Toyota India has stopped the production of Yaris sedan in the country. Though, as per some dealers, the Japanese brand still has decent stock of the sedan which could be sold over the next few months. Toyota Yaris will be replaced by the Maruti Ciaz based sedan, which could be christened as Toyota Belta. The Toyota-badged Maruti Ciaz is expected to launch in August this year in the Indian market. Like the other two Toyota badged Maruti products namely Glanza and Urban Cruiser, it too is expected to rake in decent sales numbers for the company.
Toyota Yaris was overpriced in a segment which comprises of heavyweights like Honda City, Hyundai Verna & Maruti Ciaz. Hence, it could never perform as per the expectations of the brand. Sometimes, Toyota had to struggle to sell even 100 units of the sedan on a monthly basis. Another reason behind phasing out Yaris could be to make way for Maruti and Toyota’s D22 SUV, also termed as Creta fighter. Both the companies have high hopes from the all-new SUV which is being jointly developed. Toyota has decided to name the Ciaz based sedan as 'Belta'. For those asking, it is a Latin word which means Belle or beautiful. In fact, it is also a slang term in Australia which refers to a real cracker.
The Belta is expected to get a very handful of cosmetic updates as compared to the Ciaz in the form of Toyota logo in place of Maruti emblem. The interior cabin is also expected to retain the same upholstery and features as the Ciaz. Mechanically, it will be offered with the same 1.5L K Series petrol engine which is good enough for 105bhp. The petrol engine will not be an ICE-only unit as there will also be a mild hybrid system to improve the fuel efficiency. Besides the conventional manual gearbox, a 4-speed automatic transmission will also be available with the Belta. Toyota will not only sell the Toyota Belta in the domestic market but also export it to South Africa. The customers can expect an extended warranty package with Belta similar to Glanza and Urban Cruiser.
Image Courtesy - AutoCar India
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