Toyota India, currently, has a presence in most of the entry-level segments in the country sans the A-segment and the C+ sedan segment. The former is a segment that Toyota is unlikely to enter but the latter is a more probable prospect and it is seems the candidate for this challenge will be the Vios sedan. It has been developed for emerging markets and is currently on sale in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Exterior
The Toyota Vios embodies the design that we first saw on the Corolla Furia concept car (consequently becoming the American spec Corolla sedan). It gets the same grille as the India spec Corolla but with a wide open air intake which has been surrounded by an octagonal grille.
The side profile of the Vios has been made to look sporty and thanks to this pedigree it gets a strong shoulder line which has a forward leaning stance. The Vios also gets flared wheel arches and a strong baseline which in turn works with the flared wheel arches to give the sedan sporty credentials.
Toyota has made the rear of the Vios very similar to that of the 2014 Toyota Corolla. It gets large wrap around tail lamps and a large chrome strip running across the length of the booth in a bid to boost the premium appeal of the car.
Interior
The Vios gets very similar interiors to those of the 2014 Corolla both in terms of design and feature list. The design combination is a two-tone style with beige and black being the main colours. Toyota has fashioned the plastics in silver to contrast with the beige and black combination. Standard features include climate control (on the higher variants), 2-DIN music system, steering mounted audio controls and for the Indian market and an AC vent for the rear seat.
Engine and gearbox
The Vios in India will be offered with the 1.5-litre petrol engine as well as the 1.4-litre diesel engines found in the Etios and Liva. Gearbox options are expected to include the five-speed manual, seven-speed CVT box and the six-speed manual for the diesel.
Price and competition
The Vios will compete with the Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz (when launched), Skoda Rapid and the Volkswagen Vento. It is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.
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