[CoolFire]

Anyone here has any idea how the interior will look on lower variants? I feel the safety features are fine there, but a horrible interior may spoil the party. If interiors are okay, I feel J and G variants may get good traction, especially since Honda do not offer CVT below V variant.

[PrideRed]

Couple of observations from the discussion:
1. There are quite a bunch of people here who have found Yaris to be fairly priced.
2. While everywhere else in the thread people talk high about safety(Being bigger than anything else), why is the Yaris getting bashed here, despite offering maximum safety kit? Yes it looses some of the important features like LED lights, Auto dimming ORVM, cooled seats etc. But are these bigger than 7 airbags, front parking sensors, electric seat adjust, all round disks, TPMS, VSC ?
3. No two words, that VX variant is expensive, but then T badge is no less brand than H, well atleast to many here, if not all.
4. The engine is not powerful as City/Verna. We enthusiast would not love this for sure. But performance is not Toyota's forte, the review clearly mention's Yaris a typical Toyota- jack of all trades.
5. Lastly Innova, its a different ball game and comparison to Yaris is not right. But just curious, in all other thread Innova gets bashed for how overpriced it is and how much better Hexa is! But here I get to read how Innova is the best in its class, no competition - quite polarizing opinions.

I own two Toyota's and definitely agree they charge a premium. But at the same time for whatever reason the T badge is valued higher here in India. As an example people don't mind paying premium for VW compared to Skoda or Audi in comparison to VW. Yes the difference in brand value between a Suzuki/Hyundai/M&M/Tata and Toyota might not be same as VW-Audi, but then the price difference is also in thousands/1-2lacs . The Industry says " You want a better brand, you better pay for it".

P.S: Above doesnot apply to people who think the brand value of T badge is lower than the competition for whatever reason.

[madmaxvistian]

Originally Posted by Simhi

People looking at Yaris VX models should also look into Altis variants.

This is the success of Toyota's pricing strategy. Suddenly the D Segment has started to appear affordable and VFM (though that's not the case in reality) as people are willing to stretch their budget to get more spacious and premium Car.

I think the V variant is rightly priced for the amount of safety kits that it offers along with the CVT option for the on road price of 11.5 lakhs here in Chennai. However it is still lacking some standard features such as rear ac, better infotainment system, cruise control etc for which you need to spend 14.5 lakhs to get the G variant. It still doesn't get the cruise control which is solely available in the top variant only.

Verna is really looking VFM at 14.5 lakhs on road for Diesel AT EX Variant which has all the right features with the superior diesel engine.

[mac187]

Am I the only one to worry that this kind of pricing is going to inflate Kias' expectations of pricing their products? I see alot of Kia in Singapore and I always felt they are crammed with gizmos and stylishly designed. I personally rate Kia higher in looks than Toyota. There is now comparing the products. The only negative for them is they are a new brand in India.

[S.MJet]

Many of us, including me, are not able to digest high pricing (of higher variants) is mainly because of two reasons IMO, power and space. Yaris's 1.5ltr has good drivability but does not excite an enthusiast, Honda and Hyundai are better here.
Regarding the second point, Interior space, especially back-seat space and comfort in an executive sedan category has important role in defining VFM price. I have not seen this car personally but from the reviews it seems back seat space is an issue (at this price point).

As far as safety is concerned City and Verna both offers 6 airbags in top variants. So for an average customer Toyota is offering nothing very unique or first in segment. On the other hand a person like me on a limited budget, who is upgrading from a hatchback, looking for base or base +1 variant will conveniently find two airbags in a Honda sufficient and put more importance to back seat space, standard features, ambiance, plush feel etc.

Toyota has its own pull and Yaris will sell, but will it eat into City/Verna/Ciaz numbers or will it expand the segment? My guess is a small impact on their numbers and some expansion in the segment as we saw with Ciaz and new Verna.

