Toyota’s cross dressing Etios

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We may all complain about poor service delivery and increased consumer inflation, but despite government corruption and scandal, South Africa is growing. Look around you; buildings are sprouting out of the ground like weeds after the first summer rains. Dated 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s corporate office parks are being demolished to make way for sculptural heaven-reaching high rises.

Like phallic symbols of wealth, the cities are erect with projected prosperity. This upward and wide-ward growth is called urbanisation, and with it brings the educated middle-classes. Like the pyramids of Egypt, exists an economic hierarchy within the growth of our economy. There are the few rich that sit at the pinnacle, the thick middle and a large emerging base. South Africa’s rapidly growing base is made up of young adults, who come standard with a tertiary education and a hunger for success. Earning a tertiary salary means buying their first car.

Enters Toyota - with their solution for this need.

Toyota like VW, understands this customer. Having built a loyalty within the South African market, consumers believe in what they are getting and appreciate the value offered by the brand. For decades, Toyota has earned this reputation and for good reason, because they deliver on their promises. Problem is, the youth want more, and the choices these days are as abundant as the selection of toppings at your favourite frozen yoghurt store. Think of the funky offering from the Korean barbeque or the quirky selection from the French trio, not forgetting the Italian bambino for Fiat, the 500.

Rewind to 1996, press pause for a decade, and Toyota introduced their much loved Tazz. After a decade on the market and hundreds of thousands sold, it was dated and time to put it to pasture. It took Toyota six years to replace the Tazz and in 2012 they did, introducing the Etios. The Etios is a cheap and cheerful 4-door hatch, which can carry five adults in relative comfort while nipping around the city frugally with its 1.5 motor.

The Etios is available in either hatch or sedan and Toyota have sold up to 2000 units per month, giving Toyota close to 30% market share in the compact category of vehicles. With their finger on the pulse of their customer’s writs, they believe by adding a niche model to the successful Etios range, the Etios Cross, they can get pulses racing further.

Toyota expect to sell 120 (6% of total Etios sales) Etios Cross models a month, they are aiming the cross dressing urban worrier at male consumers, or the more adventurous at heart. The Etios Cross is targeted at customers who like the look of SUV’s and aspire to the rugged feel of these types of vehicle. They are active types, partaking in running, kickboxing and dabbling in a little cross fit exercising and may even ride a bike, for which the roof rails of the Cross will become handy.

Cleverly, Toyota has dressed up an already winning recipe. They have cladded and embellished the Etios with protective ‘armour’ making it appear SUV ready, crossing over to the rugged side of the motoring world’s dress code. Think of the Etios as a standard white T-shirt and jeans, while the Etios Cross mixes sport active apparel with cool casual skinny denims.