Is there anything bigger than the occasion of the world’s largest automaker entering the world’s biggest small car market with its world’s cheapest car? Phew, that was an overdose of superlatives in a single statement and it just goes on to show just how much this moment was eagerly awaited. The brand Toyota is so alarmingly strong in India that the global recalls, which almost crippled Toyota world-wide had almost no effect in India. Starting from the Corolla Altis to the Fortuner to the Landcruiser, Toyota was dominating every segment it was competing in.
Then came the Etios sedan and Toyota was no more a fringe player in India. The bookings shot through the roof and the long waitlist, which stretched for months together, forced Toyota to postpone the launch of its hatchback variant Liva. After making sure that the sedan customers have got their due and the waitlist has come down to sensible levels, Toyota has finally launched the Etios Liva in the country on 27th of June with ex-showroom prices ranging from 3.99 Lacs to about 6 Lacs, depending on the city in which it retails.
Now, don’t drool over the starting price as that variant does not even have a power steering. With people complaining about the lack of power steering in the Tata Nano, this is a shocking omission by Toyota. Having said that, hats off to the company for giving Safety Pack (ABS & Airbags) as an option even in the mid variant. If only other manufacturers learn from this and start giving ABS and Airbags as options right across the model range instead of only the top-end variants, it would be great. The Etios Liva is not as feature-rich as the i20 but is also not under-equipped either.
The front-end of the Liva with its smiling grille, small headlamps and chrome accents is carried over from the Etios sedan. In profile, the sloping windows and the thick C-Pillar has strong resemblance to the Nissan Micra. The rear end of the Liva looks much better than the sedan but the taillights are a tad oversized and the thick chrome strip is too gaudy to pass off unnoticed. I agree, Indians love chrome, but to what extent? The top-end variant that comes with chin spoiler, side skirts and roof spoiler looks sporty, especially in that unique Blue color that is being offered.
Toyota has openly stated that it will spend the next two years in India establishing the brand ‘Etios’. With the sedan already commanding a waiting list and making Toyota work over-time, the Liva is just going to compound those problems. The combination of its no-nonsense looks, acceptable interior quality, sensible feature levels, competitive pricing, good service reputation and above all Toyota’s bullet-proof reliability will make sure that the Etios Liva becomes a huge success. In just the first two days of launch, the Liva has already managed to garner more than 1000 bookings. But then, it is not something new as every Toyota model has succeeded big-time in India.
Then came the Etios sedan and Toyota was no more a fringe player in India. The bookings shot through the roof and the long waitlist, which stretched for months together, forced Toyota to postpone the launch of its hatchback variant Liva. After making sure that the sedan customers have got their due and the waitlist has come down to sensible levels, Toyota has finally launched the Etios Liva in the country on 27th of June with ex-showroom prices ranging from 3.99 Lacs to about 6 Lacs, depending on the city in which it retails.Now, don’t drool over the starting price as that variant does not even have a power steering. With people complaining about the lack of power steering in the Tata Nano, this is a shocking omission by Toyota. Having said that, hats off to the company for giving Safety Pack (ABS & Airbags) as an option even in the mid variant. If only other manufacturers learn from this and start giving ABS and Airbags as options right across the model range instead of only the top-end variants, it would be great. The Etios Liva is not as feature-rich as the i20 but is also not under-equipped either.
The front-end of the Liva with its smiling grille, small headlamps and chrome accents is carried over from the Etios sedan. In profile, the sloping windows and the thick C-Pillar has strong resemblance to the Nissan Micra. The rear end of the Liva looks much better than the sedan but the taillights are a tad oversized and the thick chrome strip is too gaudy to pass off unnoticed. I agree, Indians love chrome, but to what extent? The top-end variant that comes with chin spoiler, side skirts and roof spoiler looks sporty, especially in that unique Blue color that is being offered.Toyota has openly stated that it will spend the next two years in India establishing the brand ‘Etios’. With the sedan already commanding a waiting list and making Toyota work over-time, the Liva is just going to compound those problems. The combination of its no-nonsense looks, acceptable interior quality, sensible feature levels, competitive pricing, good service reputation and above all Toyota’s bullet-proof reliability will make sure that the Etios Liva becomes a huge success. In just the first two days of launch, the Liva has already managed to garner more than 1000 bookings. But then, it is not something new as every Toyota model has succeeded big-time in India.
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