Toyota Etios Liva facelift

Some of us rely on our vehicles to stir the inner senses and stimulate our soul, while the rest simply see them as a source of getting from point A to point B. Toyota’s humble Etios Liva is one hatchback that has fallen prey to the complacency of those who see their vehicles only as a mode for transportation.

So how does one make a car like the Etios Liva more desirable? Either make it look better or perhaps just put in a feistier engine to make it a bit more exciting to drive. Toyota, however, has done neither. Instead, the brand has made the Liva safer, more comfortable and easier on the eye. The car, as a result, is still no out and out looker although it is now worth a serious look.

Lay your eyes on this new version and it is obvious that things haven’t changed much from the older Liva. Unlike the Etios sedan which has become a hot favourite among many of Mumbai’s cab rental fleet, the Liva is a hatchback that buyers can see themselves driving and shouldn’t mind having others see them doing so.

Like the Etios sedan on which it’s based on, the Liva facelift is not an entirely new product and it shows when you look at the exterior. The hatchback, in fact, gets the same design treatment as the sedan, which means a new front grille and that’s nearly all. The sedan though gets a chrome finished grille, while in the Liva the unit is body coloured. Rounding off the updates, Toyota has added a new set of 15-inch alloy wheels and chrome finish for the door handles.

The new Liva, then, is not much different from what we have seen till now. Overall, it looks good and if you have got a liking for simple designs, like me, the Liva will manage to leave a good impression. However, for those who like to announce their arrival, there’s a whole load of stylish and comparatively modern looking small cars out there.

Inside, standard fare includes the sedan-derived centrally-mounted instrument cluster and a few other quirky design elements including the vertically stacked air vents and the unusually large opening for the glove box.

While the switch gear is easy to use and clutter free, there is a definite scope for improvement in terms of quality and fit and finish. While the plastic quality is good, the fit and finish could be a notch higher. I don’t mean to nit-pick here but overall quality levels in hatchbacks, as we know, have improved drastically in the past couple of years and I’d stepped inside expecting more of the same. As for in-car entertainment, the audio system is Bluetooth compatible and pairing a phone doesn't take too long either. Although audio quality isn't particularly great, the 2-DIN player is neatly integrated and is quite intuitive.

As is the case with the sedan, the Liva also features a centrally mounted instrument console which I’m not too fond off. Back-lit in blue, the console appears overtly animated and isn’t in sync with the rest of the cabin either. No such grouses with the seats and overall comfort. The driving position itself is good and with height adjustment for the steering and the driver’s seat, it doesn't take much time to find a comfortable position. At the rear, there's plenty of leg room and the flat rear bench means three adults can sit abreast with a bit of comfort.

As for the cabin design, the appearance remains nearly untouched for the faclifted Liva, with the exceptions being the new electrically adjustable wing mirrors and beige-coloured fabric upholstery. Standard features, meanwhile, include steering mounted audio controls, chilled glove box and as said before, Bluetooth-enabled audio system and a two-tone interior. As for safety, Toyota has made some drastic improvements in this area. The Liva gets dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and a seatbelt reminder. Better still, dual front airbags are now standardised across the range which means even the entry-level versions benefit from the essential safety feature.

All in all, the Liva continues to be as practical as the Etios sedan but there’s a big difference when it comes to boot space. While the latter houses a massive 595-litre of boot, the Liva has to do with less than half that with 251-litre of room. However, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering it beats both the Swift and the Bolt which get 205 and 210 litre of boot space respectively.

While the 80bhp, 1.2-litre four cylinder petrol engine is limited to the petrol-powered model, both the Etios sedan and the Liva hatch share the 1.4-litre, D4-D diesel engine which develops about 67bhp of power and 170Nm of torque. While the figures might not look as impressive considering the size of the engine, the engine offers reasonable amount of grunt and does the job in a rather smooth, linear way. Gearshifts, too, on the short-throw 5-speed manual gearbox are quick and smooth.

The diesel engine’s bottom-end performance is surprisingly strong as the Liva leaps ahead even under light throttle inputs. Also impressive is the gearbox which works in a smooth and trouble-free way. And the same can be said about the engine but there's more to it. While refinement levels are not the best in class, this 1.4-litre unit likes to be revved and it is only when the needle is hovering near the redline that it starts to feels like it’s out of its comfort zone.

In terms of outright performance, the Liva is reasonably quick on its feet and as impressive as most of its rivals, if not better. The low kerb weight and a responsive engine means it can even play along with some of the more expensive hatchbacks like the Fiat Punto Evo and the Hyundai Elite i20.

The one thing that the Liva has over any apparent competition is the way it deals with bad roads. It features Macpherson struts and a torsion beam at front and rear axles respectively and the overall suspension setup is very well suited to Indian roads.

Running on 185/60 15-inch wheels, this range-topping Liva dispatches corners with ease when driven at moderate speeds. By no means is it a hot hatchback but for pottering around town or even going round a windy hill, the Liva performs just as well, if not better, as one would expect in a diesel family hatch.

Like its predecessor, the facelifted Liva continues to ride impressively over rough surfaces. The softly sprung suspension irons out even the harshest of jolts without much effort. What comes as a surprise though is how well the Etios handles despite the damping biased towards the softer side. The suspension is not out and out soft – it absorbs potholes and it will react to sharp steering inputs too. On ride and handling alone, the Liva comes very close to the competition including the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Chevrolet U-VA.

The Toyota brand has always had bit of a premium image here in the Indian market, but for one reason or another, the Etios Liva has failed to catch on. Despite a fairly comprehensive makeover in the past, the hatchback hasn’t been able to perform competitively in the hatchback segment.

It is obvious, then, the Liva doesn’t appeal to everyone. That being said, the car does have its own upsides. The brilliant ride, improved safety and a solid reliability record all add up to make the facelifted Liva definitely worth a test drive. “But it has a disappointing interior,” one might add. Agreed, the cabin indeed could use some attention, but after a brief stint behind the wheel, I’m convinced that it is definitely not a deal breaker.