hatchtoyota's

is here!the etios liva dissected inside: full road test,

competition check, tech specs

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eems like Toyota had already broken the mould with the Etios Liva even before the hatchback’s launch. How? Well, normal practice for most manufacturers at least in India has been to launch the hatchback first and then stick a boot to it after a few months. So it did come as a faint shock to everyone when the extremely spacious Etios sedan was launched first in India while Toyota opted to keep the hatchback’s debut for later. It’s now here though and the Toyota Etios Liva promises to not only live up to its suffix but also to the ‘breaking the mould’ theme in many more aspects. While what the Etios Liva brings to the table may not seem overly revolutionary at

first glance, over time you realise that it truly is. For starters it’s here with a different engine compared to its sedan sister and for more reasons than just efficiency. With a 1.2 litre engine behind the aggressive front end, the Etios Liva also attempts to make the most out of the excise duty concessions that the Indian government has to offer for small cars. But the word ‘small’ itself is a paradox here because despite the Etios Liva fitting the bill as far as external dimensions are concerned, it is quite the opposite on the inside.

Design & style: Happy face or angry birD?The press release for the Toyota

SPHOTOGRAPHY : KUNAL KHADSE

livingup!ToyoTa’s small car is finally here and even Though iTs been a long waiT for iT To arrive, we can say ThaT iT was well worTh iT! Zigwheels puTs The eTios liva To The TesT.

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seems to be rather straight forward – better efficiency. With the gear ratios matched to make life in the city easier, the car does feel peppy enough at low revs and accelerates cleanly off the line, but a little later all the excitement does die down and you really need to work the engine to get to over 120 km/h. Our instrumented tests did see the car cross the 150 km/h mark but trust us, it took a lot of patience and even more stretches of empty roads to get there. The 5-speed manual gearbox may be the culprit here with gear ratios more akin to city driving than highway cruising, but that does have a rather pleasing effect when you look at it’s fuel efficiency figures. ARAI certifies them at 18.3 kmpl cumulative but real world conditions should see you get about 14.3 kmpl in the city and 16.1 kmpl on the highway. Considering the prices of petrol today, that’s not a bad proposition indeed! All through the car’s test, the Liva’s gearbox provided positive feel and slick shifts all the way to fifth. Predictably then, the Liva wasn’t a scorcher in the acceleration tests either, taking over 17 seconds to cross the 100 km/h mark.

VeHicle Dynamics: Quality bits all rounDThe Etios Liva comes in with a 2460mm wheelbase,

anyone who knows the Indian market would have known that the hatch would be looking to exploit the maximum benefits of the excise duty concessions that the Indian government has on offer for small cars. And that means that under the Etios Liva’s hood is a 1.2 litre four cylinder engine. On paper, it isn’t all that bad – 80PS @ 5600 rpm and 104Nm @ 3100 rpm aren’t bad figures at all. In fact they’re pretty close to most of the competition and better than some as well. Coupled with the Liva’s 900-odd kg kerb weight, it should also make for great power to weight ratio to score high on performance, right? But somehow, that’s not the case because the Etios Liva’s brief

Etios Liva says that the car’s front was designed to look like a happy face. Now, everyone’s favourite angry birds may or may not have been around when the car was penned, but there’s no denying that the two do look similar. And that is not necessarily a bad thing – it means that the Etios Liva has a certain cuteness to it and despite the fact that it shares the same front end as the Etios sedan, the Liva looks more appealing owing to the rounded hatch at the back. And that’s really where the magic of the Liva is – the way the rear end has been designed is simply a delight to behold. It finally makes the front end look complete – something that the sedan could never manage. Two corner-mounted tail lights do the trick to give the Etios Liva not only a beautiful guise but also a very sporty stance. The car has a huge wheelbase and some pretty good ground clearance, but the overall design of the car helps hide both dimensions extremely effectively from the outside so as not to appear jarring in any way.

If the exteriors were aggressive, yet cute, the interiors live up to the car’s name beyond doubt. The complete set is a straight lift from the sedan which means it comes with the same vertically mounted central air conditioning vents and

the chilled glovebox. The central instrument console is also carried over and we must say it does give the car a rather interesting perspective. The sporty theme is extended all the way from the seat fabric and the door trims to the steering wheel and the central dash layout. But then again, that was bound to happen considering that the Etios sedan was always a very nice car to be spending time in and the Liva’s insides are more or less an identical match.

engine & transmission: efficiency is tHe keyThere was a lot of talk of the Liva getting the big 1.5 litre engine from the sedan, but

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which is pretty long and apart from liberating more room on the inside, that also helps make the car more stable on the open road. Keeping the tyres attached to the road surface is a MacPherson Strut setup on the front and a torsion beam at the back. The setup does soak in almost everything that Indian roads can throw at a car and the Liva is surely capable of handling more power from the engine when it comes to handling as well. Uphill drives may seem exactly that, but the Liva does delight on a tight downhill run – though not as much as some of its other more focused handling competitors. But the best part about the car is the fact that when it comes to safety, Toyota aren’t compromising which means no matter which of the four variants you choose, every Liva comes with ventilated discs up front and drums at the back that make braking crisp and sure. The 170 mm ground clearance also means that the underbody is clear of any kind of hits and scrapes on the tallest of ill-constructed speed breakers. While the bottom two variants – the J and the G come with 14” tyres, the top spec V and VX come with 15” ones which not only make the car look good, but also greatly enhance the car’s handling as well as ride comfort.

