2012 Toyota Vitz / Yaris First Details Out
Toyota has released first details about the redesigned 2012 Vitz, that in Europe is known as Yaris. The redesigned Vitz features a more aerodynamic styling similar to the rest of the Toyota range. New Vitz is 3,885mm long and rides on a wheelbase that has been stretched by 50mm compared to its predecessor.
Even though Toyota did not reveal any interior photos, they say that upgrades include new improved seats, higher quality materials and premium options such as HDD navigation. Three petrol engines will be offered: a 68 hp 1.0-liter, a 93 hp 1.3-liter, and 107 hp 1.5-liter unit. The 1.3-liter unit features Dual VVT-i and stop/start technology which enables it to get a fuel economy rating of just 3.8 L/100km (62 mpg US). In standard the engines are mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), although a five-speed manual is also available.
Toyota Hilux Goes To Antartica
The Toyota Hilux is already famous for its capacity to overcome any extreme challenge, from driving to the North Pole to conquering the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Now, the Hilux has successfully completed yet another extraordinary journey, traveling across the coldest, most hostile environment in the world, Antarctica, to reach the South Pole. Between 10th November and 5th December 2010, four Hilux transported expedition members of the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), studying snow chemistry, the glacial landscapes and the bedrock hidden beneath the ice on a 4,600 km round trip from Novo Air Base, to the South Pole, and safely back. 4382 500x375 Toyota Hilux Antartica 07 Toyota Hilux Goes To Antartica.
The four Hilux vehicles were produced at Toyota South Africa Motors, the main volume supply base for the European market, and were adapted by Icelandic Toyota 4×4 conversion specialists, Arctic Trucks, for the month-long expedition. Arctic Trucks has long ranked the Hilux its first option amongst equivalent vehicles thanks to its proven, 40 year record of Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR) under even the most extreme driving conditions. Faced with extreme weather, average temperatures of below -40oC and peaks of -56oC, altitudes of over 3,400 m and the most brutal driving environment imaginable, NCAOR chosen the Hilux for this remarkable expedition as it combines several exceptional attributes essential to survival on the world’s harshest continent.
Firstly, given the extreme conditions, it has proven very low comparable fuel consumption of 50 l/100 km. Even with the use of less energy-efficient Jet 1A fuel, the vehicle engine running 24/7 and running extra heating system constantly on, this figure is 5 to 8 times lower than that achieved by tracked vehicles. This significantly reduces both transported fuel loads and fuel costs (one barrel of oil in Antarctica can cost $10,000). With this fuel efficiency, the expedition could rely on only one refueling point, established some 1,500 km from the journey starting point – Maitri Antarctica station. Secondly, the Hilux has a uniquely high load carrying capacity. It combines a low unladen weight of just 2.2 tons with a payload capacity of 1.5 tons and a towing capacity of 3 tons – an essential attribute when carrying the expedition equipment, spare parts and participants, as well as 1,280 liters of fuel per vehicle. Thirdly, this expedition maintained a faster average speed than any comparable expedition had previously attained.
Toyota Unveils Vitz, Claims Best-In-Class Mileage
World’s leading automobile company, Toyota Motors, introduced all new third-generation Vitz hatchback (called Yaris in most others markets), today in Japan. The Japanese auto giants claims the car gets ets best-in-class mileage of 26.5 km/litre. Vitz is Toyota’s top selling gasoline car in Japan. The company has set a monthly sales aim of 10,000 Vitz cars in Japan. Toyota Vitz cost starts at 1.06 million yen ($12,660) and it will hit the world market from mid-2011. Toyota Vitz competes with the segment leader Honda Jazz and Nissan Micra in India which respectively provide mileage of 24.5 kmpl and 26.0 kmpl.
Toyota managed to sell 125,000 vehicles of Vitz in the last financial year. Japanese auto industry is suffering one of their worst times ever. Reports advise the annual car sales are going to decrease by 17% to 1.3 million vehicles. Japan sold the same amount of cars thirty seven years back! Toyota too is facing their one of the worst periods ever in Japan. They hope the new Vitz will help them stabilize their market in Japan. Toyota’s domestic sales fell 35% in November from a year earlier, faring worse than most other brands, although a separate incentive exempting hybrids from some taxes will run until early 2012.
