In a sudden twist of events, the world’s number one car maker, Toyota Motor Holdings has decided to postpone the launch of the Toyota Liva in India. Its Indian subsidiary, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) recently announced this decision.
It is said that the company first plans to ramp up the production of the Toyota Etios sedan whose waiting periods run into approximately 6 months. It may be recalled (no pun intended) earlier that TKM was eager to launch the Toyota Liva earlier than scheduled to cut some waiting period lists off the Toyota Etios. Toyota were supposed to launch the Toyota Liva in April by sanctioning a second shift in their facility. As of now, the proposed second shift would be utilized for bringing in customer retention by getting more models of the Etios rolling out fast. The saving grace is that the Etios’s arch rival, the Maruti Swift Dzire has got equally appalling waiting periods. The Toyota Liva would now be launched by June of this year.
Several dealers had reported that customers are no longer willing to wait and many have actually canceled their bookings. It is said that some of the dealers had to face more han 60% booking cancellations. As of now, a separate facility has been created for rolling out the Etios sedan and this facility produces about 70,000 cars per annum. As of now, Toyota have offered the Etios with only a 1.5 liter petrol option but talks are on to launch the car with a diesel motor towards the later half of 2011. This diesel motor would be plucked from under the hood of the Toyota Corolla Altis diesel. The Toyota Liva in the meanwhile will start off with a 1.2 liter petrol engine and the same diesel engine from the Corolla Altis. In a bid to spruce up things and to lay its claims to being one of the hot hatches in India, the Liva may also be offered later on with the 1.5 liter petrol engine from the Etios sedan. The only bone of contention here is that if waiting periods for the Etios are so much, then how much would be the waiting periods for the Liva? Over to you Toyota.
Ever since i saw the pictures of Toyota etios liva i right away knew that this car was the car i have been hoping and dreaming of.So can’t wait to buy this superd and magnificient car.Hoping by next month it will be launch as promised for real.