[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Samba

Toyota introduced this new shade in blue for their Platinum Etios.

Physically with the new alloys and this color, the car is looking good.

Know that am quoting an almost a year old post...that too within that time the production of the car has stopped even.

Still

Sure that it's a company spec?
The colour looks like a Lexus spec one, even the Camry doesn't get this colour in India.
Plus, if I am right, the diamond cut alloys have been offered in the Liva and Cross, but not Etios. Not even limited edition ones.

Also the top part of the grille has been covered in black, rather than chrome.

Me guess this paint job et al has been done at the dealers and they are showcasing it before the customer picks it up.

But the fact remains that am drooling at this, though the Pearl white in mine is holding up well

[Samba]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Sure that it's a company spec?
The colour looks like a Lexus spec one, even the Camry doesn't get this colour in India.
Plus, if I am right, the diamond cut alloys have been offered in the Liva and Cross, but not Etios. Not even limited edition ones.

It was indeed a limited edition model by Toyota. This was not done at the dealers end.
The finishing was absolutely flawless. I just drooled over it.

You can check this-

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Samba

It was indeed a limited edition model by Toyota. This was not done at the dealers end.
The finishing was absolutely flawless. I just drooled over it.

http://http://www.carsaar.com/2019-toyota-platinum-etios-limited-edition-launched/

This is the only site I could get hold of, and your pics are the only ones available on the internet in that smashing blue.

Will be the rarest Etios shade given it's one year run.

Used to feel content with the feeling that my pearl white was the best factory colour that Etios ever had, until I came across your post of this gorgeous blue.

That coupled with the diamond cut alloys just took the styling quotient up several notches.

Is it normal to have the urge to change an under five year old car's colour

[amateurpro]

I have completed 99,400 km in my 2011 Etios petrol that I booked without even seeing the car. It was due for change by early 2020. The delay in launch of BS6 version of my shortlisted cars meant I had to wait. The wait continued further due to lockdown.

Now, I am ready to restart the hunt. I expect my new car to be as good as Etios on driveablity, cabin space and practicality. I expect my new car to be much better than Etios on looks, features and modernity. I am fine if my new car has less boot space compared to Etios (only trucks have more space for luggage). My consideration set includes C segment sedans, compact SUVs and subcompact SUVs. I am certain my next car will be a petrol automatic at around 15 L.

I had to drop a few great cars from my consideration set due to critical issues that matter to me. Else, both are exceptional cars.

1) Ford EcoSport - poor mileage
2) XUV300 - tiny boot

Given below are the final 4 that made to the shortlist in the order of preference.

1. Venue - iMT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
2. Verna - 1 litre turbo automatic
3. Venue - DCT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
4. S Cross - Top variant

I request feedback on these 4 cars from the perspective of an Etios owner. I am in no hurry as S Cross or iMT Venue are yet to reach the dealer points. This is the time to process information and complete test drives.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

I have completed 99,400 km in my 2011 Etios petrol that I booked without even seeing the car.

Mine is at 98,000 km.

Originally Posted by amateurpro

I expect my new car to be as good as Etios on driveablity, cabin space and practicality. I expect my new car to be much better than Etios on looks, features and modernity.

Any car in today's date will have better looks & more features than the Etios, but beating Etios in practicality is still difficult.

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Given below are the final 4 that made to the shortlist in the order of preference.

1. Venue - iMT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
2. Verna - 1 litre turbo automatic
3. Venue - DCT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
4. S Cross - Top variant

I was in the same boat a couple of years back. Finally, I retained my Etios and sold our Figo TDCI and bought a Duster AWD!

From the above list, my pick will be the Venue 1.0 DCT.

If the S-cross comes with the 4 speed auto box, it wont be my pick. Am not a fan of the iMT either. DCT is good!

As your one of the criteria is good drivability, I will suggest you to look for bigger NA engines, like the one in Creta/Seltos 1.5 petrol automatic or even the Toyota Yaris or the Honda City Automatic. The 1.0 turbo's will have a lag before entering the turbo zone. But once in turbo zone, they are damn fun to drive!
Plus the non sub 4 meter cars will offer you more space and boot space which will be near or equal to that of the Etios.

Do test drive all the cars and decide. (I was pretty much satisfied by driving the Yaris, it's a good upgrade from the Etios.)

