Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), an Indian unit of Japanese auto giant Toyota, has announced that the production of its recently launched Etios model will go on stream in the third week of this Dec. The Toyota Etios sedan will be manufactured at company’s recently established second manufacturing unit in Bangalore.
Speaking to the reporters in Ahmedabad, TKM’s Executive Managing Coordinator Director Marketing Koji Nagata said that the company will commission its second plant in Bidadi by last week of December this year.
Initially the company will be start manufacturing operations in one shift and from year 2011, the production of Etios will be commenced in two shifts.
The second manufacturing plant at Bidadi (Bangalore) has been established with a heavy investment of Rs 3,200 crore. The plant has a total annual manufacturing capacity of 80,000 units.
Toyota plans to take the localization content in Etios model to as much as 90 percent from existing 70 percent by producing engines and transmissions in the country itself. So far, the company imports the engine and transmission for Etios from its base facility in Japan.
While speaking on the matter TKM General Manager Sales Division Sailesh Shetty told to reporters that amidst plan to double car sales in India by next year to 1,40,000-1,50,000 units, the company will launch the hatchback Etios Liva in April 2011. The company recently stated that it will price the Etios Liva hatchback after the announcement of Union Budget in March 2010.
Earlier this month, the company had rolled-out its much anticipated entry-level sedan Etios sedan in the Indian market in the price bracket of Rs 4.96 lakh to Rs.6.86 lakh (ex-showroom price, Delhi). The Toyota Etios sedan comes powered by a 1.5 litre, 16V, DOHC petrol engine and is claimed to be offering a class-leading mileage of 17.6 kmpl.
