#1 ZigWheels.com is the No. 1 automotive site in India with 1.29 million unique visitors* *Source: Comscore, May ’11, independent automotive sites in India TOYOTA'S HATCH IS HERE! THE ETIOS LIVA DISSECTED INSIDE: FULL ROAD TEST, COMPETITION CHECK, TECH SPECS ROAD TEST LIVING TOYOTa’s small car is finallYUP! HERE AND EVEN THOUGH ITS BEEN A LONG WAIT FOR IT TO ARRIVE, WE CAN SAY THAT IT WAS WELL WORTH IT! ZIGWHEELS PUTS THE ETIOS LIVA TO THE TEST. eems like Toyota had already first glance, over time you broken the mould with the realise that it truly is. For Etios Liva even before the starters it’s here with a hatchback’s launch. How? Well, different engine compared to normal practice for most its sedan sister and for more manufacturers at least in India reasons than just efficiency. has been to launch the With a 1.2 litre engine behind PHOTOGRAPHY : KUNAL KHADSE S hatchback first and then stick a the aggressive front end, the boot to it after a few months. Etios Liva also attempts to So it did come as a faint shock make the most out of the excise to everyone when the extremely duty concessions that the spacious Etios sedan was Indian government has to offer launched first in India while for small cars. But the word Toyota opted to keep the ‘small’ itself is a paradox here hatchback’s debut for later. It’s because despite the Etios Liva now here though and the fitting the bill as far as external Toyota Etios Liva promises to dimensions are concerned, it is not only live up to its suffix but quite the opposite on the also to the ‘breaking the mould’ inside. theme in many more aspects. While what the Etios Liva DESIGN & STYLE: HAPPY brings to the table may not FACE OR ANGRY BIRD? seem overly revolutionary at The press release for the Toyota 2 WWW.ZIGWHEELS.COM ROAD TEST Etios Liva says that the car’s front was designed to look like a happy face. Now, everyone’s favourite angry birds may or may not have been around when the car was penned, but there’s no denying that the two do look similar. And that is not necessarily a bad thing – it means that the Etios Liva has a certain cuteness to it and despite the fact that it shares the same front end as the Etios sedan, the Liva looks more appealing owing to the rounded hatch at the back. And that’s really where the magic of the Liva is – the way the rear end has been designed is simply a delight to behold. It finally makes the chilled glovebox. The anyone who knows the seems to be rather straight the front end look complete central instrument console is Indian market would have forward – better efficiency. – something that the sedan also carried over and we known that the hatch would With the gear ratios matched could never manage. Two must say it does give the car be looking to exploit the to make life in the city easier, corner-mounted tail lights do a rather interesting maximum benefits of the the car does feel peppy the trick to give the Etios perspective. The sporty excise duty concessions that enough at low revs and Liva not only a beautiful theme is extended all the way the Indian government has accelerates cleanly off the guise but also a very sporty from the seat fabric and the on offer for small cars. And line, but a little later all the stance. The car has a huge door trims to the steering that means that under the excitement does die down wheelbase and some pretty wheel and the central dash Etios Liva’s hood is a 1.2 litre and you really need to work good ground clearance, but layout. But then again, that four cylinder engine. On the engine to get to over 120 the overall design of the car was bound to happen paper, it isn’t all that bad – km/h. Our instrumented helps hide both dimensions considering that the Etios 80PS @ 5600 rpm and tests did see the car cross the extremely effectively from sedan was always a very nice 104Nm @ 3100 rpm aren’t 150 km/h mark but trust us, the outside so as not to car to be spending time in bad figures at all. In fact it took a lot of patience and appear jarring in any way. and the Liva’s insides are they’re pretty close to most even more stretches of empty If the exteriors were more or less an identical of the competition and better roads to get there. The aggressive, yet cute, the match. than some as well. Coupled 5-speed manual gearbox may interiors live up to the car’s with the Liva’s 900-odd kg be the culprit here with gear name beyond doubt. The ENGINE & kerb weight, it should also ratios more akin to city complete set is a straight lift TRANSMISSION: make for great power to driving than highway from the sedan which means EFFICIENCY IS THE KEY weight ratio to score high on cruising, but that does have a it comes with the same There was a lot of talk of the performance, right? But rather pleasing effect when vertically mounted central Liva getting the big 1.5 litre somehow, that’s not the case you look at it’s fuel air conditioning vents and engine from the sedan, but because the Etios Liva’s brief efficiency figures. ARAI certifies them at 18.3 kmpl cumulative but real world conditions should see you get about 14.3 kmpl in the city and 16.1 kmpl on the highway. Considering the prices of petrol today, that’s not a bad proposition indeed! All through the car’s test, the Liva’s gearbox provided positive feel and slick shifts all the way to fifth. Predictably then, the Liva wasn’t a scorcher in the acceleration tests either, taking over 17 seconds to cross the 100 km/h mark. VEHICLE DYNAMICS: QUALITY BITS ALL ROUND The Etios Liva comes in with a 2460mm wheelbase, 3 WWW.ZIGWHEELS.COM ROAD TEST which is pretty long and apart from liberating more room on the inside, that also helps make the car more stable on the open road. Keeping the tyres attached to the road surface is a MacPherson Strut setup on the front and a torsion beam at the back. The setup does soak in almost everything that Indian roads can throw at a car and the Liva is surely capable of handling more power from the engine when it comes to handling as well. Uphill drives may seem exactly that, but the Liva does delight on a tight downhill run – though not as much as some of its other more focused handling competitors. But the best part about the car is the fact that when it comes to safety, with the Etios Liva’s looks, but also in some much bigger closed! And to top all that Toyota aren’t compromising but considering that we cars! With Kunal Khadse, off, it’s a Toyota, which which means no matter which spend a lot of time playing our photographer sitting in means there’s more than of the four variants you Angry Birds in our modern the front seat with his legs enough of reliability and choose, every Liva comes with lives, most young people fairly stretched out and quality in that car to put ventilated discs up front and should take an instant liking leaving himself quite some major space projects to drums at the back that make to the car owing to the knee room, I could fit my shame. Peace of mind and braking crisp and sure. The similarities in appearance. 5’6” stocky frame rather ease of operation is what you 170 mm ground clearance Then again, it doesn’t really easily in the back bench and get with the Etios Liva and also means that the perform as well as we would still had about 6 inches of that’s something that’s a underbody is clear of any kind have liked it to – especially knee room to spare! The luxury to have in modern of hits and scrapes on the with the 1.2 litre engine doors open far and wide stressful times! tallest of ill-constructed speed running out of breath on the making for easy ingress and breakers. While the bottom highway, but the flip side to egress and the benches VERDICT: A NEW HIGH two variants – the J and the G that is the amazing fuel themselves are rather ON COMFORT! come with 14” tyres, the top efficiency it returns both comfortable too. The rear Considering all of the above spec V and VX come with 15” within city confines and on one especially, can easily seat and the price tag that the ones which not only make the the highway. But the Etios three adults abreast and Etios Liva comes with, it sure car look good, but also greatly Liva’s appeal stretches way there’s more than enough seems like a quiet revolution enhance the car’s handling as further than just looks or room for tall folks too. If you in the small car segment. well as ride comfort. performance. It is probably thought all that would eat up While most people might not one of the most practical on boot space, think again – be able to appreciate the LIVING WITH IT: small cars we have seen in because the Etios Liva’s boot car’s importance and value PRACTICALITY the market.