[Safari_Beast]

Vid has already discussed that beadings issue in etios diesel thread . Doors dont have the beading , but they are fitted on body instead . Water seapage was an issue due to aftermarket fitment by an etios owner .

Originally Posted by cityvic

Brilliant Review Viddy.

This blue on the Liva looks Hot.

Just waiting for Toyota to improve the interior material quality and add door beadings so that the water seepage can be prevented.

[Sheel]

I would like to hear as to what Toyota folks have to say about launching a no frills variant, I mean what is their thought process?

As vid & GTO say, there indeed are better Cars than Liva, in both petrol & diesel variants, its the badge that would propel the sale. There isn't a particular strength in Car save for Toyota badge & hassle free ownership & maintenance.

Thanks for sharing the impressions Team

[arvindmanju]

nice review VId!! i wish they had different variants other then GD, the picture with the body kit looks good.
Does the car feel confident and safe when travelling at 100+ kmph? my question is because the car is light and does it feel like its going to take off at hight speed?

[tj123]

The major problem with is this car is poorly designed interiors(at least aesthetically) and lack of equipment on-board. Only things favoring Liva is interior space & the T factor.

Overall there are better cars like Swift, Figo , Ritz , Polo and Vista available at a similar price tag.

Moreover none of us know how this new India specific platform will fair against the rough Indian roads condition in the longer run. I am sure Toyota has done lot of testing but testing cannot really simulate the real life test for example it’s good to see Toyota is incorporating feedbacks like coating the underbody to reduce noise levels. It will take some time to really fix all the niggling issues as new issues crops up here and there.

[MaserQ]

Short, crisp and very useful review, Vid6639. A quick question - no rear defoggers on this variant?

The Liva looks a generation old when seen next to a new Swift. But so does a Figo. This is a car that appeals to the head rather than the heart.

But what Toyota has done is that they have ABS standard in a mid-variant. With the exception of the Ritz and the Vista, all other competitors have ABS only on the top-end variant. This move will definitely appeal to the safety conscious among us.

[ghodlur]

@Vid,

Nice and crisp review. Can i ask an honest question - Should I suggest the car to my office colleague who is looking for a diesel hatch. The reason for asking is there is nothing quite different in the Liva form the existing diesel hatches.

Can you elaborate by what you meant Strange exhaust system please?

[sachinj12]

Only one variant. I am surprised by Toyota's decision. It might back fire on them! The customer has no choice at all.

At Vid, any idea when the vehicle will be available in other trims?

BTW, a well written review!

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Vid,

Nice and crisp review. Can i ask an honest question - Should I suggest the car to my office colleague who is looking for a diesel hatch. The reason for asking is there is nothing quite different in the Liva form the existing diesel hatches.

Can you elaborate by what you meant Strange exhaust system please?

It depends on what your colleague is looking for and his budget. If he wants a car with features say a top end variant then look at the Figo. The Figo Titanium is just 3,000 more than the Liva G-D.

If he just wants a practical car then the Liva is nice.

The Swift has ridiculous waiting periods and if one needs a car in a month or 2 the Swift is ruled out.

Originally Posted by MaserQ

Short, crisp and very useful review, Vid6639. A quick question - no rear defoggers on this variant?

The Liva looks a generation old when seen next to a new Swift. But so does a Figo. This is a car that appeals to the head rather than the heart.

But what Toyota has done is that they have ABS standard in a mid-variant. With the exception of the Ritz and the Vista, all other competitors have ABS only on the top-end variant. This move will definitely appeal to the safety conscious among us.

Nope, there are no rear defoggers or rear wipers on the G-D.

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Only one variant. I am surprised by Toyota's decision. It might back fire on them! The customer has no choice at all.

At Vid, any idea when the vehicle will be available in other trims?

BTW, a well written review!

I did ask the Toyota guys how long before you end up getting the higher variants and they remained mum. They just said it depends on market and as per our market study people wanting a diesel car don't want high end variants as cost goes up too much.

[webblescott]

Hi all,all this info was very handy
had to cancel my booking for Swift ZDi as the dealer says it will at least take him two more months & just booked for Liva diesel (silver)today, will get the delivery in most probably two weeks time. he told this will be the first Liva diesel to be rolled out from his showroom
will update more reviews after I lay my hands on the key

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

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.

On the contrary, I feel the Liva has the Swift Vdi in its line of sight. Even with the launch of the Zdi variant in the Swift, I am certain that Vdi will be the top seller of the 3 variants. For almost the same price, you get all the features present in the Vdi (sans fog lamps and electric mirrors? Or did I miss it?) plus, and its a BIG plus ...... ABS. I think it used to cost additional 20k if one opted for the older Swift Vxi / Vdi with ABS.

Also you have a car thats roomier, fuel efficient (more than the Vdi) with (reportedly) negligible turbo lag and lets not forget that its a Toyota. T badge has a significant fan following in India.

So what if things get a bit uncomfortable post the 3000 RPM mark. Quoting GTO's takiya kalaam, a car in India will spend more than 90% of its life under 3000 RPM. Its an irrefutable fact. I doubt if another (higher) variant will be launched. I mean what will be further added? Alloys, Fogs, seat height adjuster, music player? I doubt this car would make sense if it rolls into the Zdi price territory. I think Toyota knows that. At this price point, its a good buy. Hope Toyota can cope up with the demand unlike Suzuki. I am confident, people will flood the Toyota showrooms with a signed cheque for the Liva. And no doubt the ridiculous waiting period for the Swift will see many a cancellations in Liva's favor.

