It started off with a lot of tyro level research into the famous sedans offered in India. The battle is no longer about the price; in fact the spryness counts more than the Gandhi’s you offer. So started the rumination process of getting a new car.
The rifeness of Maruti is suffused all across India. But the year was 2012 and there weren’t any interesting models that attracted my attention. After various pretexts in order to elicit information came the name Etios. Surely enough Toyota has been prudent with its vehicles and service, but was the Toyota Etios really a great choice?
After loitering around the Toyota showroom and getting to know the Etios better, the car seemed a better choice than the usual Maruti addition in the garage. After several months, and numerous lists, Etios was the only name that was left on my list.
There was a bit of speculation about the diesel model over the petrol one. The Diesel model was pretty good to drive and the Silent yet powerful Japanese technology managed to create awe. But since we were more in favor of the Petrol model, we bought the Etios V.
After shooting out a million questions and inquiring about the Toyota Etios, the showroom people had shown a lot of interest. It is essential that you remain omniscient about the vehicle you get. It is always recommended that you get a Pre Delivery Inspection of your car. Once that was taken care of, the Car was delivered along with 2 keys and a wireless remote. The car has performed quite well and served my purpose really well till date.
Engine and Performance:
The Etios V is a mid range petrol sedan that is built with a lot of stability and power. A 1.5-liter petrol engine powers the car and produces 88.76 HP. The car also goes commando with a torque of 132 Nm. The Etios has an electronic fuel injection supply system which makes it quite a smooth sailor across the bumpy roads. The car has a double overhead clam shaft valve configuration along with 4-cylinders and 16 valves.
It is a 5-speed manual transmission sedan, which serves the family’s purpose quite well. I tried testing the car’s mileage performance too, sadly this is not as fuel efficient as the Maruti car but, it some how managed to give me a mileage of 9 kmpl in the city area (although the company claims that it should give me a mileage of 12-14, my car is always thirsty for petrol). I wouldn’t vouch completely on this but it has been my experience. I tried to put the pedal on the metal on a deserted road (to my surprise, the road had not even a single pot hole, may be because some politician lives close by :P)
The Etios took me from 0-100 in around 17 seconds. Although it can touch a 150 kmpl speed, I did not want to experiment that speed, considering the damages I would have to face at home 😀 Exteriors:
The Etios stands strong like nobody’s business and looks quite refreshing. Thanks to the new and refreshed radiator grille and the prominent Toyota logo. The vehicle has pretty neat looking headlights that dazzle the car’s front fascia. On the rear side of the Etios’ sturdy looking body is the radiant tail light that has turn indicators as well as courtesy lamp along with brake lamps.
On the rear side, the company has left its insignia too. The Etios looks quite masculine and houses the right concoction of looks, elegance and appeal. At first glance, the Etios did look something different and it felt the same while driving. No matter how I spin this across, it completely depends upon your preference, mine lays with the Etios. Interiors and features: One reason I like the Etios over any other sedans that I had considered was its space. It easily fits in my family without having to worry about cramming up. The interior has decent fabric upholstery. Although it isn't the best, it feels comfortable on long drives. The boot space as well as the accommodation of the car is quite pleasing.
My seat (driver) has height adjustment facility as well as a center armrest. What I like about the interiors is the dashboard placement. Its central placement has a spacious glove box along with an AC unit along with a music system. The music system is the right amount of disappointing, meaning that I would have to shell out a couple of grand’s on a better music system (what a rip off right?)
There is an LCD fuel meter that features a digital clock along with a few informatics including a speedometer, tachometer and the digital trip meter. The music system houses a CD player along with FM radio support as well as USB connectivity. With a better music system and the right kind of subwoofers, the Etios would echo craziness.The electric power steering on the Etios makes driving simple. Owing to the heavy traffic and its perturbing conditions, the electric power steering helps a lot. The car has dual front airbags as well as the driver seatbelt notification system as a part of passenger safety (thankfully they have not popped out yet :D) the car also features key less entry, central locking as well as anti lock braking (the electronic brake’s force is equally distributed) and this makes it quite safe. My dad likes the advanced engine immobilizer device that safeguards the car and restricts unauthorized entry. Service: I get the car serviced once it touched 2000 Kilometers. I haven’t faced too many expenses. The car came with a 3 year or 1,00,000 km warranty along with 3 free services. The first service was done when the car had completed a month after getting the car, the car had not done 1000 kms then. The second service was done the succeeding year, although the car had touched 9400 kms then, the service was on the basis of duration. The Third service was done a few months earlier. The services were supposedly free, then again a few negligible expenditures that were less than Rs. 3000 were incurred.
Wrap up: I like the Etios for its safety features as well as the interior space of this car as opposed to competing cars in its category. What I dislike is the existing audio system that comes along with the car. A better audio system would have been spryer. Overall, this car is a great transition from my old Maruti Swift.