have only drums at the rear but J also comes with factory fitted stereo.

The rear parking sensors, fog lights, roof AC, better stereo set and ACC are some of the key additions to G over J.

This link gives details of all the variants and its features.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...plained-408148

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

The rear parking sensors, fog lights, roof AC, better stereo set and ACC are some of the key additions to G over J.

Worth around 60k maximum for these additions? Why the 1.8L difference?

Looks the the J variant is only for advertisement "Prices starting at" purposes and might not be entertained for sales.

[Turbanator]

If someone in this segment wants a Toyota, my suggestion will be to save or go with a little higher EMI and buy a Corolla which suddenly at 25 % higher costs looks more VFM to me. Toyota has definitely gone overboard with the prices, they will surely have problems getting numbers.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Worth around 60k maximum for these additions? Why the 1.8L difference?

Looks the the J variant is only for advertisement "Prices starting at" purposes and might not be entertained for sales.

While the difference is steep, the G version gets lot more kit then what is mentioned here. Auto AC, Parking sensors, roof mounted AC, Touch screen unit, front/rear fog lamps, auto door lock,defogger, electric mirror adjust/folding, push button start, smart entry, better windshield, steering controls etc. Definitely worth more than 60K. The J version actually has decent kit, by current industry standards and add to that you can also buy a Base AT!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by VKumar

when they can manage to sell an MPV priced between 15-25 lac in humongous numbers

There's a big, big difference.

- The Innova is an institution in itself. Brand 'Innova' in the MPV segment is perhaps as powerful as brand 'Toyota' itself.

- I don't remember the exact numbers, but a large portion of Innovas are sold to the commercial / taxi segments.

- When customers want a rental, they ask for an 'Innova'. No one asks for a Xylo or Enjoy or Aria.

- Before the 'Innova' became 'INNOVA', it was actually priced very well. The starting price was just 6.8 lakhs in 2005 which was comparable to its rivals (unlike today).

- The Innova has few competitors (mostly domestic); the sedan segment however has a number of formidable competitors from other MNCs.

The Innova has built a powerful brand in this country with lakhs of loyal followers. You can't use its pricing philosophy for an unknown new car such as the Yaris.

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by navin

When she came to know I am a "Mod at TBHP" everything changed. By this time my classmates had also arrived and we were offered catalogs, coffee, tea, and eventually got to see the insides of the "Phantom Brown" Yaris VX.

This bugs me. Why does one have to use leverage? Why is Toyota being so cagey?

Had a similar experience a Toyota dealership in Ahmedabad. No one bothers to talk to you. It is a result of the blind brand following the company enjoys here I guess.

I'm surprised that there are people who believe a 1.5L petrol with a CVT can be priced at close to 15 lakh for a decently equipped model. Indians get a raw deal because we keep buying products that are overpriced. Just for a reference, a Prius that is far more advanced than a Corolla retails at around US$25,000 in China- which is close to what the Yaris would cost here. How can people be okay with this? Yes, the car may be reliable, but maintenance costs at official service stations don't differ substantially these days. I'm not too sure about the resale argument- every used car depreciates. Because people in our country keep buying overpriced products, manufacturers don't feel the need to being in innovations like Hybrids (or proper torque converters) at reasonable price points.

I have not been in the new Yaris. I did travel in the outgoing model and it is nothing extraordinary. The refinement levels were similar to the DZire.

[navin]

Originally Posted by chaudh2s

The customer if they see value in it, will buy else dump it. Its a fate thing am talking about here.

The reason many of are upset about the pricing is because it gives the City and Verna room to breathe and up their pricing by adding a few more features.

The Yaris could have been a segment leader and checkmated the City and Verna if it had been priced just a tad lower.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Precisely. And who, pray, will buy this car when the Corolla Altis, a D1, is only a few lakhs more?

One of my classmates posed this same question to me. For 5L more (OTR) why not get the base Altis Auto.

Originally Posted by GTO

- Before the 'Innova' became 'INNOVA', it was actually priced very well. The starting price was just 6.8 lakhs in 2005 which was comparable to its rivals (unlike today)..

smart observation GTO!

The Innova brand was built as a value conscious people mover. Toyota only later started capitalizing on this brand built.

With the Yaris they are giving City and Verna breathing room when for about 7% less (for the VX) they could have had both in a choke hold.

