A pricing between
Rs 4 and 6 lakh ex-showroom has meant that the Toyota Etios Liva has
the entire gamut of Indian hatchbacks in its crosshair. Here's the
lowdown on all its petrol-powered rivals, with their pros and cons
compared to the new car
User friendly, reliable, with a trusted badge and most importantly, affordable. That’s what the new Toyota Etios
is all about. If its makers have cut corners while creating the car, it
is in places where it doesn’t show, or hinder the car’s daily use
capabilities. It may not emanate a high-flying premium hatch feel, but
that’s what keeps it well within the buying reach of a large majority.
From the small, spunky and inexpensive Chevrolet Beat right up to the solidly-built Volkswagen Polo
– everything is fair game for new entrant. A full-blown comparison test
is on its way, but meanwhile we have a quick recap of the cars that the
Etios Liva will fight, along with the places where the rivals better the new car, and what they lack.
Maruti Suzuki Swift:
The Swift vs Liva comparison is a very serious one, and the verdict
may change the market, and hence demands much more comprehensive
testing. Watch out for a straight and detailed head-to-head soon. As
per preliminary impressions though, the Swift may have some trouble
retaining its long-living shine thanks to the Liva. The appeal of the
two cars is totally different – the Liva is a more welcoming, comfy
family hatch, the Swift has a more aggressive and youthful air. Families
that own the Swift probably do so since they either did not have good
hatchback options back in the day, or do not wish to look anywhere else
thanks to the brand name that the Swift has built up.
This will be the primary hurdle that the Liva will face, but it does
have the Toyota badge and the reliability that comes along with the
package. It also has more space, and is a more practical car in general.
The Swift still remains a force to be reckoned with, especially after
the recent move to the 1.2-litre K12M engine as its petrol powerplant,
but the basic difference in the cars is the people for whom they were
originally intended.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
While most questions will be about the Liva vs
the class leading Maruti Suzuki Swift, let us not forget that Suzuki’s
exemplary and all-new 1.2-litre K12M petrol engine made its debut with
the Ritz, much like the Etios Liva.
The Ritz is also more closely matched to the Liva when it comes to
pricing and has a higher family appeal just like the Toyota, so let’s
stick with it for now.
The K12M engine definitely has its bases covered against Toyota’s
3NR-FE mill. It’s revvy, responsive, exciting and fuel efficient. The
mileage figures are quite comparable, but the Liva engine does demand to
be driven in a relaxed way, keeping the revs under 4000rpm to get the
most out of it while engine on the Ritz is responsive and frugal almost
throughout the rev range, and seldom feels out of breath.
When it comes to space and comfort, the Liva trumps the Ritz.
Packaging of interior space is certainly one of the Toyota’s strong
points, and kneeroom especially at the rear is much better compared to
the Ritz. Styling also pushes just the right buttons with respect to
Indian tastes, as the quirky styling of the Ritz needs some getting used
to.
Nissan Micra:
The latest entrant into the Indian hatch space has begun to gather
momentum, and for good reason. To start with, the Micra certainly has a
decidedly upmarket appeal, with a modern and fresh exterior design and
treatment of the interiors. It is a fairly comfortable car too. This is a
car that shares the maximum characteristics with the Etios Liva too. It
is Japanese, designed with easy city use in mind, has similar
dimensions and similar levels of space and comfort inside. The Micra
does have more plush interiors, and a great build quality given that the
Made-in-Chennai hatch is exported around the world. That said, the
Etios Liva beats it in terms of price, and brand image. Toyota definitely
demands a more loyal fan following compared to Nissan, which is still
making its presence felt in the Indian car space.
Ford Figo:
The last big success story in the Indian hatch market has been the
Ford Figo. At the heart of its success lie a few very smart factors,
like very ingenious repackaging of a strong, proven chassis,
non-controversial design, phenomenal space, interestingly placed
feature-variant combination – and price. The 1.4-litre Duratorq powered
diesel variant is definitely the better car of the two, but the petrol
is not bad either.
