General Motors launches Sail sedan at Rs 4.99 Lakh

Chevrolet has launched its Sail sedan in India at a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh, ex-Delhi. The car looks identical to the Sail U-VA launched a few months back, with the addition of a boot.

 

 

The Sail is built on a new global passenger car platform created especially for emerging markets and is available in 1.2 L petrol and 1.3 L diesel engine variants.

“It competes in one of the largest and fastest-growing segments,” said Lowell Paddock, President and Managing Director, GM India.

He said the new car has been put through more than 6.3 million kilometres of testing on different terrains across India and other countries.

The company said the petrol variant would give 18.2 km to a litre and diesel 22.1 km to a litre as per specific test conditions.

 

The top variants of the car have technology features such as Bluetooth functionality that supports up to five mobile phone pairings and music streaming.

The Sail will compete with other competitors such as Maruti Suzuki India's Swift Dzire, Tata Motors’ Indigo and Toyota Etios.

Prices of the 2013 Chevrolet Sail variants, ex-Delhi:

Base (Petrol)- Rs 4.99 lakhs

LS (Petrol)- Rs 5.49 lakhs

LS ABS (Petrol)- Rs 5.7 lakhs

LT ABS (Petrol)- Rs 6.42 lakhs

Base (Diesel)- Rs 6.29 lakhs

LS (Diesel)- Rs 6.59 lakhs

LS ABS (Diesel)- Rs 6.8 lakhs

LT ABS (Diesel) - Rs 7.52 lakhs

Toyota defers Liva launch till June to clear Etios backlog

The world's largest carmaker Toyota have postponed by two months introducing the hatchback version of its sedan Etios in India to June as it tries to clear order backlog of the recently launched car.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, will be doubling its output at the Bangalore facility to a minimum of 5,000 units every month from April for the Etios sedan.

"We have received very good response for the Etios. We are doubling the production of the car by starting the second shift from April," Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Deputy Managing Director (Marketing) Sandeep Singh told PTI.

Etios' waiting period is 4-6 months and TKM has decided to fulfill its commitment to existing customers first.

"Hence, to clear the order backlog, we have decided to postpone the launch of Liva by about two months," Singh said.

The company had launched the Etios in December last year and had announced its plans to introduce the small car Liva with a 1.2 litre petrol engine in April 2011.

As part of the new plan, the company will now enhance Etios output to a minimum of 5,000 units from the existing about 2,500 units per month, Singh said.

TKM has so far received about 26,500 booking orders for the Etios since its launch and the company has delivered only about 5,000 units, he added.

The company has invested Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in the country with an installed capacity of 70,000 units per annum to roll out the Etios. It has launched the car with a 1.5 litre petrol engine.

The Japanese auto major had launched Etios with a price tag of Rs 4.96 lakh-Rs 6.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It has been pitched against other entry-level sedans such as Maruti DZiRE, Mahindra Logan and Fiat Linea.

At the time of the launch, Singh had said the company was targeting to sell 70,000 units of Etios, including the hatchback, in 2011.

When asked about its sports utility vehicle Fortuner, Singh said: "We had started the booking again in January and so far received about 4,000 orders. The waiting period for the vehicle is 3-4 months now."

The company's first facility at the same location has a production capacity of about 80,000 units per annum.

On the impact of rising commodity prices, he said: "We are under pressure. We will review the prices of our products by March-end."

TKM currently manufactures models like multi utility vehicle Innova, premium sedan Corolla Altis and SUV Fortuner in India. It also sells sedan Camry, SUVs Prado and Land Cruiser and hybrid car Prius in the country as fully imported vehicles.

LONG WAITING LIST- In queue for Etios? Toyota may offer you Liva

Faced with a deluge of bookings for its new sedan Etios, Toyota is considering a unique offering for those in queue by giving them the option to shift to the company’s compact car, Liva, which debuts in March. Alternatively, the company is also considering to marginally increase the production of Etios to accommodate the rush.

According to sources, Toyota is worried that the seven to eight months’ waiting period for Etios may prompt customers to shift to rival brands. So, it is working on a plan to offer those with Etios bookings the option to go for the compact Liva, though details are still being worked out. It is not yet clear whether these people will get a priority in the delivery of the 1200cc petrol-engine Liva, which is likely to be priced around Rs 4 lakh.

