Toyota's Yaris was never a high seller in India for a bunch of reasons. Some people felt it wasn’t the right competitor to the Honda City or the Hyundai Verna in terms of luxury and comfort or as efficient and adequately priced as the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. The Yaris isn’t as spacious as its counterparts, as it lacks some standard features and is not as roomy as one had hoped for it to be.
The unexpectedly higher price couldn’t help keep up with the market and its customers and then it started struggling in terms of sales for quite some time. Hence, Toyota will now replace the Yaris with the rebadged version of the Suzuki Ciaz and call it the Belta. The Belta might be priced slightly higher than the Maruti Ciaz at around Rs 8.50 – Rs 11.50 lakh (estimated ex-showroom, India)
The production of the Toyota Yaris was recently terminated. Even though there are a few units that have been produced, the dealers will be selling them off in the next couple of months. The engine and the other specifications for the Belta will remain identical to the outgoing Ciaz, which means it will get the same 105hp, 1.5-litre K Series petrol engine. The Belta is expected to be released in the market around mid-August and once launched it will take on the Ciaz, City, Verna, Rapid and Vento in the mid-range sedan segment in India.
Picture Credits: Autocar India
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