Toyota Etios Performance & First Drive

Toyota Etios Overview

The Etios is pretty nimble for its size and easy to punt around town, thanks to a tight turning circle and super-light electric steering. However, the steering which is totally devoid of feel doesn’t give much feedback. With plenty of turns lock to lock, it’s quite slow and there’s a dead zone around the straight-ahead position which makes you feel disconnected from the road. With a weighty diesel engine up front, the steering has become a bit heavier but it is still too light at speed. Toyota Etios price range in India is between 6,80,282/-  to 8,81,800/-, check for detail pricing of |Etios in Carzprice

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For a car that doesn’t have sporting pretensions, the Etios is quite stiffly sprung but there’s a reason for that. High-speed stability was a priority for Toyota and hence a firm suspension set-up for better control was chosen. At low speeds, this has compromised the ride quality a bit which feels a bit jiggly over uneven surfaces but it’s not to the point of being jarring. Accentuating the stiff-kneed ride is a fair amount of road noise that filters through. Tyre noise and clunks from the suspension are quite audible, much of which is down to insufficient underbody insulation.

Toyota Etios Design

The Toyota Etios seems to derive certain cues from the Corolla though it has been designed suitably for the desired price range. The first look however is somewhat underwhelming. The car lacks curves, sleek shaping of bonnet etc.

At the front, the head lights on the wide front bumper and the chrome lined Toyota emblem give the confidence of Toyota brand. However, the head light size seems on the large size, and though positioned well, it certainly feels that it could have been improved much. The positioning of the windshield is in par with aerodynamics and adds to the aesthetics of the front portion. Black radiator grill and fog lamp add to a good impression of the car.

Toyota has used a good quality of body panels which is indicated by the sturdy feel of the front fender, front door, rear door and quarter panel.The rear side of the Etios is decent and has been covered with big tail lamps, and a somewhat lumpy dickey. The car from the back somehow reminds of the Mahindra Logan.

Toyota Etios Cabin

The interior layout remains the same, however, the plastic quality has improved. The surfaces feel soft to touch and the cabin no longer feels cheap.The centrally mounted instrument cluster is now an optitron meter with a digital tachometer and an anlouge tachometer. It looks much better than the basic cluster that was present in the previous Etios. While the cluster has readouts for fuel, odo, two trip metres, and the usual tell-tale lights I wish Toyota would have thrown in average and instantaneous fuel consumption readouts too.The music system in the new car is a big disappointment. The head unit looks like it belongs to an entry spec hatchback and so do the tinny speakers. It sounds like an aftermarket unit and I feel Toyota could have sourced a better system. It could have also introduced a touch screen infotainment system instead, given the segment and competition it positions the sedan in. But what the Etios may lack in equipment is made up by the spaciousness of the cabin. This is easily one of the most spacious cabins across segments and the use of beige around the dashboard, door pads and seats adds to the sense of space in the car. At 2,550 mm the wheelbase is long enough to liberate generous knee room, even for six footers.

The seats up front are very comfortable and offers adequate back and under thigh support which goes a long way in keeping fatigue at a minimum on long drives.The rear bench is wide and can easily accommodate three adults without them having to rub shoulders. Toyota has also incorporated a centre armrest that folds flush into the backrest. This explains the slight drop in boot space, from 595 to 592 liters. As a chauffeur driven car, the Etios does have one of the best rear seats in the business.

Toyota Etios Performance

Very few changes have been made to the mechanicals of the Etios. The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre unit producing 90 PS of power and 132 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine has good drivability in the city but it seems to run out of breath on the highways or at higher RPMs. Fuel efficiency from the petrol engine is also just about average. However, it has always been the diesel engine which has been fetching sales for Toyota. The 1.4-litre D-4D engine churns out 68 PS and 170 Nm and performance is very good. Power delivery is linear and turbo lag is negligible. The mid-range feels very strong and the car pulls nicely. However, the engine runs out of breath post 3500 RPM.

While straight line acceleration isn’t the best, in-gear acceleration is very good and that will satisfy buyers. The 5-speed gearbox isn’t buttery smooth though and takes a mild effort to change gears. To make things easier, Toyota has made the clutch lighter this time around. Also, the clatter from the engine has been reduced thanks to better insulation on the car. The rubber mounts have also been replaced by hydraulic mounts, thus improving the NVH levels. The diesel engine can easily churn out anywhere between 15-19 km/l.

Toyota Etios Driving

The ride quality on the Etios is very good but the suspension is stiffly sprung and hence some sharp bumps filter in the cabin. However, the car never loses composure and always remains stable irrespective of road conditions. The steering offers brilliant feels and feels great to operate. The car feels eager to dive into corners but on heavy cornering, the tail slides out due to the rear end of the car being a bit too light. Braking performance is also good and confidence-inspiring.

Toyota Etios Safety

Toyota has taken care of the safety of the passengers inside and a s a result they actually have loaded the LIva hatchback with ABS and EBD which comes as standard across all its grades. Furthermore the hatch also gets duel front SRS airbags as well. There is also an optional rear parking sensors as well with the car.

Toyota Etios Price

Toyota Etios Ex-Showroom Price in India ranges from 6,80,282/- (Etios G) to 8,81,800/- (Etios VXD Platinum Edition). Get best offers for Toyota Etios from Toyota Dealers in India,

Toyota Etios Conclussion

It’s clear that the Etios diesel has many shortcomings. The engine, though adequately powerful in the city, feels a bit breathless on the highway and is pretty noisy too. Built to a cost, it doesn’t feel as plush as it should and priced at Rs 7.87 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), it’s not that cheap either. But space and comfort is where the Etios scores in spades. It is phenomenally practical, thanks to its unmatched space, superb comfort and terrific fuel efficiency. Also, the light controls and the engine’s linear power delivery make it very easy to live with. It may not enthuse you but the Etios diesel comes across as a car that you can depend on, day in and day out. If you’re looking for a fuss-free efficient diesel-engined saloon, you can’t really go wrong with this Toyota.

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