[Nithesh_M]

The last time I told somebody that the Etios and the Punto are relatively safer cars than most of these best selling tin cars this side of 10 lakhs, I was laughed at even though I was evaluating my opinion as an engineer. My relatives would tell me, if that was the case why would so many X and Y cars be selling on the road while these two barely register any sales?
Wonder how they would feel when i post this news on their timeline now.

Its a sad fact that people in this country buy cars based on this thing called "VFM" that completely overlooks the overall build quality of the cars, which I agree has no way to be evaluated unless and until the govt speeds up the impact testing facility and makes it mandatory while following international standards.

The general consensus on VFM happens to be how many unwanted electrical appliances and gadgets manufacturers can plonk into their fragile cars while undercutting other manufacturers who build stronger cars but aren't able to shove in anywhere close to the list of ICE features that the former manages to in the same price bracket and therefore lose out on sales volumes.

Now some of those tin car manufacturers have resorted to adding airbags to their models which while an appreciated move isn't really going to save anyone.
The first barrier in an impact is the crumple zone. If it crumples like a paper and does not dissipate the energy of impact and then the forces travel to the cabin area then the airbags aren't worth anything.

[veyron_head]

This is great news! Liva is known to be a trouble-free, niggle-free car. Now it is also safe!

"It is impressive to see a major manufacturer achieve a four-star result and we look forward to the first five-star car in India," he added.

OT, would the above mean, the Elite i20 that was given 5 stars rating is not the one sold in India? Or was it another NCAP?

[RaghuVis]

Finally they are beginning to show the respect of being the "world's largest selling Car" Tag!! Never thought this would be the case. But am able to recall lately that the most satisfying Taxi trips were always the ones on Etios. Good to know their security isn't compromised

[NiInJa]

I always felt the Etios had a good crash safety rating. Just confirmed by Global NCAP.
It was in 2013 when I was returning to Bengaluru, I saw three or four damaged cars lined up beside the road just outside the Bengaluru Airport before Yelahanka (mind you, this stretch is very smooth and expressway-like). The cabbie told me there was a huge pile up last day due to heavy rainfall. One of the damaged cars was a Etios (a taxi), its front was literally crumpled, nothing except some engine parts were visible but the cabin was absolutely intact !
The A-pillar had not bent so badly (given the front was almost 'gayab') and I couldn't see any kind of fracture of the cabin from the bottom or top. No casualty was reported (as per my cabbie) but I can guarantee you, if it were to be an Alto, things would have been very bad.

At this point, no other petrol sedan can you such a good value (and safety) for money. This car definitely deserves better sales.

[Aromal]

There are some things in automotive world we can't put our finger on. Toyota always surprised me with their manufacturing techniques, and reliability levels. Knowing their engineering skills, this news is hardly surprising for me..!

Etios twins and poorly built, No two words about it. But they are well-engineered cars, not over-engineered.
Petrol version of Etios sedan weight just 920kg and that's very low for a car of that size. It seems Etios has a good safety structure to take the impact.
I believe Toyota might have made bit of the changes in the structure of the car on mid face-lift anticipating NCAP tests. Using a higher grade steel or reinforcement of structures can be done effectively to make a car safe and these car quick fixes for a manufacture in production line.!

Anyways good job Toyota!! From now onwards I won't hesitate to recommend Etios to my friends!

[coldice4u]

Goes to prove that a lighter car does not mean les safety ! Safety and durability are two entirely different parameters.

These cars are safe, but i still have doubts on their durability !

[sandeepmohan]

This is amazing. I must take back my comments, if I've ever said anything against the structural strength of the Toyota twins. This proves that one must not discount a car's safety standards just because it looks (and feels) like a tin can.

The majority of Uber rides my family does are in these Toyota's. It is good to know they are safe cars.

[Contrapunto]

I just hope the tests were done using the same standard issue models that are sold to John Doe in India.

That said, as an old Innova owner, I know Toyotas make for hassle-free and reliable ownership experience. This news now gives all the assurance that was missing. I have always recommended the Liva to anyone looking for a hatchback, now I will do so with my conscience clear. Well done Toyota.

Now all Etios needs is an automatic model.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Contrapunto

Now all Etios needs is an automatic model.

This alone won't do it for the Etios twins. The car needs a complete make over inside out, that is, if it has to attract the private car owner club. The Etios is known to be abuse friendly. All Toyota need to do is make it look better.

