Back in October 2017, it was reported that Japanese carmaker Toyota is planning to replace its slow-selling sedan, the Etios, with the Yaris Ativ sedan in India. The Yaris Ativ is a new sedan launched in Thailand in August 2017. Now, the test mules of the purported model have been spied near Bengaluru where Toyota Kirloskar Motors' plant is located.
Even though the test mules are fully camouflaged, the V-shaped grille, circular fog lamps and exposed rear lamp confirm it's the Yaris Ativ. The Yaris Ativ has a contemporary design which is something Etios range is missing out. The sedan has a coupe-like roofline. Projector headlamps with LED light guides, LED daytime running lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED wrap-around tail lamps and shark fin antenna adds a premium touch to the Toyota Yaris Ativ. The young design of the Yaris Ativ has the chance to attract sedan buyers in India.
The Toyota sedan will be packed inside as well. The Yaris Ativ will be equipped with 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, rearview camera and engine start/stop function. The dashboard will get black interiors with silver trim around the centre console and air-conditioning vents.
Also read: 2018 Toyota Yaris Ativ coming to India soon, but how safe is the sedan?
On the safety front, it will flaunt ABS with EBD and brake assist, 7 airbags, stability control and traction control as standard across all the variants. The Toyota Yaris Ativ measures 4425mm in length, 1730mm in width and a height of 1475mm along with wheelbase 2550mm. The sedan also comes with 133mm ground clearance.
The Yaris Ativ will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that develops 87bhp mated to the six-speed manual transmission with the option of a CVT automatic gearbox. There is no diesel option available with Yaris Ativ in the Thai market, while when it comes to India, the 1.4-litre D4D engine is expected to do the job.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor is expected to showcase the Yaris Ativ at the upcoming Auto Expo 2018 in February and launch is rumoured during the festive season of the year. The Toyota Yaris Ativ will go up against the Nissan Sunny, Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in India.
Source: TeamBHP
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