As I mentioned earlier, this is an all-new car from ground up and the same goes for the engine as well. The 1,496-cc, DOHC, 16-valve unit is designed and built specifically for India and for the Etios. Keeping in mind the Indian requirements the engineers have made sure that frictional losses are reduced to give better efficiency as well as power and torque from low rpm. It delivers a maximum of 132 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm and 90 PS of power at 5,600 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed gear box with well-matched ratios that give the car excellent drivability. You can select the fifth gear at 40 km/h and the Etios will happily pull away. So far as I am concerned, what the car does between 1,200 rpm and 2,500 rpm is the most important, for the car will spend more than 90 per cent of its running life in this rev range. Out and out performance like 0-to-100 and top speed are all academic for me.
The 1.5 DOHC is a gem of an engine. The engineers at Toyota have made sure that they kept the weight of the car down to 930 kg without sacrificing safety and, at the same time, achieving a good power-to-weight ratio. Its light weight helps the car in all the departments from performance to fuel efficiency.
After this short drive I can say that this is a no-frills car, but an excellent workhorse that will give its owner hassle-free and reliable service for a long period of time.
CAPTIONS:
1. The all new 1.5 DOHC engine for the Etios
2. Relaxed and comfortable driving position
3. Meter console is located in the centre with the integrated music system and A/C vents stacked one on top of the other
