Toyota Tries to Break Indian Market

The world's largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., is eyeing emerging markets with a new low cost model that was unveiled this week in India. The production version of the 2010 New Delhi Show Etios Concept is available at launch as a four-door sedan model, but will be joined by a five door hatchback called the Etios Liva in April of 2011. 

The company said the Etios has been developed specifically for Indian customers and will be built at a plant in Bidadi, near Bangalore. However, Toyota eventually plans to offer the small sedan in other emerging markets such as China, Brazil, Thailand and possibly certain regions of South America.


The 4.265mm (167.9-in.) long sedan boasts a rather large boot with a luggage space of 595-liters and is powered by a newly developed 1.5L, 16V DOHC engine coupled to a 5-Speed manual transmission. The Etios sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, with prices ranging between 4.96 Lakhs and 6.86 Lakhs making it the company's most affordable offering in India. 

Commenting on the launch of the Etios, Mr. Akio Toyoda, President TMC said: “India is a key market for our overall strategic growth plans, and the launch of the Etios is definitely a milestone not only for Toyota in India but for Toyota globally."

"We at Toyota believe, ‘the road makes the car’ and the Etios is a product of real-world testing on roads across India. Our testing has covered a hundred thousand kilometers on every kind of road that Indian drivers encounter, from Kolkata to Mumbai, from the Himalayan foothills to the tip of the Indian peninsula

According to JD Power, Toyota sold a little over 60,000 cars in India through October, compared to 870,000+ sales from Marutti Suzuki, which is the market leader in the country.

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2010 Lexus GX460

First of all, what you see pictured above is the current generation 2009 Lexus GX470. Its successor, the fully redesigned 2010 Lexus GX460, will be revealed as a world premiere at the forthcoming "Auto Guangzhou 2009" (also known as the 7th China International Automobile Exhibition) motor show in China that will he held from November 23 to 30. The 2010 model year GX460 is based on the latest generation Toyota Land Cruiser that made its debut at the Frankfurt Show this past September.

While Lexus has not released any photos of the SUV, the next GX will most likely retain the styling of the 2010 Land Cruiser see in the photos below garnished with a new grille, unique alloy wheels and some minor design changes here and there. The same should apply to the interior as well.

However, as the its name implies, in the U.S., the 2010 Lexus GX460 will get Toyota's new and more powerful 4.6-liter V8, which debuted in the 2010 Tundra pickup truck. This engine makes that 310-horsepower and 327 lb.-ft. of torque, will replace the 4.7-liter V8 with 263HP and 323 lb.-ft. found under the hood of the 2009 GX470.

2010 Toyota Land Cruiser