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It’s lightweight and quite wicked. But is the Etios the perfect family car? Rohin Nagrani finds out

I t reminds me of the Maruti Esteem”. I distinctly remember the comment from one of our judges during the 2011 BSM COTY evaluation, after driving the Toyota Etios. At that point, I figured what the Etios was, because prior to that, I was trying hard to find a parallel or a thought process behind the car. And that one phrase perfectly summed it up.

Most of you are already talking about it as a jazzed up, new-gen Renault Logan from Toyota, and I assure you that you are not wrong. It’s designed to look simple, with straightish panels and fairly bland overtones. The rear seat is large and comfortable and the trunk is huge (I can’t think of any sedan, with its rear seat in place, that has a larger boot than this). Yet, there’s so much that has gone into the Etios that I can’t help but wonder what went through the minds of countless Japanese and Indian engineers in 2006, when the car was first conceived.

In fact, this car is late by a good four years. Toyota originally planned to have its small car for India by 2006, and in a lengthy cover article in a leading business magazine in 2000, they chalked out their India plans post-Qualis and explicitly mentioned its plans of an India-specific car in ’06. But Toyota seemed to put it on the back burner for one reason or the other and it’s only today, at the fag-end of 2010, that the car has finally seen the light of day.

All along, the benchmarks for Toyota changed. The Esteem became history, and in its place came the Suzuki Dzire and the Mahindra Renault Logan — an ideal car for India that has suffered because of joint-venture issues. Both these cars defined the concept of the entry-level sedan, and Toyota observed them keenly. In fact, in an interaction with a senior TKML executive a year ago, he mentioned in more than just passing that the Logan did influence the path of the Etios.

The true competition for the Etios, at least in the numbers game, is the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. Maruti, for the last two years, seems to be running overtime, trying to squeeze out every second of efficiency from their overworked production plants to churn out at least one Dzire more than the previous day. Yet, there is a waiting period for India's largest selling sedan. And now, the Etios threatens to turn the tables on it, but can it?

LOOKS
It’s hard to find people who would consider either of these cars pretty. The Dzire looks fine when viewed up front, but move to the profile and it feels like the boot is too much of a stick on.

The Etios doesn’t feel too different either, but put a gun to my head and I'd say the Etios is a bit more palatable — it doesn’t have the Swift’s bulbous proportions, nor its flared arches. It looks like it was designed to be inoffensive, and in a way it is, in the traditional Toyota 'play it safe' school of design. The smiling grille, dollops of chrome in various places, the short front overhang and the intelligently cut out tail lamps speak of a form-following-function thought. Space liberation is the mantra in entry C segment sedans and the Etios is no different, which explains the car’s overall appearance. Alloy wheels are standard on the V and VX trims, while it’s only the Dzire’s Z Xi that gets them.

TOYOTA ETIOS:*** 
SUZUKI DZIRE:***

INTERIORS
Sheer interior volume — these are the three words that mark the Etios. If you thought the Logan was exceptional, then the Etios is an equally good partner in crime. Acres of space at the front and rear give this car genuine five seat capability. Headroom, shoulder room, knee room and leg room are excellent at the rear, and thanks to the flat floorboard, you don’t have to hunt for crevices to squeeze your feet in. The Dzire sits on the same wheelbase as the Swift, and despite Maruti’s best attempts, it isn’t as roomy on the inside. You won’t complain; the legroom is adequate, the shoulder room good and the head room slightly tight for tall people. Yet, it doesn’t have the kind of occupant volume that the longer wheelbase Etios does. The rear seat is better raked, but space for three is a bit tight and, coupled with the raised hump, makes it a bit more cosy.

But then, the Dzire fights back. Its interiors may be dark and the black overtone may be too much for some, but the overall feel and quality of materials is better. Strange, but Suzuki has beaten Toyota in this regard. The controls feels better, they look sharper and the overall plastic quality somehow doesn’t feel as cheap. The Etios has a cleverly thought out dashboard, with some neat touches such as the vertically stacked air-vents, the cooled glove box and so on. But the overall build and feel is of a car that doesn’t feel like a Toyota. Cost savings are evident — what explains the single-piece seats, or the lack of height adjustability for the driver? The top-end VX version doesn’t get power adjustable external rear view mirrors (even the Zen Estilo has them) nor does it have automatic climate control (which the Dzire does!). They do offer ABS and airbags as standard on the top end V and VX variants (optional on the G variant), a DVD player on the VX and a CD player on the V variant (no AUX-IN on either, but there’s provision to fit one) and the red seats and flat-bottomed steering with audio controls on the VX version. Some of these features aren’t necessarily essential, but given the on-road price of the Etios, one expected more.