Toyota Predicting 38% Sales Growth In 2010
Owner of recently launched Etios, Japanese car maker and world’s largest automobile company, Toyota India is expecting a rise of 38 percent in its Indian sales for the year 2010. Toyota Motors is predicting sales of 74,000 units 2010 as compare to 54,000 units sold in 2009, Koji Nagata, executive managing coordinator and director of Toyota Kirloskar said.
Toyota is expecting to double its sales to 1,50,ooo with the help of Toyota Etios. Toyota Etios is getting tremendous response from Indian market with over 12,000 bookings in just 2 weeks since its launch on December 1. Toyota Etios sedan selling will start from January 2011. Toyota Kirloskar will also launch Etios hatchback in April 2011. Toyota Kirloskar Motors is thinking about launching a Multi Purpose Vehicle in the segment between Etios sedan and Innova. Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, Senior Vice President (Area Operations Division), Vonco S Socco said that one more car can be brought in the market to fill the gaps between Toyota Etios and Toyota Innova. And according to some industry experts, that car could be toyota Avanza Multi Purpose Vehicle. The car could be available in the price range of Rs. 6 to 9 Lakh.
Toyota launches the Etios Sedan in Kolkata
Toyota Kirloskar Motor held a press meet in Kolkata today to announce the company's entry into the highly competitive B Segment with the launch of the Etios Sedan, the car that has been developed specifically for Indian customers - 'World First, India First, My First'. Toyota had also announced the name of the hatchback version, the Etios Liva. The Etios sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, competitively priced between Rs. 5,03,198/- and Rs. 6,94,985/- ex showroom Kolkata. The product highlights include innovative styling, best-in-class cabin and luggage space, superior comfort, impressive fuel efficiency and the legendary Toyota QDR.
Mr. Koji Nagata (Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, TKM), Mr. Yugo Miyamoto (Senior Managing Coordinator) and Mr. Ramesh R K (General Manager-Marketing, TKM) addressed the media. Mr. Yugo Miyamoto, Senior Managing Coordinator, Sales, TKM spoke about the development of the product, he said: "It was very important to understand the needs of Indian car buyers and this was done by extensive research. We found that our target customers are highly price conscious but at the same time want good mileage, space and style. One of the strong points of the Etios is its True Sedan design. The 
Toyota Etios has been designed as a Sedan platform and not as a Hatch with a boot. It is smartly packaged with all the attributes for Indians who love to travel with their families - boasts best-in-class cabin and luggage space, ergonomic interiors and superior ride comfort."
Talking about the Etios Sales and Marketing strategy in India, Mr. Koji Nagata, Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, Marketing, TKM, said: "We have an elaborate Marketing strategy planned for the Etios and it all started with the roping in Mr. A.R.Rahman as our brand ambassador who we believe was a perfect fit with the brand values of our product. We are also prepared to provide our customers a one class above experience, what we refer to as the Q Class Experience. In view of this effort, we have undertaken various initiatives: (a) Express Maintenance Service - Services and delivers the vehicle to the customer in 60 mins, (b) eCRB (Evolutionary Customer Relationship Building) - A tool that keeps the customer informed about the status of the vehicle that has been given for servicing."
Mr. Ramesh R K, General Manager - Marketing, TKM added by saying, "We are now gearing up to cater to a whole new segment of customers. We have expanded our dealer network to reach out to the tier II and tier III cities, we will complete 150 dealerships by the end of 2010 ". The Etios is very important for Toyota and the company believes this launch marks the beginning of a new era for Toyota in India. In fact this launch will enable Indian customers in the middle income group to own an aspirational Toyota vehicle for the first time. The production of the Etios will begin as planned in the new plant which is the most environmentally friendly automobile manufacturing plant in the country today. Earlier this year Toyota had announced its plans to begin production of engines and transmissions at the Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts in the third quarter of 2012 that will help in increasing the localisation content of the Etios.
Toyota launches the Etios Sedan in Ahmedabad
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) held a press meet in Ahmedabad today to announce the company's entry into the highly competitive B Segment with the launch of the Etios Sedan, the car that has been developed specifically for Indian customers - 'World First, India First, My First'. Toyota had also announced the name of the hatchback version, the Etios Liva.