[Theyota]

The Etios Liva petrol is probably the most underrated car in India. Last year I did quite a bit of research in this segment when my 70 year old father wanted to replace his Maruti. At the end, Etios Liva emerged the clear winner and he bought it. If you consider the initial cost, the operational/maintenance costs, reliability, drivability, passenger comfort, safety, etc, there is no other car that comes near to it in its segment in India.

A lot of people complain about the door closing feel, weight of the car, sheet metal thickness, etc. Generally speaking none of these have anything to do with reliability or safety of your car. It is the structural design (skeleton) of the car that defines how forces are absorbed or dissipated that primarily matters in the safety of a car along with added features such as airbags. If a car is too heavy, it is an indication of immature engineering. A combination of low weight and good structure is fine engineering which is exactly what Toyota Etios is. Low weight is one of the key reasons for better mileage. Everyone can design a car that weighs the weight of a battle tank and make it safe. But then it will also give the mileage of a battle tank.

It is also the same about people complaining about noise. Quiet cars are no high tech space ships. They are just padded more with various kinds of insulation and you are paying for it in terms of higher costs and higher weight of car.

It just so happens that the shape of the car and interiors do not fit the taste of Indian customer. That combined with Toyota’s mundane marketing keeps the car so low key.

[carwatcher]

To me the main grouse against Liva are very unusual disproportionate design of tail lamps, front bumper, centrally located dials and not to mention THAT smiling grill. These all combined are too good to ignore. Even the Honda Civic had those most absurd looking tail lamps which I really hated.
I saw one pic of Liva on Auto Expo thread which was looking very good without the rear spoiler, so those small changes would go a long way in getting the customer to come near the car, I also know few people who say that if Toyota puts the Speedo, etc on the driver's side they would buy the Etios today itself.

[redbaron91]

That's very welcoming news from Toyota and NCAP. Frankly, I was surprised more than usual to read Etios achieved 4 stars in crash test. I am that one guy who always said Etios is a piece of mistake from makers of Corolla like cars. I never liked the nose diving character of Etios, it’s below part interior layout and quality (IMO only) and its flimsy feel.

I always judged a vehicle’s safety value by means of sheet metal thickness, thump press rule, availability of critical components like CCB, Airbags, ABS & EBD and to an extend the weight of the car.
So now I am concerned about the way I judge the vehicles. Am I completely utterly wrong?

Or does Toyota made any changes to their BiW, with more strengthened hinges and bolts? (as like Renault did with their Duster and Datsun with their Go). I think this can be confirmed only by someone who is from a Toyota production plant.

How can one assess the effectiveness of crumple zones and its design aspects just by seeing the final car in a showroom? Or simply, Is Toyota Etios an under estimated, under rated car by mass?

[jvm_1986]

Might be Off Topic, but looking at this crash test result and seeing that the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is also using a new gen lightweight chassis which is claimed to safer, i feel that the Baleno might also fare equally well or better in the crash tests.

However, i would prefer to await actual results for the Baleno before jumping to conclusions.

[prakhar1998]

Honestly, I would say I am not surprised. Considering it is Toyota, I was expecting the Etios twins to pass crash tests with flying colours. It just goes to show what the priorities of certain companies are. While some prioritise keyless go over read disk brakes, the other provide fancy audio systems in the base model as opposed to Airbags. The Etios might not be the best looking or driving, but it has proven its reliability and safety and Toyota needs to be commended for it.

While it didn't sell like hotcakes, I am happy to know that majority of the haphazardly driven cabs are now 4 star rated vehicles as opposed to the deathtraps that were the old Indicas and Sumos.

Another car adds to the list of safe cars in India. I've seriously stopped recommending cars to people after the GNCAP fiasco. So this makes it the VW Polo, the Figo and the Etios that most definitiely are safe.

I seriously curious about Honda's performance. It seems as if Honda's safety will be at par with its Asean counterparts but you never know.

[vinit.merchant]

I would not be so quick to appreciate them.

For me, this is just an effort to pick an advantage over the competition and use it for marketing.
Remember Swift? Without the airbags, it scored "0", but with the airbags added, it scored 3 stars.

Here Toyota smartly adds the Airbags and then offers the car for evaluation and scores 4 stars. How many did they sell without the airbags?
Rather how much would it score without airbags? Maybe slightly better than the swift, maybe around 1 star.

Since they are adamant on not offering better interiors, they resort to these tactics.