Toyota India focusing on 'fashionable sedan' & 'compact SUV' - Report

01/05/2015 - 14:29 Toyota Vios, Toyota Rush, Toyota Anjan Ravi

Also plans on introducing Hiace, new Innova and Fortuner.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), the Indian arm of the Japanese car maker, plans to enter new segments to further increase its market share from the current 5 percent. TKM has announced that it will launch the Hiace people mover in the second half of this year, while next generation models of the Innova and Fortuner are expected next year.

Toyota Vios front three quarters at the 2015 Bangkok Motor Show — The Vios will hopefully do what the Etios couldn't: attract the private sedan buyer.

According to a report on ET Auto, Toyota is looking at the sub-10 lakhs price-point with a sedan and a compact SUV. Speaking to the publication, Naomi Ishii, MD of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said that the company was looking at targeting the "affluent middle-class" buyer with a "fashionable sedan" and a "compact SUV".

The sedan in question is reported to be the Toyota Vios, which has started testing in India. Reports say that the Vios will be launched to rival the likes of the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna, with fuel efficient 1.5-liter petrol and 1.4-liter diesel engines.

Toyota Rush TRD Sportivo at the 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show — The Rush in its current specification is not developed to run on a diesel engine.

Also read: 2015 Toyota Camry (facelift) launched at INR 28.8 lakhs in India

The compact SUV for the Indian market, according to the publication, is the Toyota Rush. However, the Rush is not developed to run on a diesel engine, and will either need significant modifications to be compatible with a diesel engine, or TKM will have to wait for the next generation of the Rush, which would take a couple of years, sources say.