Speaking exclusively to Indian Autos Blog on the sidelines of the Etios Liva launch in Delhi, Mr Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor said the company is not interested in bringing Yaris hatchback or Yaris sedan to India.
Mr Sandeep Singh, DMD of TKM -
If you look at Yaris, it is full of features. It is an expensive vehicle even in Europe. The alternative to Yaris we brought in India is the Etios. If you look at the size (of the two vehicles), it is almost same. We have no plans (for Yaris). I don't think we will ever bring the Yaris to India. It is not meant for India.
The new Yaris was launched in Japan and recently in Europe with a sedan variant in the pipeline for 2013. The Yaris sedan, called Vios, is a hot seller in many parts of the world. The Yaris brand forms the entry point of the American lineup where it competes with the Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Sonic (Aveo) and Honda Fit (Jazz).
The sedan model is equipped with a 1.5-liter petrol engine which is expected to be carried over on the replacement model. After looking at the Jazz's poor showing in India, manufacturers are thinking twice before bringing hatchbacks that cost nearly 9-10 lakh rupees. Coming to the Vios, Toyota could push for a MPV instead of sedan to fill the gap between the Etios and Innova.
Mr Singh said that Toyota will expand its lineup and compete in every segment, but there will be no new products in the next couple of years except for current model facelifts and variants.
