[pgsagar]

To hell with badge. I don't even want to look at a car which looks out of early nineties. Logan got a company.

[tj123]

Toyota seems to have concentrated on functional aspects reliability and quality however looks departments was left in a limbo. It looks ditto as a Logan too bad for my taste comeon Toyota give us some thing better.

[sydras]

Originally Posted by clix22

My 2 cents..... Does the fact that the Qualis looked like a breadbox take away from its reliability? I assume a majority of the customers would overlook style for peace of mind reliability.
And beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder.....

Though the Qualis looked dated, it had consistency in terms of it's looks, i.e. it just looked dated all over. The Etios is quirky from the inside, dated from the rear and plain ugly from the front. There is no consistency in it's design. Also, if there's one market where running cost absolutely trumps looks, it's the transport segment. Nobody cares about the looks of their cab they use to reach the office.

But, it's a different story when you try to sell to an individual. There is always an aspirational component involved. I'm actually insulted by what Toyota thinks it can get away with and how much they can take the Indian consumer for granted by launching such a car in India.

Maybe they are trying to complete with the Logan. I wouldn't mind sitting in one if it was dropping me to the Airport. It'd be nice to experience quirkiness for a change .

[GTO]

The C segment is fiercely competitive; it's got the big boys (Maruti, Tata & Hyundai) and is extremely price sensitive. This is unlike segments where Toyota has competed earlier (with the Innova, Altis and Fortuner). Plus, the current best seller - the Dzire - is going to be replaced with an all new generation in the coming 1 - 1.5 years.

Can Toyota do it? Of course yes. Guys like me who place the highest priority on reliability & hassle-free ownership will definitely check the Etios out (though, I'm not the target market at all & owning a Maruti is also considered hassle free). However, it has to be priced very competitively. The Etios already looks dated (we all know what happened to the Logan) & has very basic levels of equipment. It's a Toyota, yes, but they will not be able to get away with charging a large premium. The quality of the big 3 (Hyundai especially) is growing leaps and bounds. And this is the first time that Toyota will be battling directly with Maruti, Tata & Hyundai....all of which will fight tooth & nail for market share.

Competition is so good that even a Vento - a segment above - was launched at a starting price of 6.99 lakhs.

[anilkalvani]

Originally Posted by GTO

The C segment is fiercely competitive; it's got the big boys (Maruti, Tata & Hyundai) and is extremely price sensitive. This is unlike segments where Toyota has competed earlier (with the Innova, Altis and Fortuner). Plus, the current best seller - the Dzire - is going to be replaced with an all new generation in the coming 1 - 1.5 years.

Can Toyota do it? Of course yes. Guys like me who place the highest priority on reliability & hassle-free ownership will definitely check the Etios out (though, I'm not the target market at all & owning a Maruti is also considered hassle free). However, it has to be priced very competitively. The Etios already looks dated (we all know what happened to the Logan) & has very basic levels of equipment. It's a Toyota, yes, but they will not be able to get away with charging a large premium. The quality of the big 3 (Hyundai especially) is growing leaps and bounds. And this is the first time that Toyota will be battling directly with Maruti, Tata & Hyundai....all of which will fight tooth & nail for market share.

Competition is so good that even a Vento - a segment above - was launched at a starting price of 6.99 lakhs.

Conversely GTO, if they price the car starting 5.25 - 5.5L, what do you think the market reaction will be? I think it will do very well if priced sensibly, reason being the trust in the Toyota Brand. Most buyers, unlike us Team bhpians, don't exactly even look at 90bhp as long as they are getting reliability, hassle free sales & after sales service with overall low TCO. Trust me, 90bhp will not even matter. Also, lets be honest, where do we get the chance to floor the accelerator on our urban roads? Also the car IMO will cruise speeds of 120-130kmph comfortably which is what 'most' people want. 0-100 timings don't always matter to an average buyer, the first thing he'll ask, "Average Kya Hai?", second would be "Parts Saste Hain?"

[CARDEEP]

I agree with GTO, as it was planned by Toyota originally, the ETIOS as a product that competes with the Dzire & Manza had to be cost competitive + laden with quite a few tricks up it sleeves.

Finally there seems some real competition in the duopolized Rs. 5-7 Lacs segment of cars. I understand that the car ain't any looker, but, with a mileage trumping City's figures (Corolla owners in NCR report a mileage of 10.5-11 kmpl), humongous boot, Toyota badge & Promise of Quality, I have not doubt that the car will sell well. With the Toyota badge I would also expect better space than the Dzire (though it may not match that of the Manza), though the quality of plastics will remain in the same league as that of competitors & not the City, Vento. The 11 sec to 100 is just a added benefit of the weight saving as the car is yet to trip the 1 tonne mark.

Further, I expect the price to be really around Rs. 6.5 lacs, & not Rs. 7 lacs for the base price; ... please correct me as the actual price of the sedan is not clear from the earlier posts.

[mail4ajo]

Anyone has detailed specs for the Hatch. I went through the thread, but still not able to make out where the hatch will be placed. Is it at the Figo, Swift category or Punto, i20 level?

What ever brand, if the car doesnt have decent quality, safety and equipment levels, I wouldnt buy. I am not worried about looks at all. My benchmark for a hatchback quality and equipment will be i20.

[kadanaJ]

I think the price should be in line with the Dzire.

I don't think Toyota has too many advantages over Maruti in terms of hassle-free running and cost of ownership.

End of the day, fuel efficiency, cheap spares, reliability and interior space matter the most, both cars are very rock solid in all departments.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by GTO

1) The C segment is fiercely competitive; it's got the big boys (Maruti, Tata & Hyundai)


2) Can Toyota do it? Of course yes. Guys like me who place the highest priority on reliability & hassle-free ownership will definitely check the Etios out (though, I'm not the target market at all & owning a Maruti is also considered hassle free). However, it has to be priced very competitively.

