First arrived in 2010, the Toyota Etios twins (the Etios saloon and the Etios Liva hatchback — and not to forget the Etios Cross based on the latter) have managed to reach 3.3 lakh customers. And a testament to the product is the company-claimed 87 per cent retention rate. With that in place, the updated Etios has big shoes to fill.
Launched at a starting price of Rs 5.24 lakh for the Etios Liva hatchback and Rs 6.43 lakh for the Platinum Etios saloon, the new cars come with updated styling, refreshed interior, improved safety kit, and a 7 per cent improvement in NVH levels. Comprising about 50 changes overall, the new Etios twins continue with a running cost of just Rs 0.34 per km (excluding fuel, of course).
Engine options remain unchanged with the 1.4-litre diesel being available on both the Etios and the Etios Liva. The petrol version of the Etios gets a 1.5-litre engine while the Liva a 1.2-litre unit, like the outgoing model. The clutch is said to be softer on the new versions, and there’s a new digital tacho as well.
Inside, the overall design remains unchanged. It gets a dual-tone black and ivory interior, the centre-mounted instrument cluster is still very much there but the seats are said to be have better support at the rear, and there’s a rear arm-rest, too. ISOFIX child-seat mounting points are standard across the range, while ABS, dual airbags, and seatbelt pretensioner will also be available on all variants. One must also remember that Etios also proudly boasts a four-star NCAP safety rating. Parking sensors, electrically adjustable rear view mirrors add to the feature list.
There will be four variants of each. The current Etios and the new look Etios both will be on sale side by side — latter with better features and looks, former in base spec mainly for fleet operators.
How expensive?
Prices for the Liva start at Rs 5.24 lakh for the STD petrol going all the way up to Rs 7.44 lakh for the top-spec diesel. The Platinum Etios is priced at Rs 6.43 lakh (for STD petrol) while the top-end diesel is for Rs 8.96 lakh.
