Trial Production of Etios to commence in September; Hybrid version possible

Learning from our and others’ mistakes are vital to ensure success. Following the footsteps of Tata Motors*, Toyota will start the trial production of their small car Etios in September. That’s three whole months before the launch of the vehicle. The production will commence at Toyota’s new plant in Bangalore. The Etios will go through two production trials, one in September and another in October before the start of production sometime in December. The cars produced will be subjected to tests in the real world and at test tracks during which every aspect of its performance will be monitored.

Hit the jump for scoop information on hybrid Etios.

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Over 2,000 Indian and Japanese engineers have been working on the Etios over the last four years. The Etios will come with 1.2L and 1.5L petrol powerplants and a 1.4L D-4D Diesel from the Corolla Altis is expected in the future as well. This will be followed by LPG and CNG variants of the Etios. What’s more, Toyota are also studying the feasibility of producing a hybrid version of the Etios. If this project gets the green light, then Indians might get a taste of an affordable hybrid car in India. Toyota may be one of the last manufacturers to enter the sub Rs 5 lakh segment but their plans seem very aggressive. ‘Late and latest’.

* Tata decided to start assembly of Freelander 2 in November as production ramp-up will be slow due to extensive quality checks that will be carried over. Moreover, anticipating huge demand, Tata will build up inventory so that massive backlogs can be avoided. Lesson learnt from VW India’s mistakes with the Polo.

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