Just my 2 cents.

A good review Vid. Rating it 5 stars.

[man_and_machine]

The Liva does not miss anything that is a deal breaker. The Swift is a brand it self (you very commonly hear the word "Swift" used in singular than "Maruthi Swift" or "Suzuki Swift". So any swift competitor will need to have a very strong brand backing. That is something that the Liva has. However, the brand might not work alone. You will need the meat into it too, this is where I see the swift having the edge.

A agree with GTO that the ETIOS is a better bet for Toyota where the field is less crowded that the Liva. Looking at Swift and Figo numbers there is a reason why there are selling in those numbers. Will Liva get sold for the same reasons? tough to say. With the Govt. announcing a 2 -3 Rs increase of petrol prices due to the weaker Rupee, the D badge will get even more focus.

[RGK]

Fine review Vid.

Liva Diesel will live upto the Toyota brand expectations. A family with grownup adults (college going children) can opt for Liva diesels for its space and trouble free ownership.

How is the AC performance in Diesel. It was not so good in petrol and need to keep the blower speed at 3 always.

Liva and Beat introduced Diesel options later after their petrol siblings are launched.

[motorworks]

Great Review!
I don't buy this logic that the Liva's USP might be this "practical" car tag. The figo, the indica vista and even the new swift are all as practical as a hatch can get! I would even say that the new swift is to be left along with the i20, polo, fabia, micra and out of the liva's competition. The Liva's true competition is going to be the indica vista and the ford figo as an entry level diesel hatch. And I strongly feel that the vista and the figo are better engineered, and do not feel that they have been built at a cost like the liva. And the "T" badge? Please lets not take it over the top. India has seen only 10 lakh plus priced toyotas till date {except the qualis} and I dont expect than any of the 10 lakh plus cars to be having issues in reliability, not at least most of them. Tata and Ford have a also done a credible job and lets not forget that there have been no major issues with the indica vista and nor the manza. So the "T" badge reliability and a "practical" car tag is just not sufficient against the competition who seem to be ahead of the Liva, at least for now.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by motorworks

I don't buy this logic that the Liva's USP might be this "practical" car tag. The figo, the indica vista and even the new swift are all as practical as a hatch can get! I would even say that the new swift is to be left along with the i20, polo, fabia, micra and out of the liva's competition.

But that is exactly what it is, a very practical (maybe to the point of being "boring") hatch that does most things right and hardly anything wrong.

And why leave Swift out of it? Vdi costs almost the same as the ABS sans Airbags Liva.

Originally Posted by motorworks

The Liva's true competition is going to be the indica vista and the ford figo as an entry level diesel hatch. And I strongly feel that the vista and the figo are better engineered, and do not feel that they have been built at a cost like the liva.

Bah ... Vista would not even be on Toyota's radar. It has not garnered enough sales to capture Toyota's fancy. The Figo most certainly yes. But here also Toyota plays the "Brand" card and comes out on top.

Originally Posted by motorworks

And the "T" badge? Please lets not take it over the top. India has seen only 10 lakh plus priced toyotas till date {except the qualis} and I dont expect than any of the 10 lakh plus cars to be having issues in reliability, not at least most of them.

A sweeping statement ...... really. I will not make this post about bashing other manufacturers but reliability and price do not go hand in hand. Try going through this for a warm up - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rman-cars.html

Originally Posted by motorworks

Tata and Ford have a also done a credible job and lets not forget that there have been no major issues with the indica vista and nor the manza. So the "T" badge reliability and a "practical" car tag is just not sufficient against the competition who seem to be ahead of the Liva, at least for now.

Competition is ahead of the Liva? How? From what I gather, the Liva:

• Has a refined, lightweight engine which has great driveability.
• Good gear-box.
• Neutral handling and good ride comfort.
• Sharp braking.
• One of the most fuel efficient cars as per ARAI.
• Brand TOYOTA.
• After sales trumped only by Suzuki, but not bad by any standards.

Its not about taking the Toyota reliability tag over the top. Point is that Toyota has proven itself to make hassle free cars. There are reports of Toyotas clocking lacs of kms (yes, on Indian soil) and still performing as good as it did when it came out of the showroom. Niggles / issues and toyota do not really go together. This is not something that many other manufacturers can boast of.

I say this again, this launch is a masterstroke from Toyota. It WILL pull many a Swift buyers towards itself. The labor troubles @ Suzuki are only going to give the folks waiting in the looonnngggggg queue for the Swift a push towards the Toyota showroom.

Its going to scorch the sales charts IMO. Now lets see if Toyota can cope up with the demand.

[RadiantKarma]

Thanks a lot for the wonderful review. Rated 5-stars.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

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.

I would think so too for a diesel mill. However, keeping in mind the near absence of turbo lag, linear power delivery, good torque across a substantial range, and a high-rpm alarm (the engine noise), do you really see the need for a tacho any more than the petrol sibling? Of course, I am disappointed that Toyota has not launched a higher end variant that, inter alia, would have a tacho, and also better handling with lower profile 15" alloy wheels.

I am surprised at the rather lukewarm response to this thread. Has Liva Diesel failed to generate any excitement in the Team? Or maybe almost everything was already known about the car, since this is the last launch in Etios family. Let's see how the market reacts to the car amidst stiff competition in the diesel hatch market.