5 reasons to buy the Toyota Etios Cross

A few months ago at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, we noticed a new trend. The cross hatchback segment, something that has never traditionally captured the hearts and minds of the Indian public was suddenly looking at a volley of new players. The first of these, the Toyota Etios Cross, will be launched soon and avid readers of ZigWheels will remember our recent test drive where the spunky hatch impressed us quite a bit. Here are five reasons why we think one should consider the Toyota Etios Cross as compared to a regular hatchback.

1. Exterior Design:

There is no doubt in our minds that the Etios Cross is one of the spunkiest and most outrageous looking hatchbacks that we have seen recently. In a more striking shade like orange or blue in particular, the modern looking design combined with the matte black and silver body cladding looks particularly impressive. The wheels too are something that we are particularly fond of with their diamond cut and black - two tone finish coupled with the smaller details. Other details like the chunky grille and distinctive two-tone spoiler.

2. 1.4-litre Diesel engine:

Toyota’s legendary D-4D engines are known for their reliability and refinement. The single overhead camshaft, eight valve engine may appear underpowered on paper with only 68PS of peak power and 170Nm of peak torque on tap, but in the real world, it tells a whole different story. With the motor generating all its torque at as little as 1800rpm, the Etios Cross diesel does feel rather nippy to drive around town as well as on the open highway.

3. Funky interior design:

Although Toyota has kept the basic design of the dashboard unchanged, the Etios Cross is the perfect example of how changing the interior colour of a car can totally change the way it feels. The new black dashboard combined with a piano black centre console and a new double-DIN infotainment system makes the rather dated design feel new and modern. The multidirectional round air conditioning vents, again in a shade of black, matches the funky look of the dashboard. The Toyota Etios Cross also comes with a set of black seats that get a set of embroidered ‘Etios Cross’ logos. All in all, the Etios Cross is certainly a fresh and exciting car to be in. We also have to harp on how the interior feels much better put together than before. We suspect Toyota has improved its materials quality for the Etios Cross, especially for things like the switches and knobs on the dashboard. The infotainment system itself also feels really good to the touch with a large brushed aluminium knob and a well laid out screen and buttons.

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4. 1.5-litre petrol engine

The top of the line petrol engine, a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated unit is the most fun to drive amongst the three engines available. Producing 90PS of peak power at a creamy 5600rpm and 132Nm of peak torque at 3000rpm, the Etios Cross V feels crisp and rapid to drive. The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox, which does feel a little spongy but goes well as an overall package. On the whole though, even though the diesel might be the more popular choice with the masses, we prefer the 1.5-litre petrol for its sheer driving pleasure.

5. Price

The cheapest version of the Etios Cross is the 1.2-litre petrol version ‘G’ priced at Rs 5.76 lakh. The 1.5-litre petrol Etios Cross V is priced at Rs 7.35 lakh and comes fully loaded with all the bells and whistles. The diesel is available in two trim levels, GD and VD and is priced at Rs 6.9 lakh and Rs 7.45 lakh respectively. Compared to its only current competition, the Volkswagen Cross Polo, which is priced at Rs 7.9 lakh for the top of the line diesel option, the Toyota Etios Cross certainly makes a good value for money proposition. The only real competition we see for the Toyota though is the soon to be launched Fiat Avventura which should be priced very close to the Etios Cross.