Good test drive of Etios V

 

I took a long test drive of Etios V, in Delhi, in traffic as well as empty roads. Overall impression was positive, and not all as bad as some of the very negative reviews I have read recently. 

Exterior I wont say the car is a head turner, but it is certainly not ugly either. Typical safe looks from Toyota. I liked the smiling front grill and placement of head lamps, but the back looks under designed, could have been a little more sporty/distinctive. Profile view was fine, no complaints on looks overall.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interiors are definitely below expectations, especially the dash. Set up and spacing is good but the quality of the plastics leaves a lot to be desired. Still I was told there is option to add some accessories like wood panelling etc to make it look better. Seats felt quite thin, but were not uncomfortable. Dzire seats definitely feel better though. Etios will require good seat covers to make it feel better to sit on.

On the positive side, I really like the AC vents, very innovative placement and design, the air was reaching the rear seat well. Ac was cooling quite well. Space inside is brilliant, at 6ft. 1 inch height i could push the drivers seat all the way back and still get inside and sit very comfortably in the rear seat, which definitely is not the case for Dzire. Steering felt nice in my hands though it could be a little more weighty, which would improve the feel. Tilt steering height was adequate, though I wish drivers seat height could be adjusted as well. Rear view was quite decent, though I was disappointed to see that there is no electronic ORVM. Cooling of the glove compartment was also a nifty feature, which will be very useful in Indian summers. 

Overall I feel one will get used to the interiors, after all once cannot expect Honda City quality at this price point.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine felt good but definitely noisy, which is not expected of a petrol car. The pick up is quite decent (though not as zippy as Honda City which also has 1.5 lt engine). Cant say about fuel economy though the showroom rep told me reports of city driving are around 13 to 14 with ac on. Cant verify that, will have to check with someone who owns the car. Gearbox was good, easy to shift gears with short ratios, no problems there at all.

Ride Quality & Handling Suspension seemed quite decent, it went over speedbreakers quite well without discomfort. The car felt very nice and steady all through, however cant say about high speeds as I could not exceed 90 due to the traffic. Handling was quite decent, however, steering wheel could be little more weighty. Overall easy to navigate in traffic, and very smooth drive over all. Typical Toyota performance.

Final Words I would say for the features and ride quality its a good value for money proposition. of course interiors could be better, but if one ignores that then its a good package. Its a good car to drive and space makes it perferct for a family sedan. If the long term performance lives up to the Toyota standard, it would make an excellent buy.

Areas of improvement Better seats, plastics, reduce engine noise, provide electronic ORVM in higher models.

Value for money, smooth drive, good gears, superb spaceEngine noise, sub par interiors, thin seat cushions, plastics quality