Toyota have given us a mini Innova. Almost. The Rumion is the most accessible seven-seater in Toyota’s line-up. We test it to see how it performs
Story: Charan Karthik
Photography: Apurva Ambep
As you may have already guessed, the Rumion is similar in many respects to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Well, that’s because it is a badge-engineered Ertiga. This is one of the models that are the outcome of the Indian-Japanese partnership.
The first thing I noticed about this multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) was the huge honeycomb grille that has the Toyota emblem at the centre. The front bumper is also styled in a sharp way with the fog-lights neatly integrated into its housing. A shiny chrome strip runs along the perimeter of the front grille and the chrome treatment makes its way on to the door-handles. It gets freshly designed 15-inch alloys that are eye-catching. I personally liked the design a lot.
As the title suggests, the Rumion does one thing extremely well and that is provide a lot of space. This becomes easily noticeable as you step inside the seven-seater where the second row is a much more comfortable place to be in than the front. The second row gets sliding and reclining seats and the seats themselves are spacious and the fabric quality is impeccable. However, the beige seat colour is bound to get dirty after a while and would most certainly require constant maintenance. The second row has a 60:40 split set-up and it folds down flat to provide the maximum storage. Its occupants also get four air-vents that are situated on the roof of the car, right in front of their heads. The vents are all adjustable and have generous flow. This makes the middle row a comfortable place to be in.
The third row, meanwhile, can be accessed by pulling the lever that is fitted on top of the second-row seat. Getting in and out of the last row is not much of a problem, even though the operation is manual. It is fail-proof and requires the least amount of effort. The seats have a 50:50 split and have adjustable head-rests which I found to be functional and useful. The space, although cramped, was not suffocating. There was not much knee-room, but the head-room was adequate for my five-foot-eight-inch stature.
At the front, it gets a simple yet functional design throughout its dashboard, the flat-bottom steering wheel being the only touch of sportiness. Analogue clusters are still the way to go and the Rumion sports them proudly, both the tachometer and the speedometer. It does get modern bits on the interior such as a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, although the phone’s battery does get drained considerably while being connected. A major issue we faced with the touchscreen unit was when light reflected on it and the screen became illegible. The glare was noticeable even with the screen brightness fully turned up. Only when we changed direction did the issue get resolved. This may become a deal-breaker for those who use the screen to view maps.
Under the bonnet, there is a refined 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor that is good for 103 hp and 136.8 Nm of torque. Paired with the “K15C” motor is a six-speed automatic gearbox that is rather responsive and sporty when you put the pedal down. It is even better in Manual mode. The exhaust note rises slowly as you get to the top of the rev-range, with the engine becoming fairly vocal. The Drive mode shifts gears earlier than expected when driving with a light foot, but keeps the revs hot when you push the pedal to the floor.
The steering wheel of the Rumion is feather-light; it turns and darts as you point it effortlessly. On paper, the car is 4.4 metres long, but it feels like a very small car. It’s almost like driving a hatchback that has a big bottom. The front end of the car provides a lot of feedback and it reacts instantly without fuss. Not once did I feel like I was driving an MPV. Even the weight is a big factor in this, coming in at a light 1,205 kilograms.
The car is equipped with halogen projector headlamps that look understated and have adequate throw; however, tail-lights are LED. It gets blinkers on the wing mirrors, adding to the neat finish of the vehicle overall. As I drove, I could hear the noises outside even with the windows fully rolled up. It might get bothersome during long drives. I feel the sound insulation could have been better. Even the vibrations towards the top end crept through and a thrum was felt inside the cabin, one that was not pleasant to hear, as if the car were very shallow.
The buttons and switches on the dashboard were not up to the mark quality-wise. The durability of the frequently used switches like the window up/down and the wiper/headlight stalk is open to question. Hopefully, the Japanese marque will address these issues soon.
The Toyota Rumion V AT Neo Drive, the top trim, comes with a price tag of Rs 13.73 lakh (ex-showroom). Its rival, the Kia Carens is significantly higher and will set you back by more than Rs 19 lakh before taxes. We got the Rumion in the “Enticing Silver” colour. There are four more colourways, “Spunky Blue” being the best looking of them all.
It is a banger of a price tag for what the car offers in that segment, being equipped with the reliable K15C motor, one which is a proven mile-muncher, minimal but adequate electronics, plenty of space, and practicality. It is a car that will start every morning, come rain or shine, and will require minimum upkeep mechanically. For the price it is being offered at, the Toyota Rumion is a steal deal. If one has a family of more than five, this is one of the most sensible options available today.
