By Toyota’s partnership with Maruti Suzuki, which is currently leading the sales chart in the Indian market is helping the former to gain success in the volume market. The Glanza is already selling really well and the introduction of the Urban Cruiser has further helped the Japanese manufacturer to post positive sales. Now the company is planning to introduce a rebadged Ciaz sedan in the market as the Yaris has become a big flop for Toyota.
One of the reasons for the failure of Yaris is its premium pricing as the company expected the Toyota logo to help it sell along with the lack of premium features. The Japanese manufacturer is planning to discontinue the model as sales are really low and replaced it with a rebadged Ciaz. According to new media reports, the sedan is likely to be named Belta, which was confirmed by leaked trademark registration.
The rebadged Ciaz is expected to come with minor exterior changes like a new front grille with the Toyota logo in the middle. We are not expecting any other exterior changes even the alloy wheels will be carried over. Any major design change will increase the price for Toyota. The interior changes will be limited to just the Toyota logo on the steering wheel. Like the Ciaz, Toyota’s version USP is also going to be the interior space and it is class-leading.
The upcoming sedan will be packed with features like a touchscreen infotainment system, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, leather seats, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse camera, electronically controlled exterior mirrors, rear AC vents and more. The Belta will be powered by a 1.5 L petrol engine producing 105 PS of power and 138 Nm of torque, mated to 5-speed manual and 4-speed auto. The launch is expected to take place later this year.