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by Samba

Mine is at 98,000 km.

bigger NA engines, like the one in Creta/Seltos 1.5 petrol automatic or even the Toyota Yaris or the Honda City Automatic. )

Thank you. I have completed test drives of Seltos, Ecosport, Venue DCT, Yaris and Verna. I must admit Seltos was a wow car. So too must be it's cousin, Creta. But Seltos and Creta are way above my budget (top end). Venue DCT, Verna and Ecosport are the other cars I have taken test drives (not necessarily from dealer points. Some are taken from family and friends).

Yaris had a G CVT (optional) that was reasonably priced with many useful features. After BS6 update, Toyota has removed most of these goodies for the sake of alloy wheels. The only thing that feels premium about the Yaris top end (VX) is it's price. Trust Toyota for doing what they like.

Frankly, all the new cars I drove had refinement levels better than Etios. But the Etios's fun-to-drive aspect was missing in most other cars except Seltos.

1 litre turbo wasn't bad at all even in low RPMs before turbo kicked in. I will remember what you said about iMT. Will test drive first and then decide. For me, the use of left leg for clutch operation is the only reason I hate a manual transmission. So as a concept, the iMT sounds interesting. Let me see it in real before deciding.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Now, I am ready to restart the hunt. I expect my new car to be as good as Etios on driveablity, cabin space and practicality. I expect my new car to be much better than Etios on looks, features and modernity. I am fine if my new car has less boot space compared to Etios (only trucks have more space for luggage). I am certain my next car will be a petrol automatic at around 15 L.

1. Venue - iMT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
2. Verna - 1 litre turbo automatic
3. Venue - DCT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
4. S Cross - Top variant

I request feedback on these 4 cars from the perspective of an Etios owner. I am in no hurry as S Cross or iMT Venue are yet to reach the dealer points. This is the time to process information and complete test drives.

Owning an Etios D for 5 years / 50K km, there are some qualities that are hard to find in any replacement such as the space, practicality (inside and even other points such as GC), and relative build quality (safety + relatively niggle free nature + relative lack of rattles, etc.).
We picked up the S Cross 1.6 in 2016 which went on to replace the Etios. In many ways it is a brilliant upgrade - especially the stonker of an engine, excellent ride & handling balance, much nicer interiors and features, etc.
That being said - I would not necessarily recommend the S Cross 1.5 automatic for someone who wants fun + will hold on to the car for 8-9 years. Its a 2015 launch and will begin to feel dated soon, and the engine & feature combo are outdone by lower segment venue top end. Test drive the Ciaz AT and see if it fits the fun to drive bit as the S Cross will have the same engine.

Instead, if you're ok with the features on the S Cross - you should relook at the similarly equipped lower trim variants of the Seltos, Creta, and City and see if it satisfies you, because for someone on the look out for mordernity - these are the latest cars out there and fairly well equipped in the highest variants that fit your budget (touch screen and sunroof may be the biggest omissions but I'm sure there will be after market fixes for the former which can be done later or even by the authorised dealership, and the latter is not there on S Cross so I reckon not a big requirement).
Plus, all of these come with the more reliable TC / CVT gearbox which may not be as much fun (though the 1.5D with TC on Seltos Diesel should be fairly decent).

Of the options you've listed however, my vote would go to the Venue. There are no reports on iMT, and the DSG isn't the most reliable technology - pointing out as you're coming from a Toyota, and even VW did a U-turn and went back to the TC on Polo / Vento / Rapid BS6. However it is the most fun auto gearbox (compared to TC and CVT) and many users have had no issues.

The Verna is too cramped - there are hatchbacks that offer more space!

[Karthik Chandra]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

1) Ford EcoSport - poor mileage
2) XUV300 - tiny boot

Given below are the final 4 that made to the shortlist in the order of preference.

