Toyota Etios 2014-2017 GD

Etios 2014-2017 GD Review

Toyota India has produced a wide range of vehicles in the lucrative Indian automobile market. One among them is Toyota Etios, which is a stylish sedan available in a few variants with petrol and diesel engine options. Out of these, Toyota Etios GD is their mid range diesel trim. The company has introduced its facelifted version with minor updates. The interior features include driver seat belt warning light with buzzer, new fabric seat covers as well as driver and passenger side airbags. The exteriors receive a redesigned radiator grille that gives a stylish look to its front facade. On the other hand, it retains the same engine specifications. This sedan is equipped with a 1.4-litre diesel power plant that delivers good performance. It gives a maximum mileage of around 23.59 Kmpl and is mated with a 5-speed manual transmission gear box. Currently, this vehicle is sold in seven attractive body paints options for the customers to select from. The list includes White, Vermilion Red, Celestial Black, Classic Grey, Harmony Beige, Symphony Silver and New Pearl White as well. It competes against the likes of Chevrolet Sail, Nissan Sunny, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea Classic, Mahindra Verito and a few other vehicles. It is offered with the standard warranty of three years or 1,00,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.

Exteriors:

The automaker has designed it with an overall length of 4265mm along with a width of 1695mm (including external mirrors). It has a total height of 1510mm, whereas its wheelbase comes to 2550mm. It has a minimum ground clearance of 174mm, which is quite decent. This sedan has an eye catching body design and includes a lot of interesting aspects. The front fascia has a redesigned radiator grille with a single chrome slat and is engraved with a prominent insignia in its center. There is a body colored bumper, which includes an air dam that cools the engine swiftly. There are a couple of intermittent wipers fitted to its wide windscreen, while there are expressive lines on the bonnet. It has a bright headlight cluster that is equipped with halogen headlamps and turn indicators as well. The rear end features a body colored bumper along with a pair of reflectors. It has a stylish boot lid that is garnished with chrome and embossed with company's emblem. Whereas it has a wide windshield that is integrated with a high mount stop lamp. Besides these, it includes a radiant tail light cluster and a roof mounted antenna, which completes the look of its rear profile. The sides looks simply attractive with a set of 15 inch steel wheels that have full wheel caps and covered with tubeless radial tyres of size 185/60 R15. The body colored door handles as well as outside rear view mirrors further adds to its appearance.

Interiors:

This Toyota Etios GD trim is blessed with a two tone dark and light grey color scheme that gives a pleasant feel to its passengers. It can accommodate five people with ease besides providing them with ample leg space and head room. It has wide and well cushioned seats that are covered with new fabric upholstery. The cockpit includes a smooth dashboard, which is integrated with a stylish instrumental panel, properly positioned air vents and a three spoke steering wheel that is accentuated with silver inserts. The cabin is blessed with a few utility based aspects as well like front and rear door pockets, bottle holders, glove box compartment with cooling effect, rear parcel shelf, sun visor for driver and front passenger and three assist grips with coat hooks. The luggage compartment of 595 litre is quite good for placing ample luggage and this space can be further increased by folding its rear seat.

Engine and Performance:

The manufacturer has equipped it with a 1.4-litre diesel engine that has four cylinders and eight valves. It has the ability to displace 1364cc and is based on a single overhead camshaft valve configuration. This mill is integrated with a common rail direct injection fuel supply system. It is skilfully coupled with a five speed manual transmission gear box that transmits torque output to its front wheels. The maximum power generated by this motor is 67.1bhp at 3800rpm. At the same time, it yields a peak torque output of 170Nm in the range of 1800 to 2400rpm. This power plant is capable of returning a mileage of 23.59 Kmpl on the highways, which comes down to around 20.32 Kmpl within the city. This sedan can achieve a top speed around 178 Kmph, which is rather good and crosses the speed barrier of 100 Kmph in approximately 12.5 seconds from a standstill.

Braking and Handling:

The braking system of this Toyota Etios GD variant is quite reliable. The front wheels are fitted with a robust set of ventilated disc brakes , while the rear ones have conventional drum brakes. On the other hand, it is blessed with a proficient suspension system that helps in maintaining the stability of vehicle on any road conditions. The front axle is assembled with a McPherson and the rear one is affixed with a torsion beam type of system. It is incorporated with an electric power assisted steering system that has tilt adjustment function. It supports a minimum turning radius of 4.9 meters.

Comfort Features:

This mid range trim is loaded with a number of comfort features that gives an enjoyable driving experience to its passengers. It is bestowed with an efficient air conditioning system that comes along with a heater and clean air filter. There are all four power windows including driver's side auto down function. It has a tilt adjustable steering wheel and LCD type fuel meter with a digital clock. The front seats have adjustable headrests, while the driver's seat has height adjustment facility. The 12V power outlet is quite useful for charging phones and other devices. Its stylish instrument includes a digital tripmeter, tachometer, low fuel warning light panel and displays few other notifications, which makes it quite convenient for the driver. In addition to these, it includes day and night inside rear view mirror, air vents, remote fuel lid as well as tail gate opener, speakers, rear defogger and front cabin lights that enhances the comfort levels.

Safety Features:

The list of safety aspects include dual front SRS airbags, driver seat belt warning light with buzzer , engine immobilizer, keyless entry, headlamp-on warning as well as door ajar notifications that adds to the safety quotient.

Pros:

1. Impressive interiors with sophisticated aspects.

2. Engine performance is good.

Cons:

1. Lack of music system.
2. More safety features can be added.