Toyota reputation at stake here.
My review may seem tad too critical but thats because Toyota delayed more than a month for standard basic accessories like floor mats, car cover, mud flaps etc.
Great lineage, but you are only as good as your last vehicle. You may have quite a reputation but one slip up and you had it.
Comparable models have delivered better finish, value for money and more bang for the buck than the ETIOS.
ETIOS cuts a shade pale-and is relatively bland and not exciting.
Neat cubbyholes for water bottles, decent leg room are some of the plus points. Tilt-able steering wheel is another nifty feature useful for tall folks.
Water Bottle cooler in the Glove box is quite an interesting feature.
Plastics could have been better or replaced with some wooden trims or chrome finish to give it an edge.
Ferrari red colored seats lend a racy look and feel with the 1.5 engine delivering good pick up and follow through. Gears are smooth and sure and the car delightfully surges ahead.
Front speakers sound good but the rear speakers are sorely missed - who would want to get the rear speakers affixed locally and mess around with the 3 year warranty.
DVD/DiVx inbuilt player with remote is cool. Audio volume and menu buttons on the steering wheel in the high end model.
I was quite impressed with the single windscreen wiper that does quite a majestic sweep during the heavy rains of Mumbai.
The Etios high end version comes with a built in auto lock that can be opened with the click of a button on the single remote - wish they gave this option on both the keys.
They claim a 17.5 average but close to 14 in city driving conditions is what it truly offers. Must be more frugal on long drives.
Its plain jane looks are a dampener..Toyota should have upped the ante but have only managed a whimper.
Its low height is something that should have been thought about considering the quality of our Indian roads.
Overall, would have expected a more sophisticated value for money package from the Toyota stable considering their history of delivering runaway super hits in India like the Quallis, Innova and the Corolla.