A simple car which will make headlines Toyota Etios

The Toyota Etios has been launched in India at a price of between 4.96 - 6.86 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• A practical family sedan. Realistic pricing too
• Spacious interiors can easily carry 5 adults
• Stunning in-city driveability. Torquey engine & nice gearshift
• Well-tuned suspension. Safe handling and flat ride
• Cavernous 595L boot swallows holiday luggage
• Toyota’s excellent after-sales service

What you won't:

• Dated, plain-vanilla styling. Lacks contemporariness
• Missing equipment (climate control, height adjustable seat, electric ORVMs etc.)
• Economy-grade interior quality & unconventional dashboard
• Cost-cutting glaringly evident in many areas
• Buzzy engine over 4,500 rpm. Doesn't like the redline

The dynamics of the 5 – 8 lakh rupee market are completely different from what Toyota India has been accustomed to. For starters, the customer here is particularly price sensitive. A lower price point generally equates to slimmer margins. Then, the competition is fierce with the largest number of players vying for a slice of the pie. Indeed, this will also be the first time that Toyota is going up against Maruti head-on. Let's get one thing out of the way : The Etios is aimed straight at the Dzire, no two sides to that. Even the pricing is bang in Dzire territory. I feel a major draw will be the brand itself; a Toyota sedan for 6 lakh rupees is enough of a selling point for many out there.

FEW GOOD FACTS:-

The Etios feels like a “well-engineered” Toyota, albeit not an “over-engineered” one (as say, the Innova does).

• Standard Toyota philosophy reflects in the product : Does some things really well, most things satisfactorily and nearly zero things poorly.

• Current level of localisation is 70%.

• The Etios may be "made for India", yet will be sold to other parts of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) regions eventually.

• 3 year / 100,000 kms warranty as standard. No extended option.

• Toyota’s sales outlet expansion in preparation of volumes : 97 in 2009 to 150 in 2010.

• Note to Toyota : When you get the diesel, ensure that the massive turbo-lag is reduced. The Altis D4-D was quite a handful in the city.

• I think it's fascinating how Tata & Toyota are entering previously unseen segments; the former recently launched a 15 lakh rupee MPV, and the latter a 5 lakh rupee sedan!

• No NCAP testing. But then, neither are the Dzire and Manza.

• As if to take a dig at the Dzire & Manza, Mr. Toyoda says that the Etios is a true sedan (and not a boot pasted onto a hatchback).

• 6 colour options : White, Black, Silver, Beige, Bluish silver and a Dark red.

• There are some accessory packages on offer, which include a combination of mats, door visors, steering wheel cover etc. More details on Toyota's website.

• Fuel tank capacity = 45 liters. ARAI rating : 17.6 kpl.

• The short-throw clutch will take you 2 minutes of getting used to. Once done, you’ll grow to love it.

• The interior rear-view mirror on our test car came off a couple of times! The bonnet-holding rod got detached, and there were innumerable plastic clips & rubber bushings left by previous reviewers in the cubby holes. Not the Toyota we know. Our car was a pre-production example. Lets hope there are no such issues once the Etios starts rolling off assembly lines in the 3rd week of December.

• The front seat has a generous travel range (fore & aft). On the other hand, the steering tilt adjustment range is rather limited (rough estimate = only 2 inches of travel). Some will complain that it doesn't tilt high enough.

• Thin backrest of the front seats liberates that much more knee room for rear passengers.

• Rectangular storage places on either side of the handbrake are long enough to hold pens. They even have cut-outs for exactly the purpose.

• All three passenger grab handles have bag hooks.

• The driver has decent all-round visibility, including whilst reversing.

• Cost cutting : Between the boot and the rear seat, there is no partition to speak of. It’s merely a piece of black cloth hanging around. Further, the instrument cluster illumination isn’t adjustable.

• Sometimes, between the 2,800 – 3,200 rpm range, we could here a faint whistle from the engine. Obviously, it ain’t no turbo-whistle.

• Large rear windows don’t have a quarter glass. Greenhouse is generous. No feeling of claustrophobia at all.

• Rear seat cannot be folded down for when cargo carrying flexibility is required.

• Foot room for rear seat passengers is generous. Those with XL sized boots won’t have any trouble fitting in.

• Stereo can play DVDs. If you aren’t the iPod type, you could easily carry upto 4.7 gigs of MP3s on a single disc (dual-layer single-side DVDs go upto 8.7 GB).