The Toyota Etios sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, competitively priced between Rs. 5,11,071 /- and Rs. 7,03,269/- ex showroom Ahmedabad. The product highlights include innovative styling, best-in-class cabin and luggage space, superior comfort, impressive fuel efficiency and the legendary Toyota QDR. Mr. Koji Nagata (Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, TKM), Mr. Masato Kuriyama (Managing Coordinator,TKM) and Mr. Sailesh Shetty (General Manager-Sales, TKM) addressed the media.
Mr. Koji Nagata, Executive Managing Coordinator & Director, Marketing, TKM spoke about the development of the product, he said: "It was very important to understand the needs of Indian car buyers and this was done by extensive research. We found that our target customers are highly price conscious but at the same time want good mileage, space and style. One of the strong points of the Etios is its True Sedan design. The Etios has been designed as a Sedan platform and not as a Hatch with a boot. It is smartly packaged with all the attributes for Indians who love to travel with their families - boasts best-in-class cabin and luggage space, ergonomic interiors and superior ride comfort."
Mr. Sailesh Shetty, General Manager, Sales, TKM said: "We have an elaborate Marketing strategy planned for the Etios and it all started with the roping in of Mr. A.R.Rahman as our brand ambassador who we believe was a perfect fit with the brand values of our product. We are also prepared to provide our customers a one class above experience, what we refer to as the Q Class Experience. In view of this effort, we have undertaken various initiatives: (a) Express Maintenance Service - Services and delivers the vehicle to the customer in 60 mins, (b) eCRB (Evolutionary Customer Relationship Building) - A tool that keeps the customer informed about the status of the vehicle that has been given for servicing, (c) A sales and service network that will be expanded to 150 dealerships by the end of this year."
The Etios is very important for Toyota and the company believes this launch marks the beginning of a new era for Toyota in India. In fact this launch will enable Indian customers in the middle income group to own an aspirational Toyota India vehicle for the first time. The production of the Etios will begin as planned in the new plant which is the most environmentally friendly automobile manufacturing plant in the country today. Earlier this year Toyota had announced its plans to begin production of engines and transmissions at the Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts in the third quarter of 2012 that will help in increasing the localisation content of the Etios.
Vehicle Outline
Exterior: A distinctive front grille with a smile line, sculpted surface and dynamic character-line in the front and rear, enhance the presence of the Etios. The rear has a fluent flowing C pillar, rounded end and three-dimensional combination lamps that enrich the vehicle's exterior from different angles.
Interior: The seats are ergonomically designed units with integrated head rests. An instrument panel clearly divided into the information area and operation area with a large centre meter provides excellent visibility. The Etios has class best cabin and luggage space of 595L, a spacious 13L cooled glove box, seven one litre bottle holders, mobile holder and many more such useful storage spaces inside the car.
Performance and Comfort
A newly developed 1.5L, 16V DOHC engine coupled with a 5-Speed manual transmission that produces high output for best-in-class driving performance. The most popular selling cars of Toyota India are: Corolla Altis, Fortuner, Innova CNG and New Camry. The torque is available at low rpm for less gear shifting and stress-free city driving. The Etios has a superior mileage of 17.6kmpl which is ARAI tested. Electric power steering for excellent maneuverability and tilt steering ensures a good ergonomic driving experience. The steering comes with audio controls for comfort at the driver's fingertips.
The flat type rear floor design offers ease of movement for rear seat passengers. With its rigid body structure and world class Mac Pherson Strut, the Etios has superior dampening performance providing superior ride comfort. A class-first 'clean air filter' which is standard across all grades for purified air in the cabin.
(d) Safety: The Etios has various active and passive safety features ensuring the car matches global safety standards. The various safety features are (i) Energy absorbing body shell (ii) Driver & Passenger Air bags and (iii) ABS with EBD. Its centrally located combimeter reduces eye movement and hence the driver can concentrate on the road.
