[Daewood]

Originally Posted by adimicra

It is already a humongous success and breaking few records. Kudos to Toyota for understanding the Indian market so well.

Nissan with no brand recall in India, and with just 15 dealers managed to clock 5000 bookings for Micra, even before the first car rolled out of the showrooms. In a country where more than 2 million cars are sold every year that is too small a number to call it a success.

Jazz has a big boot which is similar to many sedans (though smaller than Etios) and lot of other flexbilities to carry your luggage. So, if someone is not very particualr about a sedan, makes sense to go for Jazz

+1
Two of my friends who bought an i20 recently were earlier owners of entry level sedans.
Guess Indians are no more crazy about the boot, atleast in the metros.
Maybe thats one of the main reasons for the large sales of i20, eventhough it comes with a premium price

[xingamazon]

GTO Great review as usual, in fact I was expecting you would thrash the car for being too much el-cheapo.

But since the car got a thumbs up from you, looks like toyota has indeed done a great job.

My only question:
Tata Nano did something what Etios tries to do for this segment. Which is getting a car with low price point by cutting every possible frill and every possible cost structure.
But given the fact that Nano had initial success but later people thought twice before buying it. Do you think Etios will also end up having the same fate?
Is the T badge the only thing that would save Etios?

Cos everytime I see of Etios, I get reminicence of the Nano days, when everyone used to praise it but later abstained from buying it.

[amalji]

The Etios Engine Specs and weight looks very close to the Baleno. I hope, the driveability is the same as well.

Etios power = 90ps @5600rpm for a kerb weight of 930kg
vs
Baleno's = 91ps @5500 rpm for 985kg

==> baleno like drag power

Etios Peak Torque of 132 Nm@3000rpm
vs
Baleno's 130.5 Nm@3000rpm

==> peppy accelerator response even on higher gears

Inspite of the cheapness in many interior parts, I would still recommend this car for the following reasons.

1) Peppy Engine
2) Space
3) Toyota Service and Reliability
4) Good fuel effieciency
5) Cheap price
6) Huge boot space

[invidious]

Originally Posted by Chalu

I need some advise guys. Going to buy a petrol car in Feb 2011. What do you say Dzire / Manza / Etios. My priorities are back space coz all people in my family are about 6 ft me being 6.3 ft, not much into mileage part. I can get the Etios by Feb coz of some high level contact wrking in Toyota. I am a little bit inclined towards Manza Aura ABS coz of the features it provides and the space and i am not inclined much about the brand. Please help me out.

If back seat comfort and features is a priority than Manza is the way to go.

[gautamkhadse]

Fantastic report GTO .

While reading the report and looking at the pictures I was reminded of a rent a car that our office had taken ( in dubai ) for a week while our usual car was out for repairs . That car was none other than the toyota echo . Absolutely cheap , dirt cheap and the build quality shouted CHEAP . The ETIOS somehow looks more like a refined and a better looking ETIOS . Infact looking at the interiors it looks as though they had to work on cost cutting measures on the existing setup of the ECHO . The ECHO for all I remember was one of the worst looking TOYOTA car I'd ever seen > i loved TOYOTAs but the ECHO was absolutely horrible and ETIOS is in a way following suite. The car is an absolute VFM . For somoen who wants reliability this is it . Its like an activa on 4 wheels . Everyone wants it , cuz they know its japanese and it wont break no matter what . This car is for someone who wants "A" car not "Thee" car . This will never be a dream car , this will never be the car that will make your neighbours jealous or make the girls go weak in their knees . But at the end of the day when you write the maintainance costs on a paper this car will surely bring a smile on your face , when you go out to seel it in the market , it will bring a smile on your face . And in one corner of our hearts this fact holds a big importance . The maintainance and resale .

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

Fantastic report GTO .

While reading the report and looking at the pictures I was reminded of a rent a car that our office had taken ( in dubai ) for a week while our usual car was out for repairs . That car was none other than the toyota echo . Absolutely cheap , dirt cheap and the build quality shouted CHEAP .

Not surprising really.
Kudos to Toyota to study the market so well, and provide the product according to the demand. This product works very well for those who want the space of a sedan, and a brand name to go with.

Talking of the ECHO connections – if they can achieve the results with the existing machineries and moulds (which is obsolete in some markets), why not use it?

It is the same thing they did for their launch into Indian markets – Coming up with a dated Qualis, instead of their best seller Corolla. That product alone set the stage for brand Toyota.

And I can see a few marketing masterstrokes here:

1. They launched the sedan before the hatchback Liva. Definitely this will satisfy the ‘sedan’ requirement of Indian customer, and spare the company from the complaints of adding boot to a hatch. With this, the lesser looking sedan will get acceptance in the market, and the better looking Liva can handle the market even better with the buzz created by Etios – excellent indeed!
2. With the launch of Etios, I guess the Altis suddenly started looking cool and happening. I have a feeling that even the Altis sale is going to get a boost in the coming months.

