Toyota sedan to have a 1.5L engine

I did talk about the possibility of a C segment sedan in India from Toyota in a few years time and there are hints that the sedan could be powered by a 1.5L petrol engine.Regarding the diesel engine I am not sure yet.

Toyota is planning a 1.5L petrol engine plant in Japan which would be ready by 2010.Right now the 1.5L engine is proving a popular choice round the world due to its frugal nature for Toyota.

Honda is enjoying success with the 1.5L engine in India with the Honda City sedan.Looks like Toyota is all set to use the same strategy employed by Honda.In case of petrol engines rivals like Maruti,Ford,Chevrolet,Hyundai,Mahindra Renault have 1.6L engines for their C segment sedans[Ford,Chevrolet,Mahindra Renault also have a 1.4L engine option].

Also read:
Toyota may introduce more than a single model in small car space

Toyota may introduce more than a single model in small car space

The TOI has an article where Toyota is supposedly setting up a Technopark[The Technopark would consist a consortia — formed from a number of Toyota group firms that manufacture components, transmissions, seats and other parts] and according to sources of TOI ,Toyota plan to introduce more than a single model as far as the small car segment is concerned.

Logically speaking this may very much be a possibility and is the right way forward considering that Toyota is way behind in the Indian market right now and has only a 3.6% marketshare.In case of other manufacturers customers have so many options in different segments even right now so by 2010 Toyota will struggle if only a single small car rolls out from its manufacturing plant by 2010.

Toyota have only to look at the Skoda Fabia.How many units is Skoda able to garner with the Fabia.It would be almost impossible for Toyota to cater to a large segment of customers with only a single model and the 10% market share it plans to grab by 2010 would only have remained a dream.

So the next question is what can be expected.Well for starters a B+ segment hatchback and a C segment sedan.Yes I expect Toyota to be working on a C segment sedan[remember all the talk about bosch and toyota working on a vehicle in India].Right from the start there was also a plan to target the B segment but the challenge has been pricing and if Toyota is able to meet this challenge then we could expect a B segment hatch too but I am confident of the first two.Then ofcourse there is this strong demand for a Qualis replacement which too may just be looked at.The new corolla of course would be here this year and possibly a facelifted innova as well.Fortuner plans remain unclear.

But finally we are going to get some vehicles from Toyota.I wish to warn the other manufacturers,Watch out the giant has just woken up.Wish you all the best Toyota.

[image source:automotive.com]

Also read:
Toyota to launch a new model every year

Honda confirms all new Honda city launch by end of this year

Update:
Team-bhpian Spots possible new Honda City.

This time its straight from one of the Honda dealers

Honda Siel Cars India Ltd will launch a new version of its Accord in May-June this year. Honda has also lined up the launch of a hybrid version of the Honda Civic and a new version of the Honda City in the months thereafter, according to Mr Kuldip Nayar, Chairman of Pinnacle Honda,

Mr Nayar said Honda is also working on plans to launch a “small car” in India by 2009-10.

Mr Nayar said by the end of the current fiscal Honda Siel Cars India hopes to sell 66,000 Honda units in the country.

Expect the all new Honda city around Diwali time and if the 2009 Honda fit is anything to go by expect this to be the killer blow from Honda in the C-segment.The interiors are good enough to put even D-segment cars to shame.The civic hybrid should be around earlier than that.

[Source:Moneycontrol.com]

Update:
NDTV confirms launch of the next generation honda city by the end of the year[2008].

Also read:
Preferably don't buy these cars in 2008

World premiere of the all new Honda city in August 2008 in Thailand

Team-bhpian Spots possible new Honda City.

Would prospective car buyers opt for an SUV instead?

Last month it was the Honda city,this time its the Mahindra Scorpio which has achieved a phenomenal rise in sales.Sales are up by 48%.

Scorpio sales, including exports, grew by 48% in February ‘08, with sales of 3,909 units as against 2,637 units for the corresponding period last year.

So did prospective C segment car owners switch to the SUV segment cannot say that yet,the important word is exports,don't know how many units were exported.The budget has not brought down prices of either the SUV segment or the C segment cars,its the Hatchbacks which have benefited the most and it would not be surprising if the B+ segment of cars actually grows at the expense of the C-segment cars[Will take up this in a later post].The Scorpio would have to contend with the Sumo Grande from this month onwards so it would be interesting to see how sales are impacted and how big the SUV segment is actually.Its with the Sumo grande that we would know if C-segment car owners[prospective] would choose an SUV instead of a sedan.

One huge disadvantage is that in India a women driving an SUV is to put it politely not something that is acceptable.So thats an area where the SUV just cannot take the place of a family car atleast in the near future.

However we have traditionally accepted the big is better concept on the roads.Besides the anti-SUV environmentalist party is an absolute minority in India if it is actually present.

Apart from the Macho image and the utility factor what should help the SUV's is that two strong players Maruti and Honda don't have a diesel offering.Increasing parking woes and the traffic mess in our cities is something which would work against the SUV's.Although theoretically the Sumo grande is expected to be much easier to drive than some of the C-segment cars even.

But even after taking into consideration all these factors I don't feel the C-segment cars would be in danger because of the SUV"S simply because they would be appealing to two different segments of people.Its only the in the advertisements we would see the SUV being a replacement for a family car.