liVing witH it: practicality to tHe max!It may take a while for someone to truly fall in love

with the Etios Liva’s looks, but considering that we spend a lot of time playing Angry Birds in our modern lives, most young people should take an instant liking to the car owing to the similarities in appearance. Then again, it doesn’t really perform as well as we would have liked it to – especially with the 1.2 litre engine running out of breath on the highway, but the flip side to that is the amazing fuel efficiency it returns both within city confines and on the highway. But the Etios Liva’s appeal stretches way further than just looks or performance. It is probably one of the most practical small cars we have seen in the market. With space that could put many a car to shame not only in its segment or a segment higher,

but also in some much bigger cars! With Kunal Khadse, our photographer sitting in the front seat with his legs fairly stretched out and leaving himself quite some knee room, I could fit my 5’6” stocky frame rather easily in the back bench and still had about 6 inches of knee room to spare! The doors open far and wide making for easy ingress and egress and the benches themselves are rather comfortable too. The rear one especially, can easily seat three adults abreast and there’s more than enough room for tall folks too. If you thought all that would eat up on boot space, think again – because the Etios Liva’s boot is massive and can devour a whole lot more than just your luggage – it could easily fit me in there with the hatch

closed! And to top all that off, it’s a Toyota, which means there’s more than enough of reliability and quality in that car to put major space projects to shame. Peace of mind and ease of operation is what you get with the Etios Liva and that’s something that’s a luxury to have in modern stressful times!

VerDict: a new HigH on comfort!Considering all of the above and the price tag that the Etios Liva comes with, it sure seems like a quiet revolution in the small car segment. While most people might not be able to appreciate the car’s importance and value immediately, those who do will remain eternally happy with their decision to buy it. The Etios Liva is a big car in a small package and coupled with legendary Toyota reliability and quality, the Liva should offer good service to its owners who will revel in its massive interiors and comfortable seating. This is certainly not the car for someone looking at super fast mile munching, but when you look at your bank balance at the end of every month, the Liva will definitely make you smile. Maybe that’s what Toyota meant when they said that the Liva was a happy faced car then!

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 price (ex-showroom delhi) ` 3.99 lakhs ` 4.59 lakhs ` 5.49 lakhs ` 5.99 lakhs (opt) : ` 5.05 lakhs

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tech specs

competition check:

toyota etios liva

vs hatch-pack!a pricing beTween rs 4 and 6 lakh ex-showroom has meanT ThaT The ToyoTa eTios liva has The enTire gamuT of indian haTchbacks in iTs crosshair. here’s The lowdown on all iTs peTrol-powered rivals, wiTh Their pros and cons compared To The new car

PHOTOGRAPHY : KUNAL KHADSE

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ser friendly, reliable, with a trusted badge and most importantly, affordable. That’s what the new Toyota Etios is all about. If its makers have cut corners while creating the car, it is in places where it doesn’t show, or hinder the car’s daily use capabilities. It may not emanate a high-flying premium hatch feel, but that’s what keeps it well within the buying reach of a large majority. From

the small, spunky and inexpensive Chevrolet Beat right up to the solidly-built Volkswagen Polo – everything is fair game for new entrant.

A full-blown comparison test is on its way, but meanwhile we have a quick recap of the cars that the Etios Liva will fight, along with the places where the rivals better the new car, and what they lack.

The Swift vs Liva comparison is a very serious one, and the verdict may change the market, and hence demands much more comprehensive testing. Watch out for a straight and detailed head-to-head soon. As per preliminary impressions though, the

While most questions will be about the Liva vs the class leading Maruti Suzuki Swift, let us not forget that Suzuki’s exemplary and all-new 1.2-litre K12M petrol engine made its debut with the Ritz, much like the Etios Liva. The Ritz is also more closely matched to the Liva when it comes to pricing and has a higher

The latest entrant into the Indian hatch space has begun to gather momentum, and for good reason. To start with, the Micra certainly

Swift may have some trouble retaining its long-living shine thanks to the Liva. The appeal of the two cars is totally different – the Liva is a more welcoming, comfy family hatch, the Swift has a more aggressive and youthful air. Families that own the Swift probably do so since they either did not have good hatchback options back in the day, or do not wish to look anywhere else thanks to the brand name that the Swift has built up.

This will be the primary hurdle that the Liva will face, but it does have the Toyota badge and the reliability that comes along with the package. It also has more space, and is a more practical car in general. The Swift still remains a force to be reckoned with, especially after the recent move to the 1.2-litre K12M engine as its petrol powerplant, but the basic difference in the cars is the people for whom they were originally intended.

family appeal just like the Toyota, so let’s stick with it for now.

