The much-hyped Toyota Etios sedan was finally launched on first of December in Bangalore. The first thing that strikes a chord with every car buyer is the very aggressive price at which the car was launched. The Toyota Etios sedan starts at Rs 4.96 Lakh for the base J variant, Rs 5.46 Lakh on the G, Rs 5.96 Lakh on the G optional, Rs 6.41 Lakh on the V and Rs 6.86 Lakh for the top end VX variant (Ex-showroom Delhi).

The Etios sedan will boast of a 1.5-litre, 16-valve DOHC engine that will pump out 89 bhp of raw power and 132 NM of torque. Currently, a 5-speed manual tranny is pushed into service of the car but Toyota could well bring in an automatic transmission soon. The car is well built to accommodate five Indian adults comfortably. The striking feature of the car is that the car is the lightest in its class at 930 kgs and has the biggest boot in its class (595 liters) as well. And for the frequently popped out question of “Average Kitna Deta Hai ?”, the answer is 17.6 kmpl (ARAI tested). How cool can that be for the cost conscious Indian.

The people at Toyota can heave a sigh of relief as none of the direct competitors of the Etios i.e, Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Mahindra Renault Logan or Tata Indigo Manza can boast of a 1.5-litre engine. But yes, Toyota should still consider a diesel option for its Etios to take the market by storm.

If these above mentioned facts would not interest you, you have some other special features in the offering such as under body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake lines, Anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas prone to rusting and stone hits and chipping resistant paint on rocker mould and fender. There is a class-first ‘Clean air filter’ which is standard across all variants for purified air in the cabin, a spacious 13 L cooled glove box and seven one litre bottle holders to name a few.

The safety of the car is un-compromised and matches the European safety standards. Some of the various safety features present in the car are Energy absorbing body shell, Driver and passenger air bags and ABS with EBD.

Toyota now with the launch of the Etios, enters the mass volume segment as it aims to sell 70,000 units of Etios in India per annum. The dealer network would also be drastically increased to 150 by the end of 2010 to cater to the mass market.

Touted as a World First, India First and My First, the Etios sedan exclusively made for developing economies like India, was launched by none other than Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation and scion of the Toyota’s founding family. Also present at the launch ceremony were Mr. Akira Okabe (senior Managing Director, TMC), Mr. Soichiro Okudaira (Managing Officer, TMC), Mr. Osamu Nagata (Managing Officer, TMC), Mr. Yoshinori Noritake (Chief-Engineer- Etios, TMC), Mr. Vikram Kirloskar (Vice Chairman, TKM),Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa(Managing Director, TKM) and Mr. Sandeep Singh (Deputy Managing Director-Marketing , TKM).

Speaking at the gala launch at Bangalore Palace, Akio Toyoda, President TMC said, “The all-new Etios reflects our determination to serve an even-broader range of customers here with genuine Toyota quality. We spent five years developing the Etios.” He also added, “We at Toyota sat that “the road makes the car”. And the Etios is the product of real-world testing on roads throughout India.”

Toyota further stated, “We have driven the Etios across more than two hundred thousand kilometers of Indian roads from Kolkata in the east to Mumbai in the west, from Himalayan foothills in the north to the southern tip of the Indian peninsula… That extensive testing has enabled us to provide the Etios with a distinctive flavour of driving”.

Speaking on the sales and service of Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Mr. Akio said, “And our sales and service team will accompany the high quality of the Etios with conscientious and dedicated customer support at dealerships throughout India.”

The newly christened Etios Liva hatchback also was showcased along with the Etios in today’s function. You can book your own Etios with a booking amount of Rs 50,000. Toyota has brought out 6 new colours, Symphony Silver, Harmony Beige, Serene Bluish Silver, Vermilion Red, Celestial Black and White that could go well with the Indian summer.