First things first. I understand the sentiment of juxtaposition with Fronx, hence let me first put the badge engineering discussion to rest…with some monetary logic. The reason why Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are sharing some cars between each other with only basic visual differences of easily replaceable parts is to keep the overall cost of the car acceptable to the consumer. If Toyota goes out and redesigns a Fronx to give it more substantial differences, the development cost itself will make the final price of the car substantially dearer, making it simply unviable as a buying option. This is what we have to contend with at least until the next generation of these cars come by.
Having said that, Toyota designers have given good enough differentiations to ensure that it has a typical Toyota fascia. The grille design features less chrome and the honeycomb design from an Innova, front DRLs and the rear tail lamp are reminiscent of the Hyryder and while the alloy size is the same at 16-inch, the design is different. This was always a handsome car to begin with and these changes make it look more mature, and to my eye - more elegant.
On the inside, the sum total of all design changes are on the steering wheel, where Toyota has done away with the chrome ring on the horn pad and added their logo. The interior ergonomics remain very well laid out. Everything comes to hand easily and it’s easy to get used to the placement of the few physical buttons that remain, mostly for the automatic climate control. The 9-inch infotainment system features wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay. You get all the bells and whistles you expect out of a car in this price range – head-up display, auto LED headlights, rear AC vents, 360-degree camera (which reminds me of a VGA camera from 10 years ago) and wireless charger to name a few.
The car is primarily designed and tuned for comfort, ease of driving and city driving. The seats are soft, cushy and hold you well with their side bolstering, but I felt they were on the softer side for very long runs. The suspension is compliant and does a great job of swallowing the potholes and bad roads, albeit making a crashing thud while doing so. The steering is very light, making it perfect for the snarling city roads and traffic, but largely lifeless at high speed.
Then there is the 1.0 turbocharged engine which produces 99bhp and 148Nm, which feels like a hoot to drive! The key reason for this hootness is the 1030kg weight of this car -- feather light by crossover standards. There is a lag initially, but past 2500rpm, the motor delivers ounces of torque in a way that will make you forget that it is a 3-cylinder unit. The refinement of this engine will rival most four pots, with the only difference being felt at idle and high revs. And I am glad that Toyota sent us the 5-speed manual version, it is a car that really comes alive with control at your disposal. Though, I would recommend the 6-speed automatic if your run is mostly in the city, just makes life easier. At high speeds, the brakes do leave some more bite to be desired.
Its light weight, stable chassis and well balanced suspension make the car so chuckable that it is insanely fun to throw around. Not many cars have a combination of all these things, nor do we have many cars in the cross-hatch category (no, I am not calling this an SUV), and that’s unfortunate. Because cross-hatches are the perfect balance between a dynamic hatchback and a mid-size SUV with its higher ground clearance, making them fun-to-drive and practical for everyday usage. This Taisor is made perfectly to the brief that the Indian market demands. It is frugal, easy to drive, comfortable, small enough to navigate through cities, large enough to take you out for the weekends and when you need it to be, with this particular engine it’s immensely fun. More people need to seriously consider this as their option, especially with its three year and a massive 1 lakh km warranty. Just be wary that this car isn’t built with the famed Toyota quality.