Japanese auto major Toyota today launched the diesel versions of its small car Etios sedan and hatchback Etios Liva. Etios diesel is priced in the range of Rs 6.44 lakh and Rs 7.87 lakh, (ex-showroom Delhi) and Etios Liva diesel is priced at Rs 5.54 lakh.
Offering a mileage of 23.59 km, both the diesel variants are powered by a 1.4-litre engine. Etios diesel comes at a premium of Rs 90,000 to the petrol model, while Etios Liva is Rs 95,000 costlier than petrol variant.
“We are now offering the diesel variant to widen customer base and build Etios brand equity," the Toyota Kirloskar Motor Managing Director, Mr Hiroshi Nakagawa, told reporters here. The company plans to sell 63,000 units of Etios family of cars in India this calendar year.
The TKM Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), Mr Sandeep Singh, said the company has sold 33,000 units of the Etios family this year and intends to sell 30,000 more in the remaining four months.
The company’s current product basket offers 40 per cent diesel and 60 per cent petrol variants, while the market demand dictates a 70:30 diesel-petrol mix. “We will review our offerings next year depending on the then prevailing market situation,” Mr Singh said.
Earlier, the company revised its sales projection of 1.45 lakh units across models this year to 1.35 lakh owing to component supply crunch in April-May after Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami in March this year.
Diesel engines will be imported from Japan, the company having no plans of making them in India in the near future.
TKM is ramping up production at its second plant in Bangalore from 1.2 lakh units to 2.1 lakh units by 2013. The company is also increasing its dealership base from current 163 to 175 by 2011-end.