The K12M engine definitely has its bases covered against Toyota’s 3NR-FE mill. It’s revvy, responsive, exciting and fuel efficient. The mileage figures are quite comparable, but the Liva engine does demand to be driven in a relaxed way, keeping the revs under 4000rpm to get the most out of it while engine on the Ritz is responsive and frugal almost throughout the rev range, and seldom feels out of breath.

When it comes to space and comfort, the Liva trumps the Ritz. Packaging of interior space is certainly one of the Toyota’s strong points, and kneeroom especially at the rear is much better compared to the Ritz. Styling also pushes just the right buttons with respect to Indian tastes, as the quirky styling of the Ritz needs some getting used to.

has a decidedly upmarket appeal, with a modern and fresh exterior design and treatment of the interiors. It is a fairly comfortable car too. This is a car that shares the maximum characteristics with the Etios Liva too. It is Japanese, designed with easy city use in mind, has similar dimensions and similar levels of space and comfort inside. The Micra does have more plush interiors, and a great build quality given that the Made-in-Chennai hatch is exported around the world. That said, the Etios Liva beats it in terms of price, and brand image. Toyota definitely demands a more loyal fan following compared to Nissan, which is still making its presence felt in the Indian car space.

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maruTi suZuki swifT

maruTi suZuki riTZ

nissan micra

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The last big success story in the Indian hatch market has been the Ford Figo. At the heart of its success lie a few very smart factors, like very ingenious repackaging of a

The Polo has been rocking the premium hatchback space since its launch, and for good reason. Solid build quality with great attention to detail, great driving dynamics and road-holding, and classic European hatch looks – this is an

One of the best value for money premium hatches around, the Hyundai i20 manages the best marriage of European

strong, proven chassis, non-controversial design, phenomenal space, interestingly placed feature-variant combination – and price. The 1.4-litre Duratorq powered diesel variant is definitely the better car of the two, but the petrol is not bad either.

Comparing the Figo to the Liva, the Ford beats the Toyota in terms of space. The Figo’s fantastic balance between ride quality and handling is also something that the Liva’s more soft, easy going suspension set-up does not match up to. But while the Figo’s interiors leave a little to be desired, the Liva looks smart from the inside. Fuel efficiency is also expected to be better on the more optimally weighed Liva compared to the Figo which has an underpowered 1.2-litre petrol pulling a fairly large and heavy car.

international car through and through, a fact corroborated by the International Car of the Year award.

The Indian petrol Polo however shines much more in the expensive 1.6-litre engine option. The three-pot 1.2-litre engine that is also seen in the Skoda Fabia does not quite live up to the car’s capabilities, and feels laboring. While the Etios Liva does not have a cracker of an engine itself, driveability at city speeds is certainly much greater.

This may well turn out to be a battle of the brands between the world’s largest carmaker and the German marque that has strong aspirations for the same position. The two cars are built with very different briefs in mind though, and it remains to be seen whether the masses prefer the Liva’s ease of use over the Polo’s strong face.

design, Japanese refinement and Indian sensibilities when it comes to the drive. Super comfortable and refined with a whole lot of space, the i20 may not have hit the headlines of late but is definitely raking in the sales.

The Liva does feel a little pared down compared to the i20, which feels like a lot of car for its price. An optimal combination between price and features is a hallmark of the Hyundai, and gives it extra points over the Liva. The Liva is lighter and easier on its feet though, with controls as tactile and smooth as the i20. Plus the Toyota brand name may be the trump card to give a tough fight to the Korean giant.

ford figo

volkswagen polo

hyundai i20

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This one may not really be a fair comparison, since the Beat is a significantly

smaller car and hence sports a much lower price tag. It does have a zingy 1.2-petrol mill and falls within our competition criteria, so we had to put in a word for the radical GM hatch.

It has enough going for it, but the Beat remains a car that is an option in the smaller car class, against the likes of the Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. However it manages to offer a tough fight, with great interior and exterior design and exciting engine characteristics. When it comes to the Liva, it does have an edge in terms of price and driving fun, but loses out on too many fronts including space, comfort, sorted dynamics and above all, brand image.

The Punto looks great, but in this avatar it has by far the weakest engine to power this really promising car. In fact, the 1.2-petrol option is here only for excise benefits, and seriously reduces the entry price-point of the European hatch. It has size, space and looks on its side, but that’s about it. The Liva on the other hand is a purpose-built 1.2 hatch, and though it may not look as good or is as large as the Grande Punto, it drives with ease, and comes out on top compared to this particular 1.2-litre variant of the Fiat.

Facing similar problems as the Grande Punto thanks to the same engine, there are better versions of Indica Vista to go for, including the 90PS 1.4-litre petrol, and the great Quadrajet diesel. In the 1.2-litre petrol variant, the Indica Vista still has all the practicality, space and comfort that the car has come to be known for, but the small mill has problems driving the biggish hatch, and fuel efficiency also suffers as a result. The Liva on the other hand will be perceived as a more upmarket offering thanks to the Toyota badge. The team also found the Japanese car to be a better looker than the Vista. All in all, the Etios Liva remains a definite step above the 1.2 petrol Indica Vista, in almost every way.

chevroleT beaT

fiaT grande punTo 1.2

TaTa indica visTa safire

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