Toyota has been going strong in segments above the Rs 10 lakh price bracket. The Innova remains unchallenged even with an astronomical price tag and a whole bunch of slightly smaller MPVs trying to nibble into its share. The new Corolla presents itself as one of the most sensible car choices in its category and the Fortuner’s success is stuff legends are made of.
The made for India Etios, though a reasonably successful model, isn’t exactly doing the numbers Toyota envisioned. Also, there is a big gap between the economical Etios and the premium Corolla. And that’s where the Vios sedan fits in, in theory.
There has been some buzz about the C-segment sedan for some time now, though nothing concrete about the topic has emerged from any official sources. Now, the appearance of these spy images should add some substance to the prospects of the car making it to India.
The Vios is technically a subcompact sedan, residing in the same segment as the City, Vento, Ciaz and the likes. It was created by Toyota with the emerging Asia-Pacific markets in mind. The car is also known as the Yaris sedan in some of the international markets including the US and Australia.
In its third generation now, the Vios sedan in question here was caught testing in Bangalore, near the manufacturing facility of Toyota India. While the sighting does add some fuel to the prospects of the car’s India launch, it could well have been brought here for research purposes.
The car comes with an option of a 1.5 liter turbo diesel and a 1.5-liter petrol – same as the ones doing duty on the Etios. Power and torque output for the engines for the Etios in India is rated at 68PS / 170Nm and 90 PS / 132 Nm respectively for the diesel and petrol units. Expect those figures to change for the bigger and more premium Vios. Transmission duties are handled by a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. There is also a possibility that the car may share the 1.4 liter diesel engine with the Toyota Corolla.
If Toyota decides to launch the Vios in India, it would most likely be priced between the Rs 9 to 12 lakh range. The model may make a strong case of itself owing to Toyota’s premium perception, great reliability and minimal maintenance costs.
Does the Vios stand a chance against the Ciaz, City and the Rapid? Would you buy it if it were sold in India? Do let us know your views.
Check out the detailed image gallery of the Toyota Vios sedan below
Images: Team-bhp
If Vios is the same Yaris it is a good car..I am using yaris in Oman. but the should be 7 Lakh to 10 lakh. design comfort and maintenance free and high mileage…I will be the first buyer when it introduced in kerala.Full option full automatic I preferred. Please
not cut down the safety features in India.
Considering the number of City and Ciaz being sold every month, Toyota would be foolish not to bring the Vios to India. This segment is just right for the burgeoning Indian middle class. A few years from now, this segment will be the new Compact Sedan segment of tomorrow..