Asia Bizz: Japanese auto maker Toyota has recently confirmed that its new entry-level car Etios will be launched in South Africa. The car will be built in India and will be launched on May 21, 2012 in SA.
The Etios will be entering the market in direct competition with other players like Renault’s Sandero and Figo by Ford as the Toyota vehicle will be much affordable than the other cars in the same segment. The Etios has been brought in place of Tazz, which was discontinued six years ago.
The Toyota Etios has been described as the ‘bang up to date’ product as it was specifically designed to meet the needs of the drivers of today’s generation. However, as the new Etios has been built with a limited price, one should not expect it to be sophisticated like that of the Yaris or the earlier model.
The Etios will come with a 1.5 litre engine for the South African market and will have four valves per cylinder, but delivers less power than the 1.3 litre engine the Yaris which lacks variable timing. Overall, the mechanical simplicity of the vehicle is likely to appeal the customers who go for a simple engine with a reasonable output.