[Nav-i-gator]

When we pay much higher price for the value on offer, we subconsciously try to convince ourselves that we made a correct decision. And consciously, we try to convince others too. That is how brand value is created and propagated. An Iphone is a terribly high priced for what it offers, and people buy it in hoards. This brand perceptions is further accentuated and fanned by the apple's marketing campaign (if it's not an Iphone, well, it's not an Iphone). Premium phones from other manufacturers are/might be much better, but you buy an Iphone because, it's an Iphone. The badge is for flaunting.

Why do you buy this highly overpriced fortuner over equally good endeavor? "It's a Toyota" (In a way accepting that there is nothing better in it against endeavor). The badge is for flaunting, that's it!

You make a brand aspirational, and people fall for it. The good part for companies - the people who fall for it are actually fanboys, who will go long distance to convince others to fall for the badge, thereby increasing the fanbase - to the point that price, value, practicality - all rational thoughts are thrown out of the window.

[jaganpec2002]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

2. While everywhere else in the thread people talk high about safety(Being bigger than anything else), why is the Yaris getting bashed here, despite offering maximum safety kit? Yes it looses some of the important features like LED lights, Auto dimming ORVM, cooled seats etc. But are these bigger than 7 airbags, front parking sensors, electric seat adjust, all round disks, TPMS, VSC ?

After going through the reactions, one thing is abundantly clear for me: People are ok with 2 airbags and doesnt care much about 6/7 Airbags. That is the reason they find many variants of Hyundai and Honda VFM compared to Yaris (as they provide many essential features). So Maruti is in no hurry to introduce any variants with 6 Airbags and would continue to offer 2 Airbags in its cars.

Originally Posted by mac187

Am I the only one to worry that this kind of pricing is going to inflate Kias' expectations of pricing their products? I see alot of Kia in Singapore and I always felt they are crammed with gizmos and stylishly designed. I personally rate Kia higher in looks than Toyota. There is now comparing the products. The only negative for them is they are a new brand in India.

Kia already mentioned that their products would be expensive than Hyundai's .

Originally Posted by S.MJet

Many of us, including me, are not able to digest high pricing (of higher variants) is mainly because of two reasons IMO, power and space. Yaris's 1.5ltr has good drivability but does not excite an enthusiast, Honda and Hyundai are better here.

I feel you hit bulls eye with that observation. I felt the same when I saw people's reactions. But I honestly believe only in TeamBhp engines are given such high values (again not by all) but in the real world, engine is not that important. If it is adequate then it is enough for them to buy. By the way Verna in E & EX trim comes with 1.4L petrol right?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

There are quite a bunch of people here who have found Yaris to be fairly priced.

I've also posted in my original pricing post that the Yaris will sell, but not to its full potential.

While everywhere else in the thread people talk high about safety(Being bigger than anything else), why is the Yaris getting bashed here, despite offering maximum safety kit?

We've always respected Toyota for its safety, even with cheap cars like the Liva & Etios. However, safety alone is not a ticket to overpricing your cars. Plus, it's not exactly the case that the Verna, City, Vento etc. are unsafe cars.

No two words, that VX variant is expensive, but then T badge is no less brand than H, well atleast to many here, if not all.

But the Yaris sub-brand is nowhere as powerful as the City.

But just curious, in all other thread Innova gets bashed for how overpriced it is and how much better Hexa is! But here I get to read how Innova is the best in its class, no competition - quite polarizing opinions.

Not really. All we are stating is why the Innova is able to get away with its inflated price tag and why that approach cannot be applied to every product. By the way, if I needed a workhorse MUV to use for 10 years, I'd pick the Innova, despite its overpriced nature.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

2. While everywhere else in the thread people talk high about safety(Being bigger than anything else), why is the Yaris getting bashed here, despite offering maximum safety kit? Yes it looses some of the important features like LED lights, Auto dimming ORVM, cooled seats etc. But are these bigger than 7 airbags, front parking sensors, electric seat adjust, all round disks, TPMS, VSC ?
3. No two words, that VX variant is expensive, but then T badge is no less brand than H, well atleast to many here, if not all.

