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      Toyota Etios Cross: First Impression

      Aditya Chatterjee

      Aditya Chatterjee

      Opening

      Toyota Etios Cross: First Impression

      If the food ordered in a restaurant is too bland; it’s spiced up by adding chilli flakes and pepper. Not necessarily does it make the item tasty but then it is ‘modified’ from its earlier version.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 18

      Toyota seemed to be in a similar mood when they announced Etios Cross at the 12th Auto Expo in India. One associates the brand primarily with two models; the Innova and Fortuner. The former is the ultimate MPV while the latter is a popular premium SUV in India.

      Unfortunately, the fame and success enjoyed by the above models never crumbled down on its entry level cars. Etios Liva, which marked an entry in the hatch segment, could not battle it out with the competition. Lack of premium interiors and dated design made buyers shy away from it. To regain lost confidence and engage more with the adventurous type, Toyota launched the Etios Cross. This crossover claims to be bold with an attitude. Our first impression report reveals more on it.

       Toyota Etios Cross Images 8

      Appearance Exterior

      Etios Cross is the third cross to enter Indian shores after similar styled Fabia and Polo. While the Polo is the smartest looking hatch and Fabia can still make way with its international styling, the Etios Liva unfortunately has nothing to boast of.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 10

      Plastic claddings, aluminum finished bash plates and a bold name, this is the perfect recipe for a crossover hatchback. Toyota has done the same with Etios Cross. The front face has a handle bar moustache looking grille. Turn indicators have been clubbed with fog lamps. It also gets a skid plate positioned below the front bumper. The hood gets a strong rib section flowing in the middle.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 8

      Diamond cut 15" alloy wheels on the Etios Cross is standard. The new alloy wheels have made the ground clearance rise by 4mm. The wheelbase has been retained whereas the overall dimensions have grown cause of the matte plastic claddings all over. The electrically adjustable ORVMs also get turn indicators. Unlike the Cross Polo, which just gets a sticker, this one gets its name etched on the plastic cladding. It also gets contrasting silver roof rails.

      It gets a roof mounted spoiler and the name Etios Cross written in bold on the rear tail gate. Similar to the skid plate on the front bumper, the rear too gets one. Toyota has launched the Etios Cross in 8 different colors. Personally, a yellow would have done for me but then my choice among the different shades would be the Orange and Blue. Even though it is supposed to be an adventurous looking car, it does not come across as an attractive looking car. The brand perception won’t change unless these cars get a complete makeover.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 20 

      Appearance Interior

      This is one of the weakest points of Etios cars. Along with the sedan and the hatch, even the Cross gets the same interiors. They aren’t as engaging as other cars in its segment. They lack modern design and need tremendous improvement.

      Toyota Etios Cross Images 19

      All the trims come in fabric seats perhaps to maintain its raw nature. The seats also have Etios Cross embroidered on it. They aren’t extremely comfortable but then manage to fit the bill. While the front row seats are still manageable, the rear row seats are not comfortable at all. However, the only thing that it scores more is offering space inside. The legroom and headroom for both row passengers is generous.

      Toyota Etios Cross Images 25

      It gets centrally placed front console. The speedometer along with tachometer is placed on the top of the console. This has to be the most weirdly placed arrangement. Even the stickers and buttons appear tacky. It gets an entertainment system which allows external plugging in of devices.

      Toyota has repeated the same instrumentation, features and options as seen on the Etios hatch. Similar to the exteriors, even the interiors need a complete revamp. It has to feel premium with more features and options.

      Toyota Etios Cross Images 1

       

      Performance Drive

      The Etios Cross comes in three engine trims, namely the 1.2L and 1.5L petrol and the 1.4L diesel. We managed to do a very short spin on the 1.5L petrol and 1.4L diesel.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 22

      Even though it was a short drive, the 1.5L Petrol engine left a positive impact. It is the same which comes on the TRD Sportivo hatch. The four cylinder 1496 cc petrol engine produces 90PS of power at 5600 rpm and 132 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm. All the engines come with a standard 5 speed manual transmission.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 17

      The engine feels very peppy and it sounds impressive at higher engine speeds. It produces good power even at lower engine speeds which is great in stop go traffic. During our test run on Mumbai streets, the engine just kept revving and had enough punch for a broad speed range. Since it is just a namesake crossover with plastic claddings, the suspension settings have not been changed. It comes with ventilated disc brakes in front and drum brakes at rear. We couldn’t push it to its limits but were satisfied with its dynamics if not happy with it.