1) As far as C segment goes, Hyundai is not that big IMO. They have got Accent which sells in decent numbers, thats it. Sales of SX4 with a single engine option is normally hovering around what Verna manages with two engine options.
Hyundai is not that big in the sedan segment IMO.

2) That is what Toyota is gunning for. Hassle free ownership, good boot, reasonable power, good FE. Look at what Innova is, Xylo outruns it easily, has got better middle row + Mahindra is known for toughness and low cost of ownership. Toyota with that 102 bhp motor manages to outsell Xylo + Tavera put together. This is similar to what Etios is. Only thing here is that Manza and Dzire are doing exceedingly well and one is slightly more FTD and other has got space. Etios ought to have a balance of both Manza and Dzire for sedan market.

In small car market, Etios does not stand any chance of succeeding as there are cars from Hyundai, Maruti and even Tata for that matter are competitive.

Originally Posted by anilkalvani

3) Most buyers, unlike us Team bhpians, don't exactly even look at 90bhp as long as they are getting reliability, hassle free sales & after sales service with overall low TCO. Trust me, 90bhp will not even matter. Also, lets be honest, where do we get the chance to floor the accelerator on our urban roads? Also the car IMO will cruise speeds of 120-130kmph comfortably which is what 'most' people want. 0-100 timings don't always matter to an average buyer, the first thing he'll ask, "Average Kya Hai?", second would be "Parts Saste Hain?"

3) Agree with you. Above I have cited example of Innova which despite not having as much power as Xylo and a higher price remains unaffected.
Forget urban roads, with family cruising at 120 is more than what one wants and I am sure that Toyota has worked again on torque part like they have done in Altis, means ease of driving and relatively good overtaking grunt even with full load. I think Toyota has compromised on bhp and focused more on a flat torque curve which would actually give a good responsive motor for an average user.

I dislike the central placement of instrument cluster. I am not sure but many customers will walk away just due to this placement.

Somehow, I get reminded of old days where cars like Esteem were there. The FTD cars are no longer in reach of an average buyer. Ikon, Baleno, Esteem were the cars that were affordable ( atleast the OTR price was ) and were FTD.

[harishpr]

Seems good from outside (looks are subjective by nature). Inside is a big let down from whatever pictures i could see so far in this thread and on net.
The interiors and feature wise (though i don't have feature list with me) seems teared down significantly to make it low cost vehicle. The wheelbase and boot space seems massive (bigger than manza) which is a welcome in this segment however the sheer interiors don't feel like a proper mid segment vehicle.

The center console looks awkward. Though there is a LCD/touch panel, the center console on the whole looks like a Nano !!!

IMO, Serious buyers will wait and watch to see how this vehicle shape-up. My advice to all prospective pre-launch booking customer is to wait until you get a hand on this vehicle.

I remember reading somewhere that Toyoto has built a vehicle (read ETIOS) that will serve them as their next corolla for years to come !!! I have my reservations on this statement for sure by looking at the images so far.
Who knows - all my perception may change once this is out for test drive !!!

[Yamaha100]

Hi Folks,

I got a call from Nandi Toyota today for Etios !

They told me that it will be priced "around" 5.5 Lakhs OTR for base version of sedan He also told that the base hatch version will be available 4.5 lakhs.

He told he was not committing on the price but its indicative and infact he also asked me at what pricing would i be interested !

I am left wondering if its just a marketing trick or Toyota has decided to take the competition head on.

It would be incredible to own a Toyota sedan for 5.5 lakhs OTR.

[SchumiFan]

Looks like Toyota have two winners in their hands. Watch out Maruti and Hyundai, the boss is coming

I agree the looks are quirky but the Dzire, Manza, Logan aren't exactly in the league of Punto or Linea in the looks department.

It has got a 1.5 pot and has the best power output in its class along with class leading space according to AutoCar report.

As a customer, I can now own a Toyota for as least as 6 Lakh which is tempting for any average Joe out there to buy a sedan/hatch. I don't want to comment on the A.S.S now since Toyota hasn't come up with a diesel and most sales in this segment(sedan) comes from the diesel powerplant.

I think Toyota will be able to scale up its S.V.C's to cope up with the demand after all A.S.S is an integral part of any car and I don't think they would have not anticipated the rush that will come with the launch of Etios.

[arin_12]

Good to see more excitement coming on the road. More variant of car with more pricing option and competition.
Customer can have multiple choice now.

[joshguy]

HI all ,what will be the likely price for ethios hatch back? 6-7 L on road?

And are they launching sedan and hatchback on the same day?

i saw the sedan few months back,it looked like Logan and wasnt good,now pricing is going to be the key for ethios.

BTW are we indians fooled by Toyota? why all outdated vehicles launched here? Qualis,carolla unlike Honda which launches all latest here in india

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by joshguy

BTW are we indians fooled by Toyota? why all outdated vehicles launched here? Qualis,carolla unlike Honda which launches all latest here in india

Very right! Honda's offerings are good lookers. But Toyota? Can't the world's numero uno launch a cars that LOOK GOOD TOO? Have they vowed to offer Indians ugly cars only. Look at Innova. Great engine, good reliability. Would I buy it? A big no. It looks and screams VAN from every angle. Even owners driving Innovas ard mistaken for drivers. Yes, I would love to be driven in it around town and to and from airport, but that's about it. If I have to buy an MUV/SUV, I will head straight for Safari or Scorpio.

And instead of blindly praising Toyota for whatever they dish out, it is better to criticise all out so that they start launching cars which look good too.