Toyota to stop selling diesel versions of Etios, Etios Liva, Corolla Altis by April 2020
The upcoming BS-VI emission norms will need powertrains and exhaust systems to be fitted with several components which are expected to raise prices in the range of 20 to 25 percent.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor will not be upgrading its existing small passenger vehicle portfolio to meet the upcoming BS-VI emission norms, reports ETAuto. The products affected by this move will include Etios sedan, Etios Liva hatchback, Etios Cross crossover hatch, and Corolla Altis premium sedan.
This move may seem surprising but Toyota’s accord with Suzuki will come to its rescue. The Etios range is almost at the end of its lifecycle and the Toyota Glanza is expected to fill the void left behind by it. The Glanza is Toyota’s rebadged version of the Maruti Baleno. More Maruti Suzuki (and Suzuki) products are expected to be added to Toyota’s lineup in the near future – not just in India but also the world.
Diesel engines comprise the bulk of Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s sales volume in India. However, the bulk of its sales are of premium products – the MPV Innova and SUV Fortuner. The Japanese carmaker sold 99,979 vehicles between the months of January and September 2019. More than 60 percent of these were of the Innova and Fortuner.
While diesel powered vehicles will undergo a price hike in the range of 20 to 25 percent, petrol cars will go through a hike of around 10 percent. Apart from Toyota, brands like Maruti Suzuki and Renault have also confirmed that they will be shelving small diesel engines from their products portfolio.
Toyota Yaris, which is retailed only with a 1.5-litre petrol engine in India, will continue to be on sale. The company is also gearing up to introduce the premium MPV Vellfire. The MPV will be rivalling the Mercedes Benz V-Class and carry a price tag of around Rs 80 lakh.
Deliveries of the Vellfire are expected to begin in March 2020. Powertrain options will include a single petrol-hybrid 2.5-litre petrol engine (150 PS) and a 143 PS electric motor. That is the same setup doing duty in the Lexus NX 300h.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
