Toyota has released the first official picture of the South African-spec Etios, and has teased us with some more information, ahead of the new entry-level car hitting local showrooms on 21 May this year.
Built in India, where the sedan and hatch range was designed specifically around the needs of the value-seeking motorists, the new Toyota (something of a spiritual successor to the Tazz) is claimed strike the best balance between price, running cost, performance and quality. Toyota also claims it has a personality, but the jury is no doubt still out on that point.
Toyota will offer two trims, Xi and XS, both powered by a 1.5-litre 16-valve engine that produces 66kW at 5600rpm and 132Nm at 3000rpm.
STANDARD AIRCON, ABS
All models will come standard with air conditioning, electric power steering, dual front airbags and ABS brakes.
XS models add remote central locking, front and rear electric windows, colour coded grille and door handles and a few chrome accents.
The little Toyota was designed with a focus on practicality and user-friendliness - even the vertically-stacked air conditioning vents were designed to keep the driver's arm from interfering with the air flow and the top vent is aimed directly at the rear.
The Etios is also big on storage space, with a 13-litre glovebox that's capable of swallowing a laptop and the sedan boasts a class-leading boot capacity of 595 litres.
Pricing is still a state secret (but rumoured to start around the R110 000 mark), but if Toyota can position it low enough then there should be little stopping this one from shooting up the sales ladder.