The company hopes this move will ensure that the customers will stay within the Toyota fold, while getting an option to cut down on their waiting periods. The Etios, deliveries for which started earlier this month, has been a runaway success for the company and it has so far received bookings over 18,500 units.

When contacted, Toyota Kirloskar deputy MD (sales & marketing) Sandeep Singh said, “We are looking at various options, and a concrete plan is yet to be firmed up.” Singh, however, agreed that the company was looking at increasing the production of Etios from the plant near Bangalore, which has come up with an investment of Rs 3200 crore. Toyota plans to manufacture about 70,000 units from this plant between the Etios sedan and its compact version Liva in the first year. “Our manufacturing team is looking at this and a decision on enhancing production will be taken towards the end of February. However, if it happens, the increment in production may not be a major one. Whatever happens will be through improved efficiency and tweaking things here and there,” Singh said.

The company is gradually ramping up numbers at its plant and will start secondshift operations there. At full steam, the plant can churn out 200,000 units annually, though reaching this capacity will take time.

The Etios and the Liva are the two most ambitious products from Toyota’s stable to boost its share in the fastgrowing Indian car market. The company currently has a low single-digit share and has said it wants a 10% share to “occupy a mindshare of the average car buyer”. It has set a target to sell about 300,000-350,000 units by 2015.

Top Car Launches in 2010

2010 has been a remarkable year for not just carmakers but car buyers too. With a flood of launches, Indian buyers had more than what they could take, in terms of new cars. Nevertheless, car manufacturers kept bringing new and advanced looks and technology in the cars to lure the Indian buyers towards them.
Lets have a look at what the car industry brought in, what was a memorable year, 2010

Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen, the premium automobile company truly understands the sentiments attached with wedding season in India. The German auto manufacturer has rightly catered the marriage season in India by launching an ad campaign and woven Volkswagen Beetle beautifully in it.

Chevrolet Beat
The beautiful car from world’s largest auto manufacturer, General Motors, spiced up the year 2010 with its beauty performance and excellence. The Chevrolet Beat was launched on 4th Jan 2010 and was priced between Rs 3,49,994 - Rs 4,15,486 with availability in three exciting petrol variants. The choice of colors makes the model more interesting on road. The premium hatchback offers mileage of 14.5kmpl in city and 18.6kmpl on highway.

Nissan Micra
Nissan took a big move in Indian automobile hatchback segment by bringing its all exciting Nissan Micra on 14th July 2010. The company introduced its diesel version on 10th December. Nissan Micra was the first car from Japanese auto makers to be brought to India and was well received in the market due to its look, easy maneuverability. The selling features of Nissan Micra are its turning radius (4.65), Push start and Intelligent key system. The mill of the compact four-wheeler offers mileage of around 14 kmpl in city and 18.06 kmpl on highways.

Volkswagen Vento
The car priced between Rs 7,17,470 - Rs 9,47,170 was launched on 12th August 2010. The all new Volkswagen Vento comes with the same engine as is available in Volkswagen Polo i.e. 1.6 L petrol and diesel engines. The beautiful compact car gives a mileage of 20.54 kmpl on highway and 15.8 kmpl in city. Volkswagen Vento is designed to give direct competition to the market leader Honda City.

Skoda Yeti
The stunning SUV from Skoda was launched on 15th Nov 2010. Skoda Yeti was awarded the SUV of the year and comes with a price tag of Rs 15,40,324* - Rs 16,62,721. The new Skoda vehicle comes in two variants i.e. Ambiente and Elegance. the crossover delivers 17.67 kmpl of mileage. The major competitors for this new car in Indian market are Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari, Tata Aria, Maruti Grand Vitara, Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Mahindra Thar
The powerful gypsy made its way on Indian roads on 21st December 2010 with a price tag of Rs 5,99,000 - Rs 5,99,000. Mahindra Thar assures a safe and powerful drive on worst road conditions. The powerful engine offers zipper acceleration and crosses a 100 kms easily in just 13.5 seconds. It offers a top speed of 150 kmph. The contemporary gypsy is given an edgy look with least of curves and delicate lines rather the crease on body are so prominent and bold that it depicts great power.

Toyota Etios
The sizzling luxury made its way in Indian market on 1st December 2010. Toyota Etios sedan is the least priced (Rs 4,96,000 - Rs 6,86,500) model in Toyota’s portfolio. Hugely popular car registered over 12000 bookings within 15 days of launch, making a record. It gives a mileage of 17.6 kmpl on highway and 12 kmpl in city. This makes it a fuel efficient car without compromising on the performance and luxury.

