[Sahil]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I doubt the Yaris will cannibalise the Corolla - it is a bigger and more comfortable car! Perfect for the Yaris customer to upgrade to!

I am sure you feel a bit ripped off, as do i, after seeing the similarities between Yaris and Altis. If I had known this information 3 months ago, I wouldn't have spent 20L+ on the Altis VL AT !

We still have two previous gen Altis, which seems almost the same size as this Yaris. High chance they will be replaced with this instead.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I doubt the Yaris will cannibalise the Corolla - it is a bigger and more comfortable car! Perfect for the Yaris customer to upgrade to!



However, the 1.4L engine is quite horrible - with high turbo lag, and is an engine that really needs to be pushed to get going.

Well the top variant of Yaris with all the bells and whistles, including some that aren't available even in the Corolla ( eg: Front parking sensors) would make a lot of sense for some people who are willing to save a substantial amount of money when compared to the top end Corolla. That 1.4 D4D isn't a great engine and it's a known fact but then it does duty in a bigger car (Corolla) and people buy it, specially the chauffeured clientele. That engine will be almost at par with the competition in Yaris' segment rather than Corolla's where much powerful motors make their way.
City 1.5 100 bhp 200 NM
Ciaz 1.3 90 bhp 200 NM
Verna 1.6 128 bhp 260 NM
D4D 1.4 88 bhp 205 NM
Vento/Rapid 1.5 108 bhp 250 NM

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Sahil

I am sure you feel a bit ripped off, as do i, after seeing the similarities between Yaris and Altis. If I had known this information 3 months ago, I wouldn't have spent 20L+ on the Altis VL AT !

We still have two previous gen Altis, which seems almost the same size as this Yaris. High chance they will be replaced with this instead.

Not really - the Corolla sounds like it has a much better rear seat (wider, better thigh support, and it has the recline feature) - real judgement only when I see the Yaris, and the petrol engine of the Corolla should definitely be nicer.
It's similar to the City vs Civic dilemma no doubt, but given our needs - the Corolla VL worked out better.

Also, it all boils down to pricing! I anyways felt ripped off with the Corolla compared to the feature loaded Elantra - but the car suited my purpose that much better!

The only thing I would really miss are the rear AC Vents (but the AC is a chiller so I am ok with that - haven't gone below 23 degrees and blower on speed 2 yet)!

Originally Posted by Waspune

Well the top variant of Yaris with all the bells and whistles, including some that aren't available even in the Corolla ( eg: Front parking sensors) would make a lot of sense for some people who are willing to save a substantial amount of money when compared to the top end Corolla. That 1.4 D4D isn't a great engine and it's a known fact but then it does duty in a bigger car (Corolla) and people buy it, specially the chauffeured clientele. That engine will be almost at par with the competition in Yaris' segment rather than Corolla's where much powerful motors make their way.

Agree with you on that, just that the competitor engines are much better suited for the self driven market and this is something that would be best left for the chauffeurs.

[anthusiast]

LiveMint quotes Vikram Kirloskar, vice-chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. saying this:

We are very much in the premium car market, part of which is also the Yaris, which we launched. There is no technical difference between that and a Camry or a Corolla, no high-end features have been taken away.

This gives a subtle hint about actual pricing by Toyota, which I guess will be around 20% more than Honda City. Toyota's brand power will definitely allow them to do that and still compete with City in sales numbers.

http://www.livemint.com/Companies/P5...-says-Vik.html

[vsatish]

The G CVT version of Corolla Altis costs an ex-showroom (BLR) price of 17.64 lakhs; but still lacks the following features compared to top end automatic Yaris.

- Curtain airbags, ESP, Hill start
- Power driver seat
- Cruise control
- Push button start/stop
- Roof mounted A/C

If Toyota prices top end CVT Yaris below 14 Lakh rupees ex showroom; it appears to be great value compared to Corolla Altis. For most people in this price bracket; 1.8L engine of Corolla vs. 1.5L engine of Yaris should not matter much. At the end both are comfortable 5 seater sedans and the Yaris appears to be better value for money.

[bansal.sushant]

Contrary to most of the opinions here, I think this car does not have a lot going for itself. The front sensors, though are fancy but their practical advantage isn't much. Rear sensors are really helpful but front ones don't have equal utility, further, I have driven a Mercedes with front sensors and the sensors kept beeping whenever a biker passed by in bumper to bumper traffic. The looks aren't inspiring either and the interiors are average.

The only value this car offers is great seats and the Toyota reliability! I don't think it can beat the City or the Verna. The only chance this car has is if they price it incredibly well.

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by narayan

Differing slightly with the "pricing is key" comment from many, I feel, in the C2 segment, the buyer profile is not so much of being "price sensitive" - its more of "price conscious". This segment of buyers are not first time car buyers and hence a few tens of thousands here and there can't kill a product.

What will however prove an uphill task is the plain jane looks - even in the bright red colour it looks so ordinary - so imagine how this car will look in India's favourite sedan shades - Silver and White ( ? ). The interior plastic quality doesn't seem to stack up with Honda standards ( Verna is probably a step ahead of even Honda ). I wonder if its on par with the Ciaz or even poorer ?

But the Toyota brand should suffice to make this a success. Expect the Verna and Ciaz to feel the heat the most - the City the least.