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by GTO

You can't use its pricing philosophy for an unknown new car such as the Yaris.

I agree with every single word you have stated, Innova in itself is a brand as of now and the one that is working quite well too.

But my point is:
"They have got right set of things in place and on the top is the logo that Indian buyers trust more than even Maruti"

If it wasn't a Toyota, had anybody bought:
1) Corolla petrol over Civic, or Elantra?
2) Corolla diesel over other offerings, especially Elantra, which is probably priced cheaper too?
3) Etios and Liva twins over the competition?

Etios and Liva are dead because they both shout 'cheap', but Yaris doesn't. I know it's priced higher than the City, but I believe that Toyota has actually played the card quite well, yes the price is a bit high - but it will sell. I am sure that the success story of Innova will remain untouched and probably Yaris will never come close - but it will sell!

That said, I have bookmarked this page with a note "reply after 6 months of sales" and I am sure that for an 'only petrol' sedan; it will manage to sell quite well. The brand pull of 'T' is something else when compared to the straight or tilted 'H'.

When Innova was launched, Toyota had no such brand pull as it enjoys today, things have changed a lot. People wouldn't have accepted the 'new model of Qualis' if it was priced 1.66 times the outgoing one, income levels have changed, competition has changed and so has changed the consumer. Lower priced SX-4 couldn't beat the City even with the 'S' logo on it's nose and a massive undercut too in terms of pricing, maybe the opposite trick will work for a logo which is looked up as being 'above' the one on the nose of the City.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by navin

With the Yaris they are giving City and Verna breathing room when for about 7% less (for the VX) they could have had both in a choke hold.

This is what gets my goat the most. The Yaris wasn't perfect but it had potential to upset this segment completely and show the City and Verna how it's done.

The City was supremely overpriced in the upper trim levels especially the ZX CVT at 13.7L which was almost 2L more on road vs the VX. This was for 6 airbags and some other LED lights and small features.

On the other hand Ford charges 1L for Titanium+ over titanium and you get 6 airbags, leather and a lot of other stuff.

So we all know the City was just milking the customers ready to pay for 6 airbags and some features. It didn't really have any competition.

The Yaris could have just socked it to the City by undercutting it and slotting it right in between the City and Verna. Even the Verna would have struggled as upgrading to a Toyota Yaris from Verna would have been easier.

With the current pricing the City looks reasonably priced and Verna looks absolute VFM. All 3 cars have actually got a chance to co-exist rather than 1 car stealing the other 2 car's thunder.

The Yaris as Navin said is not a bad car, but the price being asked for a car means the flaws I mentioned in my earlier post combined with the asking price will be a deal breaker. Had it been lower by 80K-1L those shortfalls of smaller looking size, less space, some features missing and average powertrain can be overlooked.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Innova has built a powerful brand in this country with lakhs of loyal followers. You can't use its pricing philosophy for an unknown new car such as the Yaris.

Somehow the Yaris pricing seems like a decision made based on ego. Its a catch 22 situation for Toyota, which considers Honda as its arch rival everywhere. If they price Yaris significantly lower, people will consider Toyota as a cheaper brand, thereby denting brand image and denting Corolla/Innova/Fortuner sales. Now they could not price it significantly higher because Yaris is not really that superior to City. Given the the brand value, it will be very difficult for Toyota to under-cut Honda city.

[Jaggu]

I am quite sure Honda and Hyundai would happily throw in anything between 25 to 50 thousand INR (if not more), in the name of x, y, z discounts to reduce the on road price for their models. How many of you think this could actually could turn the game around badly for the big T, especially people aspiring for the top spec models is the additional airbag gonna make sense?

Of course it would for me as an enthusiast and since i am aware of the safety aspects, but for a common car buyer who most often does not even go beyond a 2 km test drive.

Someone mentioned about India's new spending power and aspirations here, i think this is GREAT opportunity to use it to bump up the sales for the competition

[ssm0304]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Thing is, this is a family car and yes, while it lacks features that appeal to some of us enthusiasts, it will tick nearly all the boxes for a family man looking for a new model upper C segment car.

It'll tick all all boxes except for the all-important aesthetics one. This is a car that is unbearably ugly and disproportionate, and with the beautiful (though a little quirky) City to compete with, it'll not win.