Toyota Etios Overview
In a bid to combat rising competition in the sub-four meter sedan segment, Toyota India has given comprehensive cosmetic upgrade to Etios sedan. The engine set up has been retained, but Toyota claims to have made vital changes to address issues such as higher NVH levels and vibrations especially in the diesel engine. Other mechanical measures that Etios facelift encompass is a new gearbox, tweaked clutch and improved suspension. Cosmetic changes made to the sedan are copious and additional equipment inside the cabin and on safety front bring it on par with rivals.
Toyota’s made for India Etios sedan has received the most comprehensive update till date in the last six years. Changes made to the sedan are largely cosmetic and mechanical updates have also been made for enhanced performance and better ride quality. New elements like V-shaped grille, reworked bumper and larger air-intakes have transformed the look from front. Minimal changes are made to the sides and rear end gets redesigned tail lamps, new bumper and chrome accents. Engines are carried over from the previous model, although both the units have been tweaked. Inside, it is radically the same with only a couple of additions including new upholstery and a centre armrest.Test drive for Toyota Etios.
Toyota Etios Exterior & Look
Toyota Platinum Etios is a compact sedan with a sharp appearance that is marked by a stylized front grille and radiant headlamps. Intermittent wipers adorn the front windscreen. The upper grille is chrome treated and the lower grille is black in colour. White fog lamps are fitted on both ends of this black lower grille. The bumpers, door handles and Outside Rear-View Mirrors (ORVMs) are of the same colour as the body, and this makes the sedan look extremely elegant.
The side protection moulding comes with chrome insertions and the B-pillar is blacked out. The four 12-spoke alloy wheels are dressed in full wheel caps. Platinum Etios comes with a roof-mounted foldable antenna and the rear end of sedan is embellished with triangular tail lamps. The chrome garnish on its boot adds to the sophistication. Dimensionally, Toyota Etios is 4.27m long, 1.7m wide and 1.51m high. The wheelbase of the sedan is 2550 mm and it provides an incredible ground clearance of 170mm. The turning radius of 4.9m makes it easy to handle.
Even on the inside, the updates aren’t easily seen, but look closely and you’ll spot a pleasant change. The instrument cluster, while still placed atop the centre console, has a better looking layout and includes a digital tachometer along with the analogue speedometer. The black and ivory interior colour combination looks nice and mature, but the plastic quality is still quite hard and lacks the premium touch you’d expect at this price. The feature list still isn’t anything to write home about, but while the flat-bottomed, leather-wrapped steering wheel and 2-DIN sound system have been carried over, you also get a height-adjustable driver’s seat as standard on all variants.
The wing mirrors are now foldable on the top-end VX/VXD grade too. The cabin’s utility has improved as well and apart from the addition of a well-sized rear armrest, the rear backrest folds down to open up more storage space. We would’ve liked integrated cup-holders in the armrest and a 60:40 split seat, but that’s just nitpicking. The boot space drops 3 litres to 592-litres (to accommodate the armrest console), but even so, the Platinum Etios offers segment-leading cargo space.No compromise on the Etios’s main selling-point either – comfort. The cabin is spacious, the seats are supportive and well-cushioned and the 1,695mm width equates to good shoulder room for 3 adults at the back.
Toyota Etios Engine & Performance
Toyota Platinum Etios comes in both petrol and diesel variants, and is endowed with five-speed manual transmission. The petrol engine is a 1496 cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC. It generates a maximum power of 88.76 bhp (@ 5600 RPM) and gives a maximum torque yield of 132 Nm (@ 3000 RPM). The fuel supply system is an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) type. The diesel engine is a 1364 cc, 4-cylinder, 8-valve, SOHC, D-4D. It generates a maximum power of 67.06 bhp (@ 3800 RPM) and produces a maximum torque of 170 Nm (@ 1800-2400 RPM). The fuel supply system is Direct Common Rail (DICOR) Injection type. For Toyota Etios check tweetcast.in
Toyota Platinum Etios petrol engine is equipped with an Electronic fuel Injection (EFI) supply system, which generates a mileage of 16.78 kmpl. The DICOR Diesel engine registers an incredible mileage of 23.59 kmpl. The fuel tank has a capacity of 45 L, and hence, the petrol variant provides a driving range of about 750 km and the diesel variant gives a range of almost 1060km.
Toyota Etios Ride & Handling
One of the biggest drawbacks of the suspension setup in the previous car was its tendency to sag when the car was fully loaded with occupants and luggage. Toyota has stiffened the suspension to address the issue and there is a noticeable difference to the old car.The low speed ride, as a result, is stiffer than before which means you do feel some of the undulations on the road. That said, the ride improves as speeds increase.The suspension also does a brilliant job of ironing out the bumps and ruts, however you do hear a loud thud when you crash into large potholes.
The handling, just like the old car is predictable and there is decent feedback from the steering as mentioned before. It holds the intended line through a corner and mid-corner bumps do not unsettle the car. It’s not an out an out sports sedan, something that people may infer from the Etios Racing Series that was held a few years ago, but it does the job and it does it rather well.
Toyota Etios Braking & Safety
Scoring a high 4 star rating in the NCAP test, Etios is a reliable car when it comes to safety housing a number of safety features. With the recent facelift, the sedan gets a host of primary safety features including dual airbags and ABS standard across line-up. The sedan also gets ISOFIX mounting points and side-impact reinforcements.Face gets V-shaped chrome finished grille, front fog lamps, electrically adjustable ORVMs, reverse parking sensors etc. The dual-tone interior packs in seven bottle holders, a three spoke steering wheel and day and night IRVM among several others.
Toyota Etios Price in Bangalore
Toyota Etios On-Road Price in Bangalore ranges from 8,27,703 to 10,78,777 for variants Etios G and Etios VXD Platinum Edition respectively. Toyota Etios is available in 8 variants and 7 colours. Below are details of Toyota Etios variants price in Bangalore. Check for Etios price in Bangalore at Carzprice.
Toyota Etios Final Thought
Overall, the Platinum Etios doesn’t change the identity of the car it always was, but improves on it. Even with prices ranging from Rs 6.54 – Rs 8.98 lakh, it still misses out on commonplace features like automatic climate control, rear AC vents, or a proper multi-information display, but continues to offer more space and comfort than similar priced compact sedans. It’s far from feature loaded, but puts a nice suit around the reliable package that the Etios is to make it more appealing to the family car buyer.If all you want is an unassuming, comfortable, spacious, can’t go wrong car with the bare essentials, the ‘Platinum’ does make the Etios more desirable. That said, the car is showing its age and it’s high time Toyota filled in the humungous price gap between the Etios and Altis with something that offers the best of both worlds.