The Etios Sedan is launched in Hyderabad

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) will increase the localisation of Etios, the B segment sedan which it launched in Hyderabad on Wednesday, once its engine plant in Bangalore gets ready in 2012. As of now, the vehicle is 70 per cent localised and this will go up to 90 per cent in two years.

Also, it will increase its dealer network from seven to ten in Andhra Pradesh in view of the new launch.

Speaking to the media on the launch, TKM executive managing coordinator (sales) Koji Nagata said the sedan would be available in four variants priced between Rs 4.95 lakh and Rs 6.88 lakh ex-showroom Hyderabad.

The company would soon launch a diesel variant of the sedan, he said, adding that there have been 8,000 bookings of the new vehicle which was launched nationally last week. It would take about four or five months to deliver them.

The company also unveiled its hatchback, Etios Liva, which would be launched in April 2011. "This is the small car for us. There are no immediate plans for smaller car than Liva,'' he said.

TKM general manager (sales) Sailesh Shetty said the company was now working out the price hike on its models as the input costs, particularly of steel, have gone up. Inflation and strengthening of the rupee too are factors, he said.

Etios will be made at the second TKM plant in Bangalore, which has an annual production capacity of 70,000 vehicles.

Music maestro AR Rahman has been roped as the brand ambassador for Etios.

Toyota to launch hatchback 'Etios Liva'

Japanese auto major Toyota will launch compact car 'Etios Liva' by April 2011 to strengthen position in India, where it is a fringe player in the car segment as against its leadership position globally. The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, said the pricing of the hatchback based on the same platform as its new Etios sedan will be decided after the Union Budget.

It has priced the entry level sedan Etios between Rs 4.96 lakh and Rs 6.86 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). "The launch of Etios sedan will be followed by the hatchback model called Etios Liva. By the end of March next year or April beginning we will launch the car and deliveries will start from April," TKM Deputy Managing Director Marketing Sandeep Singh told reporters here. On the pricing of Etios Liva, he said, "We will take a call after the Budget."

While the Etios sedan is powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine, the Liva will have 1.2 litre petrol engine. Singh said both the sedan and hatchback put together, TKM plans to sell 70,000 cars in India in 2011. Recently, he said the company aims to sell 1.45 lakh units of all its models next year, from about 73,000 units expected in 2010. TKM sells models such as sedans Toyota Corolla Altis and Camry along with multi utility vehicle Innova.

TKM aims to capture 10 per cent of the Indian car market by 2015, mainly on the back of the Etios family. Overall, 15 lakh cars were sold in the country in 2009-10. Globally, Toyota was the world's largest carmaker in 2010 despite its consolidated sales declining by 4.4 per cent to 7.24 million units from the previous year.

Singh said the TKM could increase the output of Etios depending on customer demand from the current levels of 80,000 units a year. He said that for Etios sedan, TKM has received 3,077 orders within two days of the launch on Wednesday. The deliveries will start from January.

TKM Managing Director Hiroshi Nakagawa said about 70 per cent of the components of Etios are locally sourced. Only critical components like engines and transmissions are imported. "By 2012, we will shift the engine production to India followed by the transmission in 2013," he said, adding after that the localisation level would be 90 per cent.

Toyota to roll out small car 'Etios' in December

Toyota Kirloskar Motors has announced clearly that its small car ‘Etios’ will be launched in December 2010. Toyota organized a boot camp for its Fortuner SUV owners. During the occasion, Deputy MD Mr. Sandeep Singh of Toyota Kirloskar Motors announced that the new facility for the new car ‘Etios’ will be completed soon and hence the production will start a little ahead of December. Etios will be launched in this December and the sales will start in January 2011.

Buzz up!
Toyota has poured in a huge sum of Rs. 3,200 crore to set up a new factory to produce the small car Etios which has an initial capacity of 70,000 cars per annum. The new plant at Bidadi, near Bangalore and also adjacent to Toyota’s mother plant in India, can be extended to produce as much as 2 lakh cars per annum in the next two years. Toyota Etios is expected to be priced at Rs. 5 lakh and above.

Like Hyundai and Ford, Toyota is also planning to export its small car “Etios” to overseas market. Innova is Toyota's bestselling vehicle, with 48,000 units sold every annum, followed by Altis with 13,000 and Fortuner with 9,000. With the launch of Etios, Toyota is expecting that its sales will increase double fold in 2011.