The Ciaz buyers - Value for money,Best rear seat for family,Maruti reach and after sales,. will always buy the Ciaz .The Toyota has to impress the Ciaz buyers to impact the segment.The Honda City buyers and Hyundai Verna buyers are buying the Brand and the premium features. Toyota Yaris is a more premium Etios with the same dimensions.The Ciaz is basically bigger than the previous generation Corolla ,and beats it on Wheelbase and Boot space.The Ciaz /City are half a segment bigger than the Etios.

The discerning Toyota Etios buyers who choose to pay for Toyota reliability and safety etc may pay more for a premium priced Toyota Yaris.But it is a small urban crowd .The Ciaz,City and Verna serve their target customers well.Toyota needs to appeal to all these segments.It means being price competitive with the Ciaz base variant and offering up premium safety and other features to lure the City/Verna buyers.In the design department ,the competition is tough ,all three competitors are strong and distinctive on design.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by bansal.sushant

The only value this car offers is great seats and the Toyota reliability! I don't think it can beat the City or the Verna. The only chance this car has is if they price it incredibly well.

Probably you missed the other features. 7 air bags ,ESP and TPMS are not there in any of it's competitors to the best of my knowledge. Toyotas are bought with head than heart and I personally think this has plenty to offer for that category.

[Arjun Reddy]

Not sure of the Toyota strategy to bring this car. Yes they definitely need to be present in this segment but the space is quite crowded.This car needs to be spot on as the City and Verna have set benchmarks for the Petrol and diesel respectively.

Why no diesel? Will it overlap the Corolla on price ?

I would have thought something like the Rush would have been ideal for them at this price point. I honestly do not see this car pushing the City Petrol for numbers and do not forget we may get the all New City by the end of the year or early next year.

[octane_100]

Majority here seem to suggest Toyota has to play the value card to make the Yaris even a reasonable success. But I beg to differ.

Toyota has a huge brand recall among the middle and upper middle class across age groups. The looks are neutral and I feel majority of the office goers would be OK with it. Throw in the features coupled with Toyota's fuss free ownership, I see a winner on Toyota's hands. IMO, at the least they will price it on par with the City.

I don't think Toyota will ever look to undercut Maruti or Hyundai, their perception of self worth is much more!

[wantarangerover]

While this is a welcome addition to the segment from Toyota, I couldn't help but notice that it somehow looks 'cheap' as compared to the verna and city, especially the interiors. It looks like a modified Etios, rather than a modified Corolla, which is a shame. I honestly think it would not set the market on fire, especially with Toyota's pricing strategy and other stellar products in the segment. It can get away with the absurd pricing in cars like the Innova and the Fortuner, because those are not in crowded segments and are accomplished names already.

[King_pin09]

Toyota has entered pretty late to the C2 segment party. It has formidable competitors to lock horns with, the Ciaz and City in particular. Both these cars have been well accepted as they have stood up to their buyers expectations. They are feature rich, comfortable, spacious and reliable. If one is more economical to run then the other is more fun to zip through. The only fly in the ointment in both these cars is their flimsy build and minimal safety kit (read air bags) on offer (only the ZX trim on City gets 6). The Verna has just arrived from hospital after undergoing a major surgery and is yet to grab a firm place for its own. May be the Yaris (when launched) would keep battling for space together with Verna.

Reliability, which has been the forte of Toyota cars, would not stand as a major differentiator here, as all other cars mentioned are proven reliable as well. Whilst all four cars are designed in elements that are both practical and functional, factors such as external appearances, dash board design and gizmo’s are subjective and better left to individual tastes. The final verdict on these aspects can be only seen through market response in the long run.

In nutshell the only factor that would cause a major differentiation between these competitors would be the pricing. While the Verna is priced in the slight upper brackets, the pricing for the City however is astronomical especially in the ZX trim. The Ciaz which is priced more realistically is due for a major upgrade. May be that would give a little but crucial breathing space to Toyota for pricing the Yaris.

[low_rider]

Past experience with most brands are that the actual production model is sufficiently watered down compared to the Exhibition models. I am expecting atleast the front parking sensors + atleast 2 airbags and some other features to be knocked off in production variant.
Plus, Toyota has mostly thrived in territories where the competition is slim. Put is against a Maruti or Hyundai and it goes kaput (Etios, Liva, Altis)

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by low_rider

Past experience with most brands are that the actual production model is sufficiently watered down compared to the Exhibition models. I am expecting atleast the front parking sensors + atleast 2 airbags and some other features to be knocked off in production variant.
Plus, Toyota has mostly thrived in territories where the competition is slim. Put is against a Maruti or Hyundai and it goes kaput (Etios, Liva, Altis)

From what I have understood, that was not an exhibition model, but a proper unveiling with production feature-list. Expect all the bells and whistles including 7 airbags, VSC etc at least in the top trim.

And the Altis has gone kaput against which model from Hyundai or Maruti?

[GrammarNazi]

Personally, I feel the Verna has a superior design & unless Toyota undercuts comparative price by 10% (atleast during first 6 months of launch), the Ciaz & Verna will SLAY the Yaris.

Toyota has idle production capacity since the ultra basic features in Etios & Liva models make it look outdated beyond decades.