      After the peppy 1.5L petrol, it was time to drive the 1.4L diesel. To begin with, the engine has a very typical diesel rattle. The shifts aren’t as smooth as the petrol unit and for obvious reasons. The four cylinder 1364cc diesel engine produces a power of 68PS at 3800rpm and a torque of 170Nm at 1800-2400rpm.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 21

      Instead of being a demanding driver, we decided to give the diesel a fare chance. The diesel unlike the bigger displacing petrol unit is not an agile unit. It has to be at a sufficient 2000 rpm to start generating power. This one has a linear but strong power delivery. In traffic situations, the engine would feel suffocating slow but on open stretches it feels more comfortable. Also this one claims to deliver 23.59 kmpl while the 1.5L petrol claims 16.78Kmpl.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 19

       

      Tech Specs

      Technical Specifications
       Make Toyota
       Model Etios Cross
      Variant 1.2L DOHC Petrol-G 1.5L DOHC Petrol-V 1.4L D-4D
      Versions Petrol Petrol Diesel
      Engine Displacement 1197 1496 1364
      Power in PS/RPM 80/5600 90/5600 68/3800
      Torque in NM/RPM 104/3100 132/3000 170/2400
      Transmission 5/M 5/M 5/M
      Dimensions in mm
      Length 3895 - -
      Width 1735 - -
      Height 1555 - -
      Wheel base 2460 - -
      Ground clearance 170 - -
      Minimum Radius 4.8 - -
      Kerb weight 935 950 1015
      Tyres 185/60 R15 - -
      Fuel Tank capacity in Liters 45 - -
      Mileage Kmpl 17 16 23

      Features

      Features G/GD V/VD
      Front Fog Lamp Yes Yes
      Rear Wiper and washer Yes Yes
      Alloy wheels Yes Yes
      Air conditioner with heater Yes Yes
      Power Windows Yes Yes
      Electric power steering Yes Yes
      Central locking Yes Yes
      Rear defogger Yes Yes
      Audio System with remote Yes Yes
      Audio controls on steering No Yes
      Internally adjustable ORVM Yes Yes
      steering wheel with sporty leather wrapped No Yes
      Dual SRS Airbags Yes Yes
      ABS with EBD Std for GD Yes

      Competition All Specs

      Specifications
      Toyota
      Etios Cross
      Ford
      Ecosport
      Volkswagen
      Cross Polo
      Variant 1.4L D-4D 1.5 Diesel MT Titanium 1.2TDI
      Engine Displacement/No. of Cyl. 1364/4 1498/4 1199/3
      Power in PS/RPM 68/3800 91/3750 75/4200
      Torque in NM/RPM 170/2400 204/2000-2750 180/2000
      Transmission 5/M 5 MT 5/M
      Dimensions in mm
      Length 3895 3999 3987
      Width 1735 1765 1698
      Height 1555 1708 1474
      Wheel base 2460 2520 2456
      Ground clearance 170 200 168
      Minimum Radius 4.8 5.3 4.9
      Kerb weight 1015 1700 1125
      Tyres 185/60 R15 195/65 R15 185/60 R15
      Fuel Tank capacity in Liters 45 52 45
      Mileage  23 20 20
      Ex Showroom Price Mumbai 7,32,823 9,36,228 798,000
      Features
      Front Fog Lamp Yes Yes Yes
      Rear Wiper and washer Yes Yes Yes
      Alloy wheels Yes Yes Yes
      Air conditioner with heater Yes Yes Yes
      Power Windows Yes Yes Yes
      Electric power steering Yes Yes Yes
      Central locking Yes Yes Yes
      Rear defogger Yes Yes Yes
      Audio System with remote Yes Yes Yes
      Audio controls on steering Yes Yes Yes
      Internally adjustable ORVM Yes Yes Yes
      Dual SRS Airbags Yes Yes Yes
      ABS with EBD Yes Yes Yes

      Conclusion

      Such crossovers are not targeted primarily against SUVs. It is for those who want more from their regular hatchbacks. Even though Toyota claims the Etios Cross is for the young and adventurous, sadly it does not come across as one. The Etios series of cars didn’t work well for the company and then pushing a crossover based on it won’t improve the condition.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 4

      Etios was perceived and designed as a cost effective entry level car and this is the exact thing which went wrong. Average quality interiors and dated design made many shy away from it. The other aspect which can’t be ignored is its numbers in the commercial fleet operations where again the brand takes beating. There is no sufficient reason for anyone to spend that amount of money for a less popular crossover and not consider other options in that same segment.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 16

      The surprising bit is Toyota is known for producing successful cars all over. One look at the Toyota 86, Avalon or the upcoming 2015 Camry and all questions about their designing capabilities are shunned. The company needs to understand that Indian market has matured to modern design. They are as demanding as their international clientele. It is for the same reasons many car manufacturers resort to mid-life updates to maintain novelty.

      Our first impression makes us conclude that even though the Etios Cross comes with brilliant engines especially the 1.5L petrol which is very peppy, it is a letdown as an overall package.

      Toyota Etios Cross Pictures 9

       

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