The Etios Liva is the hatchback version of the Etios Sedan. The car was designed solely for the Indian market but is also sold overseas as well. The Etios was first showcased at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo and was then launched a year later. The Etios Liva competes with other hatches such as the Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Honda Brio and Tata Indica. The Etios Liva comes with petrol and diesel variants in different trim levels.
Design & Styling
The Etios Liva is basically the hatchback version of the Etios and they share the same design pattern. There is a large and prominent front grille with chrome lining. Then there are the attractive headlamps and the sharp lines along the body. The wheels get very nice 12-spoke alloys. The overall design is contemporary, but not the best looking for sure. The car is well under 4metres in length and it also has a decent ground clearance of 170mm, making it perfect for city use.
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Interiors
The interiors of the Etios Liva are quite funky, in the sense that you have probably never seen anything like it before. There is decent amount of space, but not the best. But what really gets your attention is the way the dashboard has been designed. It is not bad looking; it is just a bit different from the conventional. The instrument cluster is very nice but it is placed right in the middle of the dashboard and not under the steering wheel, plus it illuminates some very bright colours. The dashboard on the other hand is very simple with minimal buttons and AC vents. The ergonomics overall are nice and the car is convenient and comfortable.
Engine & Transmission
The Etios Liva comes with a petrol 1197cc 4-cylinder engine with 80bhp but there is also a 1496cc petrol engine now available with 90bhp. The car we tested had the 1364cc 68bhp engine but with the added 170Nm of torque. The car wears a Toyota badge so you automatically know the engine is top notch in terms of engineering and quality. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that does its job well.
Performance and Handling
We know that Toyota doesn’t make the most exciting cars to drive in India, and we were hoping that they would change that with the introduction of this hatch. However nothing has changed and once again this is a Toyota vehicle which doesn’t really excite. Acceleration is poor and the power output is not enough. But the one thing that the car does excel at is ride quality. The suspension setup is very good and the wheels are nice to provide a smooth ride. The car handles well and steering response is good. The clutch is light and gear changes are very easy. Overall it is a very comfortable car to drive, with no problems.
Fuel Efficiency
We managed to get a very good fuel economy of around 16kmpl on average, and we have been told that the petrol is also quite good in terms of its economy.
Features
The Etios doesn’t come with too many features. On the top spec model you get power steering, power windows, air conditioning with clean filter, central locking, cooled glove box, and an audio system with Bluetooth and steering mounted controls.
Safety
Safety features include keyless entry, ABS with EBD and dual SRS airbags are optional.
Quality & Reliability
Overall the quality is not bad at all and it tops most other hatches in the same segment. Toyota is known the world over for its good quality and it doesn’t disappoint here either. Servicing won’t be much f a problem as Toyota is also known in India to be one of the best OEMs with best after sales service, and they have a huge network with plenty of spares.
Value for Money
The Etios Liva is a good all-round car, and it comes at a very good price, so it’s well worth your money, if you like it.
Verdict
This is a good all-round car. The quality is top-notch and it is very reliable. The interior is very comfortable and the dimensions of the car make it perfect for city use. However it does lack power and an exciting drive feel. So it’s good for a young family, but not for someone who really enjoys to drive.
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Good bits: space, driveability in city, light clutch, quick acceleration, good suspension. Bad bits: cheap plastics, no illumination of switches, no power lock buttons, loose plastics on steering column.The car is good to drive in city considering its low end torque,light clutch, and strong suspension, that can pull through most of the speed breakers without letting you know. the light half travel clutch is smooth. The factory fitted media player is bare basic and is audible when windows are closed as soon as the windows are open, you have to put it near full to hear. also the bass is too poor. AC is good. There is no gaskets/rubber lining on the bodypanel inside the door frames, as a result, too much dust gets accumulated inside the car quite often.A bare basic city car, at affordable price with Toyota branding and quality.
I bought this in Aug. This car is cool and very good. When I drive this Car, believe me I forget about Swift, do not look over on the interior, this car is very comfortable also. And most important things is milage, near about 20.5 with A/c on.
Toyota Etios Liva is an under hyped car. Probably because of the so so exteriors and lesser color options. But feature wise it is exceptional. I feel it is actually under priced if you consider it as a package. An optimum powered diesel engine with a mileage of almost 22KMPH with AC. Very powerful AC and what I loved about this car the most is the comfort you get at the back seat. Even with 3 people sitting, it is very comfortable. Interiors are simple yet effective. pick up is good and the first time I rode it was on a hilly area and the acceleration impressed me. Being a diesel engine, noise exists but it is less than other diesel cars in the same category. If you are thinking of buying a diesel hatchback and you budget is around 6.5-7Lacs. I think this is the car. You can get the top model, fully loaded in this budget.
Having driven this car for more than 2000 km I feel it is a very good car.
Exterior styling is good(though the Swift is better). Aerodynamic shape, nice appearance, good quality paint job.
Interiors are a weak point in terms of the plastics used. The centrally placed speedometer/odometer feels funny at first but is actually more convenient than the normal speed for which you have to take your eyes off the road. The absence of a tacho is definitely annoying! The number of cup-holders is amazing; lots of space behind the gear for keeping knickknacks. The dash has a square depression in front of the co-driver. which is a great place to keep cell-phones etc which do not fall-off during turns. The interior space esp in the rear seat is amazing... probably best in class !! The presence of an air-conditioned glove box is wonderful. You can keep two 2 litre bottles of Pepsi cold in it for those long trips!! Overall a lot of thought has gone into making the interiors very convenient.
The AC is great(definitely better than Swift Dzire).
Suspension over bad roads feels great.
Low-gear driving in city traffic is what this car is suited for. However overtaking on the highway with fast vehicles coming from the other side, is a bit problematic.
Cabin noise while driving is present but that is probably true of all diesel cars; it is not a problem.
Boot space is good...better than Ritz/Swift; Figo however has more boot space(20 litres more).
Fuel efficiency on the highway with AC on all the time- 22 kmpl.
Overall it is superb package.
I bought one Etios liva expecting as quality like Innova. But the ethos surprised me with low quality plastics,poor quality door pads,local seats etc. Now my family as a whole is hating Toyota because of this. I now wants to dispose this car because I am unable to take this vehicle to club or even for function as I am loosing my image. I expect others also should not be fooled by Toyota.
Should be given more colour option, and interior with some retro style.....colors...for the youth....as...a alcohol breath anlysers for starting the car....as an safety feature..an censor breaking system in case if the car is at a certain distance and the car is a particular speed the car should stop with the ABS.....
The car is absolutely stunning, specially in Blue and Red colors.
The design is such that it slowly grows on you. I am one of the first customers of Etios Liva and am very happy to be one.
The biggest forte of this car is the space it comes with. 5 people can sit in easily and lots of space is there to stretch legs. The seats are slim but comfortable and AC performance is great. The interiors are not as great as of some some other cars in this category, but i believe this is still a better car to own. The drive is smooth and the car can easily be driven in any gear even at low speeds. Add the Totota reliability and this becomes a great package.
All in all, it is a perfect family car that has space, practicality and sense together.
I strongly reccomend this car. After all, its a Toyota.
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