Toyota launched the Yaris sedan in India back in May 2018 against a starting price of INR 8.75 lac. The Yaris in Indian market was pitted against the likes of highly successful Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid.
Related: Toyota Yaris Launch in Pakistan Postponed Amid Coronavirus Spread
Available in 4 grades and 14 trims, the Yaris comes equipped with a 1.5-liter (1496cc) Dual VVT-i petrol engine which has recently been upgraded to meet the BS-VI emission standards. The engine is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT.
Highlights of the Toyota Yaris’ features list include projector headlamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, navigation and gesture control, 8-way power adjustable driver seat, key-less entry, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, roof-mounted rear ac vents with ambient illumination, 60:40 split rear seats and adjustable rear center headrest.
Related: History: Toyota Yaris All Generations
Safety features on offer include 7 airbags and ABS with EBD and BA as standard across all grades. Top-end trims also get two front parking sensors, four rear parking sensors, reverse camera, VSC, HAC, TPMS and all-wheel disc brakes. However even after all this, the Yaris was unable to create any problems for its rivals in the segment whatsoever and remained at the bottom of sales chart with some dismal sales figures.
Since its launch in May 2018 till February 2020, the Toyota Yaris has sold just 15,009 units in India, averaging 682 units a month. On the contrary, the bestsellers of the segment including Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City & Hyundai Verna has sales averaging more than 3,000 units a month.
Related: 2019 Toyota Yaris Dual-Tone Launched in India Priced from INR 8.65 Lac
Late last year, Toyota refreshed the Yaris sedan by introducing new stylistic enhancements including a dual-tone color scheme and new diamond-cut alloy wheels. While retaining the price tag, the number of airbags in base variant was reduced from 7 to 3. Furthermore, to improve the value proposition and bring down the cost of ownership, Toyota rolled out numerous financial packages aimed at providing personalized solutions to meet varying customer requirements. The company also offers zero “down payment” and a “50% assured buyback” offer for the Yaris sedan after 3-year period. This has helped Yaris achieve sales of 1,267 units in the first 2 months of 2020, registering an 83% year-on-year growth.
The base variant of Yaris in India currently comes equipped with projector headlamps, a cooled glove box, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, remote locking, all-round power windows, power adjustable side mirrors, a rear armrest, split rear seats, 3 airbags and ABS with EBD and BA & is priced at INR 8.76 lac (PKR 18.1 lac). According to information, Toyota is also planning to target the fleet segment by introducing a new taxi variant of the Yaris sedan in India.
Toyota Yaris 1.5L
We will have to wait to find out whether the Toyota Yaris can continue on its growth trajectory in a tough Indian market which will soon see the launch of all new Honda City as well as the Hyundai Verna facelift.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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