Toyota Aygo to Take On Maruti Alto K10?

In an earlier story, we told you about Toyota's plans of working along with Daihatsu to develop small cars for the Indian market. Before that story, Ashish had written about the possibility of Yaris and Aygo making good hatchback options for India. Today, we accessed information about Toyota India importing three units of its small hatchback, Aygo, in India for research & development (R&D) purposes from its Czech Republic- and UK-based facilities (Source - Zauba). This could be Toyota's small hatchback for India that will take on the likes of Maruti Alto K10, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai Eon 1.0L and other 1000cc engined cars.

The Aygo is a 5-door hatchback that features a 1.0-litre petrol motor capable of churning out a maximum power output of 68bhp and 95Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front-wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. The European version of the car also features an AMT, which, we think, might make its way to India, considering the rising popularity of AMT-powered cars here.

The challenge, however, for Toyota will be pricing it competitively. To do this, the company will have to localise most of its components, including the engine and gearbox. If the new hatchback does arrive in the country, it will be positioned below the Etios Liva - which is currently the cheapest Toyota car in India.