[muni]

I am pretty sure it is not the echo's dies that are being used by Toyota. It's another thing that they have used their tried and tested concept of the central dash for Etios.

The Vios has a better central console then the etios and the design team have spoilt it big time in the Etios. The quality also seems better in the Vios ( have travelled in lot of taxis). It wouldnt have hurt them if they got the vios in india as its a pretty decent looking car.

See it for yourselves.

Etios





Vios

[CDART]

Somehow i dont like this single wiper with a wide sweep. This will have a lower visibility as compared to a double wiper (by the sheer fact of the larger area being covered).

I somehow believe more often than not, we end up giving the benefit of the doubt to the foreign brands as compared to the indian ones.

[anantu2001]

Fantastic review GTO!! Was waiting for this one from you.

Products from Toyota are like "Jack of all trades, master of none". Just think about it and you won't find one thing this car does poorly as you rightly mentioned in your review. Did not like the interiors though, felt like some child has hand sketched the whole thing. Personally, I would not buy this car as I love revving hard and for the interiors.

Just cant write off TOYOTA!

OT: GTO, we're still waiting for your review of the POLO 1.6. DO IT FAST.

[amidoc]

Was recently in Thailand. Saw many Toyota Vios which looked very similar to the etios. Saw the interiors also and the dashboard arrangement was the same as the etios which is in the middle between the two front seats. Can any shed more clarity on the same or is the Etios a rebadged Vios tweeked for the Indian market.

[ravib]

Great Review GTO (as usual)

From your test drive experience, in terms of driving comfort and driver seat comfort, which car do you think is better? Etios or Dzire?

Swift and Dzire had good cup holder type seats which gave good comfort. Is Etios matching it or closer to it?

-Ravi

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by amidoc

Was recently in Thailand. Saw many Toyota Vios which looked very similar to the etios. Saw the interiors also and the dashboard arrangement was the same as the etios which is in the middle between the two front seats. Can any shed more clarity on the same or is the Etios a rebadged Vios tweeked for the Indian market.

Vios is a different model, and is doing pretty well in SE Asia for many years now. Whereas Etios is indeed an India-first model. But yes, the Vios does have the meter console in the middle of the dashboard.
And you don't see many cost cutting measures on the Vios. In this market, it competes with the likes of Honda City

[amulu10]

Excellent review once again GTO ! quality sure does take time! The car is like a Jack of all trades but master of none. It would make for a good chauffeur driven entry level sedan with a piece of mind.
15,000 bookings,I know of many who have booked without checking out the car in person. I guess a certain few would have booked blindly and would make the decision after Test driving the car( i certainly would have done that in case i was in the market for sub 8 lakh car) I wonder how many bookings translates in actual sales?

[sidindica]

Key figures from Autocar India, Jan 2011 issue:

Acceleration:

• 0-60 kmph: 4.77s
• 0-80 kmph: 7.50s
• 0-100 kmph: 11.38s
• 0-150 kmph: 28.45s
• 1/4 mile:17.56s
• 20-80 (3rd gear): 11.77s
• 40-100 (4th gear): 15.69s

Braking: 80-0 kmph: 2.45s, 27.13m

Fuel economy:

• city: 11.8 kmpl
• highway: 16.8 kmpl
• average: 14.3 kmpl
• tank size: 45 litres
• range: 640 kms

max speeds in gear:

• 1st: 47 kph@6000 rpm
• 2nd: 87kph@5900 rpm
• 3rd: 126kph@5900 rpm
• 4th: 171kph@5900 rpm
• 5th: 181 kph@5200rpm

power to weight ratio: 96.77 bhp/tonne
torque to weight: 14.47 kgm/ tonne
specific output: 60.16 bhp/litre

[recshenoy]

Originally Posted by amulu10

Excellent review once again GTO !
15,000 bookings,I know of many who have booked without checking out the car in person. I guess a certain few would have booked blindly and would make the decision after Test driving the car( i certainly would have done that in case i was in the market for sub 8 lakh car) I wonder how many bookings translates in actual sales?

similar was case with Polo. people booked without even TD. just went blindly by VW logo. And still there is a huge demand for the Polo. IMO, it will be same with ETIOS as well. For Toyota brand, and VFM pricing, i am sure people are willing to wait.

Any idea when will hatch be released? I am sure Toyota is working towards another VFM hatch to compete with Figo.

The car is like a Jack of all trades but master of none. It would make for a good chauffeur driven entry level sedan with a piece of mind.

+1. That is what an Indian typical customer wants.

I am not a auto expert, But yeah just by looking at the pic, i could see so many cost cuttings. Best part is that none of them a typical Indian customer wont mind like a screen between boot and seat, rubber sheet over spare wheel etc.

Very detailed excellent review GTO. Totally liked the report