Firstly I don’t think brand Honda is any premium than Toyota; probably it’s the other way around. And Yaris have a lot going for it despite its so-called boring nature; best-in-class safety, solidly put together interiors, MT/AT options across the range etc. My issue is, with ignoring the paper advantage of keeping the price slightly lower than the over-priced City, they are in the danger of going into limp-mode at the launch itself. This reminds me a bit of the ill-fated Ford Fiesta launch a few years back, hope it doesn't go that way.

[RoverX]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

That is a pretty loose statement to give. Please define what quality means to you.

1. I believe we can all agree that the cars from Suzuki stable (especially the ones built on the HEARTECT platform) have a very light build. Even the Brezza built on the Type-C platform has a lighter build than the competition. All of Toyota products, on the other hand are built substantially within their respective price bracket (not exactly vault-like, but sturdy, nevertheless). This also reflects in the crash-worthiness of the products.

2. While Toyota isn't particularly known for their interior designs (the Etios in particular has drab interiors) or for using the highest grade of plastics, their interiors are perfectly screwed together. Vehicles with 6-digit odo readings are still going squeak-free, which says something considering the abuse they endure on our roads. Maruti-Suzuki cars, on the other hand are notorious for rattles creeping in rather early (The 3rd-gen Swift tested recently had just 700 km on the odo).

3. Toyota is known to over-engineer bits of the vehicles that add to the feel-good factor of the vehicle, and the general impression that everything just works! (the thick chrome handles, chrome piping on knobs and buttons, thick tray tables, etc.). Maruti-Suzuki's overuse of the parts bin is well-known, and quite frankly dents the premium image. The first-gen Swift and a Ciaz (now sold through Nexa) share a number of bits and pieces on the inside.

All of these factors are responsible to cause a product to be perceived as high-quality. I hope the term 'quality' doesn't feel quite as loose in this context, now. Also, Toyota is pretty stingy when it comes to equipping its cars (especially the lower variants), so it's not all roses for them, either. My comment was specific to the Yaris in comparison to the rebranded Baleno and Brezza.

P.S. I'm neither a Toyota fanboy, nor do I mean any offence to the numerous proud owners of Suzuki products.

[PraNeel]

The Toyota Yaris official brochure and Accessories brochure are attached.

Very limited selection of accessories, but interesting ones are Auto Headlamp module, hand brake cover and seat belt covers.

Interestingly the rear parking camera, front parking sensors and TPMS are missing from accessories list.

[S.MJet]

Originally Posted by jaganpec2002

After going through the reactions, one thing is abundantly clear for me: People are ok with 2 airbags and doesnt care much about 6/7 Airbags. That is the reason they find many variants of Hyundai and Honda VFM compared to Yaris (as they provide many essential features).

Just a few years ago we were accustomed to basic safety features in top of the line variants, only recently has it become a standard offering. It takes time to get accustomed to new things .
6/7 airbags is still a top variant feature (where ever it is being offered, excluding the luxury segment).

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by GTO

We've always respected Toyota for its safety, even with cheap cars like the Liva & Etios. However, safety alone is not a ticket to overpricing your cars. Plus, it's not exactly the case that the Verna, City, Vento etc. are unsafe cars.



But the Yaris sub-brand is nowhere as powerful as the City.

Agree with your points but w.r.to pricing, when a brand is weighed equally or above competition, would not launching a product at lower price impact your brand image? For example the GLC was launched at a price(I might be wrong) on par with Q5,X3 despite being newer sub-brand. This is a phenomenon I notice across industry. Another classic example- Taj in Hotel industry. It doesnot matter if their new property is better than competition, they will ensure to price it on par with closest rival!. Pricing lower will actually impact their sales overall as people will end up perceiving it as a cheaper brand. While the industry here is different, every brand will ensure that they will follow a similar pricing strategy across their product range.

[bhavik.1991]

While comparing prices, let's not forget that Verna attracts higher tax due to stupid tax slabs. It just shows how much Honda & Toyota have overpriced their offerings in the segment.

[McLaren Rulez]

I'm very very tempted by the J variant. Contrary to the general sentiment here, I'd happily pay 10.5L OTR in Bangalore to get a car with such emphasis on safety, quality, durability and reliability.