Toyota is planning to launch a new small car designed specifically for China in 2013, according to a report from Reuters citing the Nikkei business daily newspaper.
The new small car will be a little larger than the low-cost Etios that is sold in India. A 1.5-liter gasoline engine will power it and prices are expected to begin from under 1 million yen (approximately US$12,853).
Toyota aims to keep the manufacturing costs of its new China-built small car as low as possible by using many parts from the Etios and is willing to spend some 40 billion yen for the local production of the model at a rate of 200,000 units per year.
The Japanese company wants to raise its 5% market share in the Chinese market by launching the new car with its two local joint ventures, China FAW Group and Guangzhou Automobile Group.
It also plans to more than double the production of the Etios in India, from the current number of 80,000 units to 190,000 by the end of 2013. In addition, it intends to produce another low-cost car in Brazil starting from the second half of 2012, at an annual rate of 70,000 units, as well as manufacturing low-priced cars in Indonesia.
TOYOTA ETIOS NEW MODELS
Consumers will find a bit of Toyota at Mazda dealerships by 2013. Mazda will become the second manufacturer, after Nissan, to borrow Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology as part of a licensing agreement aimed at leap-frogging hybrids into Mazda’s stable beyond the lonely Mazda Tribute SUV. The deal’s details have yet to be released but Toyota’s key hybrid drive components are expected to make the cross over to Mazda’s recently announced, next-generation, direct-injected Sky engines.
