Things have never been better for the B segment customer; here is yet another diesel hatchback to choose from in the 5 - 6 lakh rupee segment. The B segment space was ruled by the Maruti twins, the Ritz and Swift with the 1.3L MJD national engine. Ford introduced the Figo in March 2010 and was successful in grabbing a piece of the pie, thanks to the fantastic 1.4L TDCi mill and sensible pricing. Hyundai's i20 has been doing well, but hasn't really bothered the Figo or the Swift / Ritz as it is priced almost a segment higher. Plus, most i20 sales are anyways for the petrol variant. Tata's Indica Vista hasn't really taken off and it remains to be seen if the recent facelift will improve matters. The VW Polo and Nissan Micra diesels have garnered themselves a limited number of buyers as niche products (especially the latter).
The Liva was launched in June 2011 with a 1.2L petrol engine. This engine was a derivative of the 1.5L from the Etios to gain excise benefits. Unlike the Etios, which set a benchmark in terms of performance, driveability and economy, the Liva had its work cut out. The Maruti K series powerplant remains a benchmark in refinement and fuel-efficiency, along with the i10's Kappa2 engine. Where the Etios primarily has the Dzire & Manza for company, the Liva has to put up with significantly fiercer competition.
Toyota decided to introduce diesel mills in both cars, the Etios and Liva, together. Since the excise benefits apply for diesel engines within a 1.5L capacity, it made it easier to plonk the 1.4L D-4D engine into both cars with no changes required between them. The 1.4L D-4 D engine, code-named 1ND-TV, is similar to that of the Corolla Altis; primary difference is that the Liva gets a fixed geometry turbo (FGT) vis-a-vis the Altis’ VGT (variable geometry) unit. Power is down to 67 BHP while torque on tap is 170 Nm available from 1,800 rpm - 2,400 rpm. The wide 600 rpm band of peak torque is something that Toyota stressed upon, to emphasize the driveability of this engine. The diesel engine adds 90 kilos to the Liva petrol's kerb weight. The Liva D's kerb weight is surprisingly only 10 kilos lesser than that of the Etios D.
Comparing the specs on paper with the Liva's rivals shows us that the Maruti Swift and Ritz have a higher power output, yet the Liva matches them on the power-to-weight ratio. This is all down to the Liva being lighter than the Swift by 80 kilos, and a full 120 kilos to the Ritz. The Figo's heavier weight works against it, making its power-to-weight ratio a good 6 BHP/ton lesser. Fuel efficiency wise, the Liva is beaten only by the 3 cylinder Beat, making the Toyota the new 4 cylinder FE champ.
With the Liva D, it is clear that Toyota is not really out to bite into Maruti territory at the outset, and instead wants to take it slow and steady. Why else would they launch the Liva with only one variant, and that too the middle G-D spec. The G-D variant is equipped with power steering, all 4 power windows, tilt steering, keyless entry and ABS (
a very pleasant surprise) as standard. There's an optional G-D safety pack on offer, that adds Airbags and seat belt warning. The biggest let down is the lack of a tachometer in both variants. Toyota should have added this as standard, especially considering the oil-burner under the hood.
Externally, the G-D variant is exactly the same as its petrol counterpart i.e. 14" steel wheels shod with 175/65-14 tyres, compared to the higher end petrol variants that are equipped with 15" alloys and 185/60-15 tyres. The test car I was given came with a complete body kit (that is not part of standard equipment). You will notice that this body kit is not the same as the one on offer in the Liva Petrol, and is marginally heavier too. The rear skirt is larger while the front skirt is a single unit (compared to the 2 piece on the Liva petrol).
Toyota knows there will be a production constraint with the Diesel engine and has intentionally left out the V-D and VX-D variants for now. I'm not in favour of this strategy, though it might lead to better control on the wait periods. By introducing the Liva with only the G-D variant, it looks like Toyota is buying time till they can ramp up production capacity. It's only a matter of time before they introduce the higher spec variants.
Similar to the Etios D, the Liva D is priced pretty sensibly. The G-D variant costs Rs.95,000 more than the petrol G variant but gains ABS. Comparing it to other B segment diesel hatches, the G-D variant is priced 7,000 over the Ritz Vdi with ABS and the Indica Vista Aura with ABS. The 2011 Swift VDi retails @ Rs. 6,000 higher, but does not get ABS even as an option. The Figo remains the most value-for-money car in the segment. Rs.3,000 more than the Liva gets you Airbags, rear wiper / defogger and a bluetooth enabled audio system. The Beat D is also sensibly priced, but the 1 cylinder deficit and the relatively smaller interiors means it's actually a segment lower.
The Polo, Micra and i20 are in a different segment altogether. The Micra and i20 cost nearly Rs.80,000 more, and the Polo Rs.60,000 higher for a similar spec to the Liva.