Sweet & Sour

 

Exterior Exterior Styling is a matter of personal choices and preferences. To me, external styling wasn't one of the parameters in choosing this car. However, Autophiles have generally found the styling of Liva to be better than its elder sibling (Etios Sedan). Paint quality is quite good and the blue colour looks particularly attractive.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) As is noted by almost everyone by now, the interiors of Liva is nothing to be talked about, as far as equipment levels go. It doesn't even have a Power Steering on the lowest trim. No Climate Control, Multi-Functional Display, Height Adjustable Driver Seat on even the Top Variant and one may think Toyota has lost the game.

Having a big family consisting of 4 adults and 2 children, my topmost criterion however was space inside and this is where Liva scored maximum.  3 Medium Sized Adults can sit comfortably on the rear seat without compromising on shoulder room. The transmission tunnel is minimized to have almost flat floor in the rear and this adds to the comfort. Under-thigh support is very good. Engress and Igress is not all that bad either.

Visibility offered from Driver's seat is excellent. Driver's seat is not height-adjustable but the default setting should be just perfect for medium-height (5'6" to 5'9") and tall (5'10"+) persons. The steering wheel can be adjusted for height and may be boon on long drives.

The ergonomics is well-thought of as everything (Music System, Gear Shift Lever, AC Vents, Power Outlet, Beam Level Adjustors and such controls) falls within easy reach from driver. The seats offer good under-thigh and lateral support.

There is oodles of space to keep your things around. The boot could have been a little bigger but as such is moderate.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The Engine performance seems compromised on the lower end of the graph. I found the second gear to be especially under-powered in bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, 3rd Gear is absolutely sweet. 20km/h+ can be easily managed with full passenger load in this gear. 4th and 5th don't disappoint much unless you are an enthusiast driver.

The short-travel clutch is simply fantastic and I found the Gear Shift to be absolutely precise. (I didn't notice any strange sounds as claimed by some other owners of Liva).

Ride Quality & Handling The ride quality offered is excellent. With the city roads lashed by recent heavy downpour, potholes of different sizes were omnipresent. However, most of these were taken by Liva effortlessly. Handling of the car is not bad either. But then, i haven't really tested her on curvey roads at 50km/h+ speeds.

Final Words Liva is nothing to be talked about. The interiors are poor on equipment levels and don't instill feel good factor thoguh they are quite functional. But Toyota seems to have captured the essence of requirements of a middle-class family well. If you prefer leisurely drive with all family members without denting your pocket much, this is the car for you.

Areas of improvement

1. Better Equipment levels (No Parcel Tray, Electrically adjustable OVRM, Rear Cabin Light, Rear Wiper, Only one reverse light for 5.7L on road price?!)

2. A Price-tag of 50K less would make this VFM hatchback.

Space Inside, Fuel Economy, Attention to Details, Toyota BrandCost Cutting glaringly evident, Low End Torque is not enough