TOYOTA ETIOS: *** 
SUZUKI DZIRE: ****

POWERTRAIN
Toyota have specifically designed two new power trains for the Etios — a 1.2-litre petrol for the Liva hatchback and this, the 1.5-litre petrol unit which will eventually also feature on the Liva. A revised 1.4 D-4D diesel unit found on the Corolla Altis will also power the Etios come June — sans a variable geometry turbo (a fixed geometry will do duty). This 1495cc unit uses a double overhead camshaft and four-valves per cylinder to help produce 88.8 hp at a conservative 5600 rpm. What is impressive however are two other figures — the torque, which is rated at 13.5 kgm@3000 rpm and the power-to-weight ratio of 96 bhp/tonne. That is because the Etios weighs just 930 kg, some 120 kg lighter than the Dzire — this explains the ‘lightweight’ reference in the intro.

Raise the revs, accelerate hard and the Etios is very quick off the blocks. How quick? Well, it is nearly two-tenths quicker than the Ford Fiesta 1.6S, which produces about 10 horsepower more. 0-60 kph comes up in just under five seconds, but the clincher is the 0-100 kph time of just 11.47 seconds. This is a buzzy, uncharacteristically rough-edged (for a Toyota) motor that sounds best past 3000 rpm. The Dzire is a good second off the pace to 60 kph and nearly two seconds off to 100 kph. Even more impressive is the way the Etios’ torque delivers from low down, making it quicker in terms of passing speeds as well. The way the Etios moves flashes back memories of what the Esteem once was, and tuners will be more than happy to lay their hands on the new Toyota. The Dzire’s 1.2 mill has a shade less torque and power and a higher kerb weight, which makes it that little bit slower, but when viewed by itself the Dzire is quick enough in Indian traffic conditions. Both engines are pretty refined, the Etios sounding more rorty than the Dzire, while we still can’t help but be amazed by the 1.2 K Series’ NVH levels.

Pedal to the metal, the Etios’ reline cuts in at 5900 rpm, with the Dzire going a tad higher, so you really have to keep one eye on the central instrument binnacle (hard to read in bright light) if you plan to shift at the redline. If it were down to gear throws, both fall into place well, but it’s the Swift’s action that is a bit more positive and has more weight to it. Fuel efficiency-wise, the Etios steals a march over the heavier Dzire, returning 13.1 kpl overall against the Dzire’s 12.6 kpl.

TOYOTA ETIOS: ****
SUZUKI DZIRE: ***

RIDE & HANDLING
Traditionally, Toyota have been known for their failsafe — if slightly underwhelming — handling and decent-to-good ride quality. The Etios’ light weight means it can change direction quickly and more deftly than any other Toyota sold in India. The steering feels nice to hold on the VX, but could do with more feedback even though it is easy to place the front wheels wherever you feel like. The Dzire, like the Etios, has an electrically controlled power steering, but the precise nature of the Swift means there is more feel here. Body roll is a bit more in the Dzire than the Etios, while it is easy to push both cars fast enough to make the rear tyres lose grip.

Both cars also have a slightly different take in terms of ride quality. The Dzire feels a bit more plush, but the Etios has a more settled feel. Neither car can lay claim to having the best ride quality in its class — that is reserved for the Logan. The Etios is the slightly stiffer of the two and has better high speed ride over potholed roads.

TOYOTA ETIOS: **** 
SUZUKI DZIRE: ***

VERDICT
There is no doubt that the Etios is the better car here. It has more space, is more comfortable, is slightly better in terms of overall road dynamics, has the more powerful and frugal engine of the two and is a better thought out car. However, what Maruti has shown is that in the volumes game, it is better equipped than most of its rivals in bringing out a better quality product with more features at a terrific price — the others, including Toyota, simply have a lot more work to do. It loses because Maruti is in want of an engine between the 1.2 K Series and 1.6 that powers the SX4. It also is hindered by some of the aggregates that pin the Swift, making it less spacious and a little less comfortable, and thus feels a tad compromised. At its price, the Dzire is still the overall package to beat, and even Toyota can’t seem to do that well enough. If you can wait for six to eight months (that is the period Toyota dealers are quoting to deliver the Etios), then you will have the better car. But if you can’t, then the Dzire is a good choice either way. Of course, it won’t remind you of the Esteem the way the Etios does!