New Delhi, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/05/2010 -- Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) today unveiled the concept model of its soon to be launched new compact cars in India. Named as Etios concept, it incorporates the advanced technology and superior quality features that have been developed by Toyota specifically for India, by leveraging the world class innovation that Toyota is globally renowned for.

The concept cars were unveiled in the presence of Mr. Kazuo Okamoto (Vice Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation), Mr. Akira Okabe (Senior Managing Director, Toyota Motor Corporation), Mr. Yoshinori Noritake (Chief Engineer, Product Planning for Passenger Vehicle, Toyota Motor Corporation), Mr. Vikram Kirloskar (Vice Chairman, TKM), Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa (Managing Director, TKM) and Mr. Sandeep Singh (Deputy Managing Director, Marketing, TKM).

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kazuo Okamoto said, “We are very excited to finally showcase the concept of Etios, which has been newly developed specifically for customers in India. Our tagline of ‘World First, India First’ represents our choice of India for the global premiere of the Etios concept, following which exports to other countries will be evaluated. India will play a pivotal role in Toyota’s global expansion plans and the time has come for us to strategically accelerate our growth here. Based on our ‘Customer First’ approach, our highest priority will be to make every effort to exceed the Indian customer’s expectations and the introduction of the Etios concept today is the first step in this direction.

Added Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, “In the past decade that Toyota has been in India, we have brought smiles to the faces of more than 4 lakh customers who own Toyota products. These customers are our biggest asset as we have learnt a lot from them and have utilized their feedback in designing our new compact cars. All preparations for the launch of Etios in India are on schedule, namely the construction of our second plant and the expansion of our dealer network. With the introduction of Etios, we will enter the mass volume segment. We are looking at a sales volume of 70,000 in the first year and will ensure that the customers of our new compact cars will have access to the world class quality standards that only Toyota can provide.”

Elaborating on the Etios concept, Mr. Yoshinori Noritake said, “In the process of development of Etios, I have visited many Indian cities and homes to understand the market and interact with customers. The Etios concept will cater to the basic needs of this market – highest standards of quality at competitive prices. Toyota’s new compact cars have been designed to offer innovative styling, roomy interiors, superior ride comfort and best in class mileage at competitive prices. The design concept of ‘Bold Simplicity’ represents the pursuit of the perfect combination of functionality and affordable luxury. More than 2000 engineers in India and Japan have worked in close collaboration for four years to ensure the perfect blend of local design sensibilities and unmatched global quality standards that is Etios. ”

Mr. Sandeep Singh added, “We are very proud that India is the lead country for Toyota’s new compact cars. We understand that the Toyota brand in India represents quality that is never compromised, advanced technology, durability and reliability, all of which are essential features in our soon to be launched new compact cars. With the introduction of Etios, we hope to attain a sizeable market share in India in the shortest possible time. To ensure maximum accessibility to our customers, we will expand our sales/service network to about 150 dealers by the end of 2010. This is the beginning of our marketing campaign for Etios. Next would be the exhibition of Etios and other models in 10 major cities for Indian customers to see and experience Toyota’s legendary quality standards.”

For further details, please visit http://www.toyotaautoexpo.in