Toyota Etios response at the showroom

Toyota knew it had to get it spot-on to capture the premium hatch and saloon segment and to do so it did four-years of extensive market research and came up with a car that has excited almost everyone, the Toyota Etios.

Coincidently, the first customer whom we encountered at the Gurgaon dealership was the first to book this car in the Delhi-NCR region. After taking a closer look at the Etios, OP Dhariwala's (an auto-mobile engineer and an ex-IAF) first reaction was, "The boot space is zabardast!" When asked what made him book the car without even taking a test drive, he said, "I have driven almost all cars in India, but the Etios was a fresh choice from the lot with competitive pricing and for me the name of the brand Toyota was enough to book it."

There were also other loyal customers of Toyota, who simply booked the car because of the trust they hold in the brand. "I was zapped at the first look of the Toyota Etios in the advertisements. I chose this car over other entry level sedans currently on offer in the market because of the Toyota brand and the competitive pricing," said Dhawan, a businessman in Pune. Sanjay Bafna, of the Bafna Industries, Pune also echoed a similar opinion.

Apart from the cut-throat pricing, another factor that could have impressed an Indian buyer is the space for his family and there is no questioning the fact that the design and styling of the Toyota Etios is well proportioned and balanced. Thanks to the long wheelbase! "When I visited the Toyota showroom, I was told that the Etios even with its modest pricing is as spacious as the Manza, which I already own  and being a Toyota car, and owing to our overall satisfaction with the brand, we have decided to go with the Etios," said Hitesh Pagariya, Director, Topaz Cement, Private Ltd.

Toyota Etios: A peek inside

If the exteriors could not impress some of you, the engineers have done a stellar job with the interiors. "The first thing that caught my eyes was the mighty dashboard with everything clustered in the central console and it was this that made the cabin a very pleasing place to be in," said Rakesh Sharma, senior manager, Mumbai.

For our VP, Animesh Bukalsaria of Delhi, it was the air con vents and the perfectly optimised seat back angle that bowled him over. "The air con vents are mighty imaginative and impressive. They not just rotate to open but also swivel to direct cool fresh air into the cabin. Even the rear seat layout is perfect for a family of five," said Bukalsaria.

When asked about what people think is hidden under the hood of the Etios, they all had a common response. "The car acts the way we desire it too."  The 1.5-litre engine with 90PS of power at 5600rpm is more than enough to endow the sedan with enough thrust. "I love the seamless drive the car offers. It responses to the tune I make it dance and I always wanted a car that acted as per my desire," said Raghav Maheshwari of Bangalore for whom it was all about the controls the car offered.

Hence, the Etios blows away the competition in key areas like the space and comfort, fuel efficiency, pricing and ease of driving. But what disappointed a few people was the missing power steering in the base model and the long waiting period for the car. "I am really disappointed with the base model; it's more like a taxi! Power steering is mandatory in big cars," said Ankur Paliwal, a software analyst from Delhi.     

 

Dealer's verdict:

Vivek Saxena, Asst. Manager Sales, Sales Operations, Toyota, Gurgaon

From its launch till a week before, the only thing available on the car was a video brochure and seeing that we had 400-500 bookings in our showroom. The competitive pricing for a B-segment car is what has impressed the masses and I am glad that they are so confident about Toyota. The cars will be delivered by the end of this year.

Swapnil Godbole, Asst. Manager Sales, Toyota, Pune

We received more than 8,000 bookings in the first 11 days of the Etios's launch here in India. At present we have registered over 11,000 bookings pan India for the Etios. It is a great achievement for us and for Toyota. Toyota plans on manufacturing 70,000 units of the Etios units for the first year. The Toyota Etios is a car being manufactured for people looking out for something affordable and spacious in the B segment.