With its arrival the 2012 Maruti Suzuki Dzire notchbackhas put its competitors on their toes, but at the same time Toyota Etios has made its debut as a sedan in the entry-level segment. The former is less than four meters in length like Tata Indigo eCS.It has compromised boot space in comparison to the older model of Dzire. However, it has more luxury than the old Dzire and it is sold at a much more competitive price tag. The Toyota Etios, on the other hand, lacks in luxurious interiors and style but it has a lot of space inside the cabin with an incredibly big boot space, even larger than those cars which are a segment above this car.
Now then, we put both of them together at one place to compare with each other, in terms of handling, looks, driving, features, space and comfort to realize which one gives the actual ‘value for money’ to the consumers. In India, since diesel vehicles are in a dominating position for their demand over and above their petrol fuel based engine brethren, we take the top end diesel variants of these two line-up, i.e. Maruti Suzuki Dzire ZDi and Toyota Etios VXD for comparison.
Looks
Designed to be a sedan from the beginning, Toyota Etios, has a grand wheel-base which gives it the look of a complete three box sedan. But other than the grille which seems smiling at all times and a tail-lamp cluster which is curvaceously designed when it comes to styling, it looks more or less like a modified version of Mahindra & Mahindra’s Verito (Logan). In the interiors the feel is not that luxurious when one finds the plastic and the instrument cluster with dials mounted centrally in the cabin.
On the other hand, the 2012 Maruti Suzuki Dzire is very much good looking to the eye, the design of the rear boot is very tidy in comparison to the bilging design of the boot door of the previous Dzire. This new model looks amazing when seen from the front since the headlamps and grille with latest fog lamps are inspired from the earlier Swift. However, when seen from the sides it looks a bit gawky as the short wheelbase and annihilated look from the side doesn’t give the viewer any feel of a complete three box sedan. With panels and the inside door handles having wooden inserts, the central console and the multi information display is laid out in a very alluring manner. With its compact amplitude it looks very smart and sporty if not beautiful from sides.
Space and Comfort
Toyota has worked hard to chisel out as much space for the users as it could to make its Etios a very commodious sedan. A perfect lumber support with a good support under thigh by the thin front seats is surprising, althoughKnee room is very adequate. On the rear, the seats are made flat to offer extra room to the three passengers seating shoulder to shoulder. The floor sojourns nearly flat and thus the passenger on the middle gets enough knee room like the front row passengers. In short, all the passengers enjoy the long ride without worrying about their knees in the Toyota Etios.
Maruti Suzuki Dzire ebbs when it comes to space and comfort in comparison to the Toyota Etios. Although the Dzire offers complete overall comfort to its front passengers, the passengers on the rear may feel a little bit encumbered. This rear seat is best for two passengers, but the third passenger may make others feel the lack of shoulder and knee space. The 316 liter of boot space is nowhere near in comparison with the extra-large sized boot space of Etios, spacious by 595 liters.
Attributes
The Toyota Etios VXD variant is completely packed with attributes like ABS with EBD, double SRS airbags, air conditioning, power windows, power steering, tilt steering, remote control locking, audio controls mounted over the steering, DVD audio system, rear defogger, alloy wheels, cooled glove-box, body colored door handles, ORVMs (outside rear view mirrors) and fog lamps. These are few of the many attributes Etios VXD is equipped with.
New Dzire has a piddling advantage here when it comes to attributes. Automatic climate control is an added feature with the air conditioning, turn indicators on the outside rear view mirrors, an instrument cluster with readings of range, average fuel consumption and outside temperature are very advance features, which is not at all offered in any of the Toyota Etios models. This way, 2012 Dzire has a paltry advantage over the Etios.
Driving and Handling
This is where everything else comes down to.The performance and maneuverability of a vehicle decides its success in the automobile market. The Etios is roused by a 1.4 liter diesel mill which gives out an unobtrusive 67 bhp of power and a peak torque of 168 Nm. While the 2012 Dzire has a DDiS 1.3 liter diesel motor, which is a provenience from the Fiat and pumps out a good volume of 75 bhp of power and a peak torque of 190 Nm.Here 2012 Dzire has more of a power and torque yield which in combination with the light body weight makes it a more commutable car in comparison to the Etios diesel. With the annealed suspension set-up and its compact gamut, 2012 Dzire exalt confidence even when driven expeditiously whence Toyota Etios shows a little of body roll when attempted. Here 2012 Dzire wins over the Toyota Etios in the overall aspects of handling and performance.
Value for money, mileage and price
Toyota Etios VXD comes for Rs 8.51 lakh while the Dzire ZDi goes to its owner for Rs 7.51 lakh. This makes Toyota Etios VXD Rs 64,000 costlier compared to Maruti Suzuki’s 2012 Dzire ZDi. Etios gives a mileage of 23.59 kmpl while 2012 Dzire gives a mileage of 23.4 kmpl which is very close to the earlier.
When we come to the value for money hypothesis, the 2012 Dzire comes ahead of Toyota Etios with a piddling advantage on attributes and less price, this makes it a good package in comparison to the later.
Conclusion
Toyota Etios has very spacious cabin with 595 liters of boot space and a good mileage of 23.59 kmpl, but one has to take in consideration its visible cost cutting measures. The high NVH level and thinner seat cushioning makes it a bit inappropriate.
2012 Maruti Suzuki Dzire has a very impermeable dimension, which allows it to maneuver with ease and the handling is just smooth in the busy traffic compared to the Etios, but the smaller boot of 316 liters and the less margin on space for the rear passengers are some of the negative things in this car.
In my opinion, if someone uses a sedan on a regular basis with a total of five passenger and travel around with a lot of luggage then Toyota Etios will suit his/her requirement perfectly. Or else on all the other attributes, the 2012 Dzire fits best compared to the Etios.
