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Not your average bonnet girls: Harjan, Bongeka
and Tasneem all have middle manager jobs at Toyota. Asked what they, as successful young women, like best about the Etios sedan that they are leaning on, class-leading space, safety and a willing little engine rates top on their list. |
The Tazz is back, as the bigger, better Etios. ALWYN VILJOEN drove
it, and likes it
TOYOTA last week launched its long-awaited replacement for the
Tazz.
Called the Etios, Toyota plans to set the new standard in
affordable reliability with a sub-B segment car that doesn’t drive like a
typical el-cheapo.
The sub-B is that narrow niche in motoring sales where small cars
try to be big, offering space and mod cons without the price that goes with all
this.
Toyota built the Etios in Chennai, India, and I expected it to be
like the Indica and Indigo which Tata built at its Pune plant.
Having loaded both the sedan and hatch with three blokes and
thrashed it through the Cape Winelands with the pedal buried in the carpet for
the most part, I am relieved to say the Etios is not like a Tata at all.
The 1,5-litre in-line four-cylinder petrol engine was developed
from scratch to meet the tough demands of not only the South African market, but
also Brazil and India.
I can vouch that it takes off like a pony with a piece of ginger
under its tail, and rides equally smoothly on dirt and bumpy tar.
A smooth five-speed manual transmission should also enable a more
careful driver than me to achieve the combined fuel-consumption figures of 5,9
litres/100 km and six litres/100 km for the sedan and hatch, respectively.
Engine output characteristics have been optimised with the emphasis
on low-speed torque of 132 Nm at 3 000 rpm, and this, too, is reflected in the
Toyota’s zero to 100 km/h sprint in 11,3 seconds.
The 16 valves in the 66 kW DOHC engine respond to an electronically
controlled throttle that allows optimal engine management at all times.
Maximum speed is pegged at 165 km/h.
What set the Tazz apart from the City Golf and Mazda 323 in their
days was the very robust suspension which Toyota shoehorned into its cheap car,
and provided a good ride that ensured a Tazz could take on rural mud roads.
The setup in the Etios enjoyed similar attention, with a road
clearance of 115 mm on suspension tuned to deliver a supple ride. The gas
dampers have top-of-the-range anti-dust performance to keep the tyres on the
road for decades, while MacPherson struts up-front and a torsion beam at the
rear keep the car level around the corners.
Calvyn Hamman, senior vice president Toyota SA sales and marketing,
was at pains to point out that the Etios was conceived after some of the most
extensive market research yet conducted in South Africa by a motor company. “We
observed every aspect of car ownership from the standpoint of the customer,
including general functions, performance, QDR (quality, durability,
reliability), and equipment. From there, we polished and enhanced the product
offering and performance aspects that were truly needed, and eliminated any
excessive specifications.
“As a result, we were able to strike the best balance between
initial purchase price, running cost, performance and specification, which are
all essential to a quality, affordable, value for money vehicle. After all, the
Tazz left us with very big shoes to fill.”
I paid instalments first on a Conquest and later a Tazz, and I
think I am well-qualified to tell Hamman all that effort delivered the goods.
The Etios leaves the Tazz in the standing blocks.
Just take a look at the list of space features in the Etios.
• A 13-litre glove box
that is both big enough to swallow a handbag or even a laptop and is cooled by
the air conditioner.
• Seven one-litre-sized
cup holders.
• Front-door
pockets.
• A 595-litre boot.
Toyota claims this is “by far the biggest of any of the compact saloons
currently on sale”.
The comfort and convenience features shows where Toyota spent the
money. The lists includes:
• electric power
steering;
• remote central
locking (SD XS only);
• tilt-adjustable
steering column;
• air conditioning with
clean air filter;
• glove box with
cooling function;
• electric front and
rear windows (SD XS only);
• accessory
socket;
• manual headlamp
levelling system;
• rear-window demister
(SD XS only); and
• tachometer (SD XS
only).
For those drivers who have to add to the factory model, a
comprehensive range of accessories are available for the new Etios, including a
body kit, protective mouldings, a selection of seat covers and stereo systems as
well as carpet overlay sets and a Bluetooth kit to name just a few of the
items.
As for safety, the Etios comes with ABS and EBD as standard on all
models as well as SRS (supplemental restraint system) air bags which are adapted
for the driver and front passenger.
To my mind, the Etios ticks all the boxes an affordable small car
must, and then adds a few extras, like more than 120 dealers, an overstroked
little engine that enjoys a good revving, a road clearance on suspension that
can take on anything our township roads can throw at it. I sure can recommend it
not just to first-time buyers, but all value hunters who just want to get to
point B in comfort.
MAY 2012 PRICE LIST
Etios 1,5 HB Xi — R115 800;
Etios 1,5 HB XS — R120 900;
Etios 1,5 SD Xi — R121 800;
Etios 1,5 SD XS — R126 600.
All new Etios models come with a two-year/30 000 km service plan
included in the purchase price (service intervals are every 10 000 km), along
with Toyota’s comprehensive three-year/100 000 km warranty.
prices:
