With the discontinuation of the Toyota
Etios this month, TKM has no presence in the fleet segment now. The company
plans to launch a stripped-down, cheaper Toyota Yaris as a solution in the
coming months. The latest development has been confirmed by Naveen Soni, Senior
VP - Sales and Customer Service, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. “Very soon, we should
be looking at the possibility of a specced-down Yaris,” Soni said recently. To
clarify that he was indeed referring to a stripped-down trim for fleet buyers,
not a new base trim for private buyers, he confirmed that a “taxi-suitable,
low-spec model” is under consideration.
Currently, the prices of the Toyota Yaris
start at INR 8.76 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The new base trim may not include
features like projector headlamps, shark fin antenna, (15-inch) alloy wheels,
height-adjustable driver seat, electrically adjustable mirrors and 60:40 split
rear seats. These features are included as standard in the current base trim
(J).
The Toyota Yaris taxi should employ the
familiar 2NR-FE 1.5-litre Dual VVT-i petrol engine. This naturally aspirated
four-cylinder mill produces 107 PS at 6,000 rpm and 140 Nm of torque at 4,200
rpm. It returns a fuel economy of 17.1 km/l when had with a 6-speed manual
transmission and 17.8 km/l when had with a continuously variable transmission.
TKM is unlikely to offer the CVT option in the taxi trim.
Reports say that a CNG engine option is
also in the works for the Toyota Yaris in India. It is possible that TKM will
offer the upcoming trim with this more economical engine option.
