Toyota Etios Cross hatchback unveiled in India at the Auto Expo

Snapshot: Toyota Kirloskar Motors Limited (TKML) has unveiled the Etios Cross crossover styled hatchback. Based on the Liva hatchback, the Etios Cross is essentially a body kit equipped hatchback designed to look like a crossover. Apart from the addition of a body kit and a few tweaks to the interiors, the Etios Cross is pretty much a Liva hatchback in disguise. Prices of the Toyota Etios Cross will be revealed in May this year, which is when the car will be launched in India.

Toyota will sell the Etios Cross in India with three engine options, the 1.2 and 1.5 liter, naturally aspirated petrol engines and the 1.4 liter D-4D turbo diesel engine. All three engines get a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard. The manual gearbox drives the front wheels of the car.

The Etios Cross is also sold in South America, albeit with a single engine option in the form of the larger 1.5 liter petrol motor, the likes of which powers the Etios sedan and the TRD Sportivo variant of the Liva hatchback. The 1.5 liter petrol engine on the Brazil-spec Etios Cross is tuned to support ethanol blended petrol, a standard requirement in that part of the world.

In India, competition to the Etios Cross will come from the Volkswagen Cross Polo and the Fiat Grande Punto based Avventura crossover styled hatchbacks. The Etios Liva is not a great seller by Toyota’s own lofty standards. Therefore, the Etios Cross is a move by the Japanese car brand to boost sales. On how Toyota’s latest move will pan out is something that only the future can tell.