Down-to-earth sprinting in the slow lane
LAUNCH NEWS/ Toyota has introduced a facelift to its high-spec Etios model and called it a Sprint, writes Mark Smyth
The Toyota Etios is a rarely talked about champion of the subB-segment. Ask most people looking in this budget category and they will talk about the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, the Renault Sandero or models from Hyundai or Kia.
However, the Etios sells in large numbers, with 90,551 having been sold since launch. Quite a few go to rental fleets and it could easily be called the Toyota Avis or, more appropriately, the Toyota Budget.
What it probably should not be called is the Toyota Etios Sprint. Toyota has a habit of slapping a decal on a vehicle and embarking on a big marketing campaign. Look at the former Yaris Zen, which had stickers, or the return of the old Corolla as the successful Corolla Quest.
In the case of the Etios Sprint, it does have more than just a Sprint badge. It is the facelift of the model but the facelift applies only to the Sprint, which is the new name for the former rangetopping Xs model. The lower models still have the old design, although they do get a few extra pieces of kit. Confused? We are.
We asked Toyota executives if the lower models would get the facelift too or whether they would simply be run out. We didn’t get a clear answer so will have to wait and see. 6.0l/100km 138g/km
Good news is all models do get additional kit. This includes standard Isofix child seat anchor points, chrome on the grille and a USB-equipped audio system with four speakers.
Sprint styling changes include revisions to the front and rear, with a slightly more dynamic look. The Sprint also gets remote central locking and electric windows front and rear, as well as 15-inch alloy wheels.
It’s a solid piece of kit as we found out while driving from Port Elizabeth to East London. The highways are undergoing massive construction and while the old school 1.5l motor with its 66kW and 132Nm lacks the verve of the engine in models like the Sandero, it coped well. It runs out of puff easily though, particularly when you struggle to get to the national speed limit while going uphill, but it will not disappoint urban dwellers or tourists who are more concerned with the scenery than getting anywhere in a hurry.
The five-speed manual gearbox requires plenty of driver interaction but choose a cruising speed below the national speed limit and you even get enough torque to occasionally pull an overtaking manoeuvre without dropping down a gear. Note that I say “occasionally”, because generally we found ourselves playing in third and fourth gears to maintain decent momentum, especially when the stop/go roadwork sections started making us sweat a little that we were going to miss our flight.
The build quality is good, with no signs of rattles or squeaks even on the bumpy back roads of the Eastern Cape. That is not to say the interior quality is great, with some questionable materials on the dashboard and a design that looks as though it was patched together and signed off in a hurry. And what is with the instrument cluster background, which looks as though it was cut out of a child’s sticker book?
Overall though, the interior is comfortable and there is plenty of space, including boot capacity of 562l on the sedan (251l for the hatch), which can be increased with the folding rear seats.
PRACTICALITY
The new Sprint might not deserve the name, but the revised styling elevates it immensely. It lacks the cool factor of the Sandero or the feeling of superior engineering in the Polo Vivo but this is not a vehicle that is designed to play with the cool kids. It is all about function and practicality and in this regard it ticks all the boxes.
Pricing has headed north in recent years, as has been the case for most models in the South African market, which means the base level Xi now costs R163,000 (R172,200 for the sedan) and if you want the Sprint you will have to shell out R172,600 (R180,500 for the sedan). The Etios Cross has not received any styling changes and costs R194,300.
The Etios faces tough competition, not least of all from our favourite in the segment, the Sandero, which undercuts it on price and beats it in almost all other aspects. Suzuki’s Celerio is also a strong rival.
Toyota needed to do more for less with the Sprint, but the Etios has never tried to be anything more than it is. As a basic, average runabout, it meets its remit.
Price: On sale date: Max power: Max torque: Top speed: 0-100km/h: Combined consumption: CO2 emissions: Star rating: