Toyota’s new crossover hatchback was unveiled at the 12th Auto Expo in February 2014 and this third member of the Etios family after Etios (sedan) and Etios Liva (hatchback) got launched on 7th May 2014. The car is somewhat similar to Liva but has heavy claddings and rugged looks of an SUV. In its official Press Release, Toyota claimed that the new model has already become popular in Brazil where it hit the markets before being launched in India.
The Etios Cross has come with three engine options:
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1.5 litre petrol engine - churns 90 PS at 5600 rpm and has 132 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm
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1.2 litre petrol engine – churns 80 PS at 5600 rpm and has 104 Nm of torque at 3100 rpm
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1.4 litre diesel engine – churns 68 PS at 3800 rpm and has 170 Nm of torque at 1800-2400 rpm
With its bold external features, the Etios Cross can be easily distinguished from the regular Liva hatch. The dimensions are also bigger than Liva – it measures 3895 mm long, 1735 mm in width and is 1555 mm tall. But it shares the 2460 mm of wheelbase with its sibling. There is a bold black front grille with a thick, silver grille guard. The round fog lamps housed on the broad, black bumper also have integrated turn indicators above them. Continuing from the front bumper is the side cladding that goes around the wheel arches and runs on the door panels, right up to the rear bumper. It is through this styling that Toyota tried to give Etios Cross an athletic look. This cars uses diamond cut alloy wheels with 185 / 60 R15 tyres.
Inside the piano black cabin you see Etios Cross badges on the front seats and there’s white stitching to give it a sporty feel. The three spoke multi function, powered steering wheel has touches of silver (only in diesel driven model) for highlights. It can be adjusted for tilt. The driver’s seat is also adjustable for height and ORVMs are internally adaptable. Etios Cross has a standard air conditioner with heater and air filter. A 2 DIN audio system with CD/MP3 player, FM radio and USB port are common between the petrol and diesel based variants, but the latter also has an Aux in port, Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel mounted controls. Three people can sit comfortably at back and there is adequate legroom.
Anti lock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution is provided with diesel and GD variant of petrol powered model. Engine immobiliser and safety alerts such as seat belt reminder, door ajar indicator, parking brake indicator and headlamps on indicator are standard. The diesel car also comes with SRS airbags for driver and passenger.
The ARAI claimed fuel economy for the 1.2 litre petrol, 1.5 litre petrol and 1.4 litre diesel is 17.7 km/litre, 16.78 km/litre, and 23.5 km/litre respectively.
Etios Cross was launched with four variants: 1.2 L Petrol G, 1.5 L Petrol V, and GD+VD trims with the diesel driven model. These cost between Rs 5.76 lakhs and 7.40 lakhs (ex showroom price Delhi).
There is pack of 7 colours to choose from and these include some jazzy shades like Inferno Orange, Ultramarine Blue and Vermilion Red.
Owners of Etios and Etios Liva have complained about high NVH levels and lack of refinement in these cars but Etios models have also been appreciated for ample cabin space and ease of drive. The success of May 2014 launched Etios Cross as a sporty version in this range is to be seen.