(e) Special Treatment: To adopt to the various diverse climate and usage conditions in India, special treatment and countermeasures have been implemented:
Good ground clearance of 170mm
Under body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake lines
Anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas prone to rusting and stone hits
Chipping resistant paint on rocker mould & fender
Toyota Etios Production To Go On Stream In December 3rd Week
Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), an Indian unit of Japanese auto giant Toyota, has announced that the production of its recently launched Etios model will go on stream in the third week of this Dec. The Toyota Etios sedan will be manufactured at company’s recently established second manufacturing unit in Bangalore. Speaking to the newspapers in Ahmedabad, TKM’s Executive Managing Coordinator Director Marketing Koji Nagata said that the company will commission its second plant in Bidadi by last week of December this year.
Initially the company will be start manufacturing operations in one move and from year 2011, the production of Etios will be commenced in two shifts. The second manufacturing plant at Bidadi (Bangalore) has been established with a strong investment of Rs 3,200 crore. The plant has a total annual manufacturing capacity of 80,000 units. Toyota plans to take the localization content in Etios model to as much as 90 percent from existing 70 percent by producing engines and transmissions in the nation itself. So far, the company imports the engine and transmission for Etios from its base facility in Japan. While speaking on the stuff TKM General Manager Sales Division Sailesh Shetty told to the media that amidst plan to double car sales in India through next year to 1,40,000-1,50,000 units, the corporation will launch the hatchback Etios Liva in April 2011.
The corporation recently stated that it will price the Etios Liva hatchback after the announcement of Union Budget in March 2010. Earlier this month, the company had rolled-out its much anticipated entry-level sedan Etios sedan in the Indian market in the rate bracket of Rs 4.96 lakh to Rs.6.86 lakh (ex-showroom price, Delhi). The Toyota Etios sedan comes powered by a 1.5 litre, 16V, DOHC petrol engine and is claimed to be offering a class-leading mileage of 17.6 kmpl.
7000 Etios Cars Booked, Waiting Period of 4 Months
Buying a Toyota car in India is increasingly becoming a game of patience. The entry level Toyota Etios sedan launched by the company on the first December is witnessing an overwhelming response by the people. In about a week’s time, Toyota Kirloskar has managed to register 7000 bookings for the car, and the count is still on. The high demand for the new sedan has created a waiting period for the car of as long as four months. It’s notable that Toyota’s Fortuner Sport Utility Vehicle buying requests are waitlisted for as much as eight months.
Toyota India has stopped taking bookings for the burly Sport Utility Vehicle. Toyota plans to increase its dealership and service network from the current 120 to 150 to respond to the rising demand. The company’s plant in Bangalore can currently produce about two thousand units a month. By April 2011, the Toyota plans to take this no. up to 3000, and give it a further boost by July 2011. Toyota also plans to take up the localization level from the current 70% to 90%. This will be attained by producing engine and transmission locally, which is currently imported from Japan.
Toyota’s Rare-Earth Plant in India
Toyota Motor Corporation’s group company, Toyota Tsusho Corporation will build a rare-earth processing plant in India to secure mineral supplies from 2012. The plant, to be based in Orissa, will provide 3000 to 4000 tones of rare-earth minerals in a year that will be used to produce hybrid and electric cars, and other high-tech products. Construction of the plant will begin 2011 and the minerals will be shipped to Japan starting 2012.
Japan’s leading auto manufacturers are scrambling to secure supplies of the metals after exports from leading producer China were stopped amid political tensions. The plant in India will produce rare-earth products of the process of extracting uranium and thorium fuel from monazite minerals at Indian Rare Earth Limited – a subsidiary of India’s atomic energy agency. Japan’s Shin-Etsu Chemical Toyota will provide technical assistance. Toyota Tsusho had surveyed the rare earth resource potential throughout the world and is also developing the minerals in Vietnam. With the 2 plants, Toyota India will be able to supply around 10,000 tonnes of rare-earths a year in 2013.
Toyota Receives 8100 Bookings For Etios
Toyota has received 8100 confirmed bookings for the Etios in just one week. 90% of the bookings which were registered are for the top three variants. Toyota showrooms across the country have booked almost 1150 Etios’ every day since the December 1 launch.
The first Toyota Etios will be rolled out from the company’s plant in Bangalore on December 20 and deliveries will start by early next year. The delivery of these cars will take upto four months.