Comparing the Figo to the Liva, the Ford beats the Toyota in
terms of space. The Figo’s fantastic balance between ride quality and
handling is also something that the Liva’s more soft, easy going
suspension set-up does not match up to. But while the Figo’s interiors
leave a little to be desired, the Liva looks smart from the inside. Fuel
efficiency is also expected to be better on the more optimally weighed
Liva compared to the Figo which has an underpowered 1.2-litre petrol
pulling a fairly large and heavy car.
Volkswagen Polo:
The Polo has been rocking the premium hatchback space since its
launch, and for good reason. Solid build quality with great attention to
detail, great driving dynamics and road-holding, and classic European
hatch looks – this is an international car through and through, a fact
corroborated by the International Car of the Year award.
The Indian petrol Polo however shines much more in the expensive
1.6-litre engine option. The three-pot 1.2-litre engine that is also
seen in the Skoda Fabia
does not quite live up to the car’s capabilities, and feels laboring.
While the Etios Liva does not have a cracker of an engine itself,
driveability at city speeds is certainly much greater.
This may well turn out to be a battle of the brands between the
world’s largest carmaker and the German marque that has strong
aspirations for the same position. The two cars are built with very
different briefs in mind though, and it remains to be seen whether the
masses prefer the Liva’s ease of use over the Polo’s strong face.
Hyundai i20:
One of the best value for money premium hatches around, the Hyundai
i20 manages the best marriage of European design, Japanese refinement
and Indian sensibilities when it comes to the drive. Super comfortable
and refined with a whole lot of space, the i20 may not have hit the
headlines of late but is definitely raking in the sales.
The Liva does feel a little pared down compared to the i20,
which feels like a lot of car for its price. An optimal combination
between price and features is a hallmark of the Hyundai, and gives it
extra points over the Liva. The Etios Liva is lighter and easier on its feet though, with controls as tactile and smooth as the i20. Plus the Toyota brand name may be the trump card to give a tough fight to the Korean giant.
Chevrolet Beat:
This one may not really be a fair comparison, since the Beat is a
significantly smaller car and hence sports a much lower price tag. It
does have a zingy 1.2-petrol mill and falls within our competition
criteria, so we had to put in a word for the radical GM hatch.
It has enough going for it, but the Beat remains a car that is an
option in the smaller car class, against the likes of the Hyundai i10
and the Maruti Suzuki A-Star.
However it manages to offer a tough fight, with great interior and
exterior design and exciting engine characteristics. When it comes to
the Liva, it does have an edge in terms of price and driving fun, but
loses out on too many fronts including space, comfort, sorted dynamics
and above all, brand image.
Fiat Grande Punto 1.2:
The Punto looks great, but in this avatar it has by far the weakest
engine to power this really promising car. In fact, the 1.2-petrol
option is here only for excise benefits, and seriously reduces the entry
price-point of the European hatch. It has size, space and looks on its
side, but that’s about it. The Liva on the other hand is a purpose-built
1.2 hatch, and though it may not look as good or is as large as the
Grande Punto, it drives with ease, and comes out on top compared to this
particular 1.2-litre variant of the Fiat.
Tata Indica Vista Safire:
Facing similar problems as the Grande Punto thanks to the same
engine, there are better versions of Indica Vista to go for, including
the 90PS 1.4-litre petrol, and the great Quadrajet diesel. In the
1.2-litre petrol variant, the Indica Vista still has all the
practicality, space and comfort that the car has come to be known for,
but the small mill has problems driving the biggish hatch, and fuel
efficiency also suffers as a result. The Liva on the other hand will be
perceived as a more upmarket offering thanks to the Toyota badge. The team also found the Japanese car to be a better looker than the Vista. All in all, the Etios Liva remains a definite step above the 1.2 petrol Indica Vista, in almost every way.
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