Toyota hopes to drive Prius in India with 'green car' subsidy

Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese car major that is currently facing some roadblocks with its hybrid car Prius in the global markets, is hopeful of working out a subsidy for the car as it enters the Indian market as a completely built unit (CBU) in March this year.
Currently, CBUs attract a duty of over 100 per cent in India, and the Prius is expected to cost between Rs 26.55 lakh and Rs 27.86 lakh here thanks to the high customs duty. The company has been in talks with the Centre since the last six months, and is eagerly waiting for this year’s Union Budget to have some good news for them.

Hiroshi Nakagawa, managing director, TKM said, “We are expecting the government to offer some incentives for buying an environment-friendly vehicle,” adding that the quantum of incentive is not specified. Toyota India feels that this is not just any other imported luxury vehicle and that the government could allow an incentive in the form of a subsidy to encourage the sales of ‘green’ cars.

TKM plans to sell around 200 units of the car this year. Prius is the world’s first mass-produced and largest-selling hybrid vehicle, having sold nearly 1.5 million units so far. Toyota has already received orders for 54 units in India.

The global trouble with Prius follows close on the heels of Toyota’s recall of 8 million cars (including Corolla and Camry) around the world because of sticky accelerator pedals. The Prius was recalled for brake software flaws. When asked if this could impact the launch of the car here, Nakagawa said that TKM would go ahead with its India launch plans as usual.

TKM had initially approached Toyota Motor Corporation for subsidies, but was advised to talk to the government of India.

As a part of the launch campaign, TKM is organising road shows across the country, and also showcasing the vehicle at auto shows to enable the potential consumer to have a touch and feel of the Prius.

Meanwhile, the company is all set to go ahead with the production of its new car Etios that will be available in a hatchback and a sedan version. Production is scheduled to start from December this year at its Bidadi plant and the car will hit the roads during the first quarter of 2011 calendar year. The company had sold 55,497 units in the country in 2009 and targets to sell 70,000 units this year. In 2011, however, TKM plans to sell 70,000 units of the Etios, taking its net sales number to above 1.4 lakh.

Toyota launches Q world for its customers

Toyota has launched a unique auto show called Q world which will give cutomers the opportunity to see the Toyota Etios concept. The event will be spread across a span of four months from January to April, with the first leg to be conducted in Mumbai.

The event will be held in 10 cities across the country giving the cutomers an opportunity to have a touch and feel experience of Toyota vehicles. The event will also showcase the entire portfolio of Toyota cars along with the future line up of Toyota products like the LC 200. The ten cities to host the event will be Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Cochin, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The Q World will also have events for fun and entertainment of customers. Here is what the original press release says:
"Toyota ‘Q’ World to come to Mumbai

• •Toyota ‘Q’ World – an exclusive auto show by Toyota – comes to Mumbai on 6th - 7thth Feb 2010
• •The event will span across 4 months from Jan – April in 10 cities
• •Customers across India to get an opportunity to see the Toyota Etios concept
• •An exciting array of vehicles to be showcased exhibiting Toyota quality and technology
• • Customers to get a touch and feel experience of Toyota range of cars with advanced and environment friendly technology

Kirloskar Motor announced today that it will hold the Toyota ‘Q’ World in Mumbai on 6th and 7th Feb 2010 at MMRDA Grounds,Bandra Kurla Complex. The event will be held from 12.00 noon to 6.00 p.m on Saturday(6th Feb) and 11.00 a.m to 7.00 p.m on Sunday(7th Feb).

The Toyota ‘Q’ World, a two day event, will travel across India spanning over a period of 4 months. The Delhi Auto Expo had customers coming to see the world premiere of the Etios concept and its latest technology; however the Toyota ‘Q’ World will take this experience ‘to the customer’.

The customers eagerly awaiting the launch of Etios concept will now get an opportunity, to see the vehicle, in their own city. The exhibit will include an exciting array of 11 vehicles which will give the customers a, never before, ‘touch and feel experience’ of Toyota vehicles. The exhibit includes the newly launched Etios concept and many more interesting and exciting vehicles in the current and future line up of Toyota products like the New Hybrid Prius, New Prado Diesel, Fortuner and LC 200.
The Toyota ‘Q’ World will span across 10 cities namely Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Cochin, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. It will also include various customer engagement events for fun and entertainment of the visitors."