Toyota Kirloskar Motor will start exporting Toyota Etios and the Etios Liva to South Africa by March 2012.
The export model of the Etios will be built on the same platform as the Etios and the Etios Liva that are manufactured and sold in India, said a company press release. There would, however, be a few changes in the technical specifications and features to suit the different needs of each market. The company will export only the petrol variants of the Etios.
The Etios is currently manufactured in TKM's second plant located in Bidadi industrial area on the outskirts of Bangalore. The export model will also be manufactured in the same plant.
The current production capacity in the second plant is 80,000 units, which will be ramped up to 1,20,000 units by 2012 and 2,10,000 units by 2013. The engine and transmission for the Etios sold in India and export markets will be manufactured at Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts in Bangalore.
Approximately one lakh engines will be produced per year starting in the third quarter of 2012 and approximately 2.4 lakh transmissions per year starting in early 2013. The engines and transmissions are currently being imported from Japan.
Mr Shekar Viswanathan, Deputy Managing Director, Commercial, TKM, said that the entry into the export market promises a lot of growth for the company.