1. Venue - iMT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
2. Verna - 1 litre turbo automatic
3. Venue - DCT top spec (1 Litre turbo dual tone)
4. S Cross - Top variant

I'm surprised that you've rejected Ecosport for poor mileage but shortlisted Hyundai petrol ATs

I'd suggest Ecosport petrol AT because of the bigger engine size which will be more relaxed than a 1.0 turbo under similar conditions and Torque converter vs DCT

+ No need to follow idling rule

[amalji]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

I'm surprised that you've rejected Ecosport for poor mileage but shortlisted Hyundai petrol ATs

I'd suggest Ecosport petrol AT because of the bigger engine size which will be more relaxed than a 1.0 turbo under similar conditions and Torque converter vs DCT

+ No need to follow idling rule

+1 on this.
I'll pick up a torque converter/ CVT over DCTs and AMTs for long term peace of mind and hassle free ownership.

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by Karthik Chandra

I'm surprised that you've rejected Ecosport for poor mileage but shortlisted Hyundai petrol ATs

Hyundai cars had a history of low mileage in relation to Suzuki or Honda, but not anymore. Many cars, including Venue and Verna are on par with their Suzuki or Honda counterparts, if not better.

Ecosport is a car I loved from every angle. But a real world mileage of 7 km / litre in city driving conditions is a big NO for me. I have two friends who confirmed the low mileage figures on Ecosport petrol auto. The TD car had a mileage of 6.8 kmpl.

Originally Posted by amalji

+1 on this.
I'll pick up a torque converter/ CVT over DCTs and AMTs for long term peace of mind and hassle free ownership.

Talking of torque converter, I would possibly look at the 1.5 litre NA mild hybrid petrol engine offered by S Cross. The car is loaded with useful features like leather seats, 4 wheel disc brakes etc. I like S Cross's look better than most other cars and only Ecosport looks better than S Cross among the cars in my consideration set. I would still miss the sunroof and the connected car features that we get with Venue or Verna.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Instead, if you're ok with the features on the S Cross - you should relook at the similarly equipped lower trim variants of the Seltos, Creta, and City and see if it satisfies you, because for someone on the look out for mordernity - these are the latest cars out there and fairly well equipped in the highest variants that fit your budget (touch screen and sunroof may be the biggest omissions but I'm sure there will be after market fixes for the former which can be done later or even by the authorised dealership, and the latter is not there on S Cross so I reckon not a big requirement).

I like S Cross's new looks (2017 update). Leather seats and disc brakes on all wheels are better features than a sunroof or a connected car. Will take a TD of S Cross itself.

That said, I will miss a sunroof, no matter how useful or useless I am going to find it. So taking a Creta or Seltos without a sunroof is like having kuska when you want to have mutton biriyani. Vegetarians, forgive me for this analogy.

Venue or Verna turbo will be enjoyable for the occasional long drives with turbo kicking in. For city traffic, a 1 litre engine is as good as a 1.5 litre engine.

[kotirajendra]

I have owned a hyundai as well and not too impressed with the after sales. After sales is very high on my checklist and given my experience I will always steer away from Korean companies.
Before buying Etios, I had TDed both Ciaz as well as Ertiga. Driving experience for both was very decent but rejected for safety and engine size ( I was looking for a real upgrade from a hatchback). If the Toyota launches of Ciaz/Ertiga feature high on safety, they could also be an option.

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by kotirajendra

I have owned a hyundai as well and not too impressed with the after sales. After sales is very high on my checklist and given my experience I will always steer away from Korean companies.

Thank you so much. Will keep in mind your experience on Hyundai after sales service. Am following the new launches happening too, though I am not a big fan of rebadged cars with no difference.

[kotirajendra]

I/(we?) buy Toyotoa due to -

Area: Alternative
------------------------------------
After Sales: Maruti
Cost of spares: Maruti/Ford/Tata
Reliability: Honda
Safety: All over 10L (?)
Overall driving
experience: Honda,Ford

I am not a TD every car enthusiast so many on this forum may not agree with the above chart. Please do not troll me on that one, but rather enrich it if it adds value. I put it there just as a simple decision matrix; I had used a much more complicated one to narrow down on Etios.

[VWAllstar]

Which car (sedan or compact sedan) under 12 Lakhs comes to your mind as a fill it and shut it kind of replacement of Etios?
We start to understand the value of a car when it has been discontinued. Apart from Dzire I don't see any other car which comes near to Etios as the most practical car for an upper middle class family!

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Which car (sedan or compact sedan) under 12 Lakhs comes to your mind as a fill it and shut it kind of replacement of Etios?

Petrol : Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Diesel : Ford Aspire