Introduction

Rebadging isn’t a new concept and happens all over the world and especially in the world of cars. This here is the Toyota Glanza and I’m sure you can notice the similarities to the Baleno, which is also made on the same assembly line.

So why should you consider the Glanza over the Maruti Baleno or its other competition? We answer that question by telling you five things that we liked about the new Toyota Glanza and two things that we did not!

Positives

1. Still a very premium looking car

Now, this might be a very familiar design, but it’s still a good looking one. There is no mistaking the Glanza for a Japanese design. At the front, the swept-back headlights still look fresh. The Glanza gets a different twin slatted grille which we think looks nicer than the Baleno’s.

On the side, the curvy shoulder line and the cool-looking 16-inch alloys look sporty. The sportiness continues to the rear with the sporty spoiler and a rather tacky looking chrome boot lip. Overall, even though the design has been around for a few years now, the Glanza still looks fresh.

2. Well-appointed and spacious Interiors

Stepping inside the Glanza reveals spacious and well-appointed interiors. The interior décor gets a two-tone layout, driver armrest, tilt and telescopic steering with audio controls and electro-chromic Inside Rear View Mirrors.

The driver seats are comfortable with adequate support while the rear bench has more than adequate legroom. The rear seats also get a 60:40 split but no centre armrest. The Glanza gets a boot capacity of 339 litres which is pretty good, but the high loading lip can be a bit of an issue when handling heavy baggages.

3. Impressive feature and safety list

The Glanza also gets a long list of features and safety equipment. You get a seven-inch touch screen infotainment system that gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as connectivity options. The smart playcast system offers RSA, dealer locator, navigation and 24x7 concierge service. While these services are free, additionally, one can avail a host of other features like real-time information about the vehicle including fuel efficiency, trip details, vehicle position tracking and geofencing albeit at a premium. On the safety front, the Glanza gets dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts and reverse parking sensors as standard across variants.

4. Efficient and city-friendly CVT

Powering the Glanza is the known 1.2-litre K12B engine, but this one is mated to the CVT gearbox. The engine makes 82bhp and 113Nm of torque which makes the Glanza peppy enough for city conditions. The CVT gearbox is an absolute boon and the initial response is pretty immediate. Power delivery is extremely linear and it’s only when you step on the accelerator pedal that the CVT’s rubber-band effect comes into play. Talking about fuel efficiency, according to Toyota, the Glanza returns 19.56 kmpl which is excellent.

5. Better warranty than the Baleno

If there’s one thing that Toyota is well known for, it’s their legendary aftersales service and warranty schemes and the Glanza benefits from the same too. Toyota provides three years/one lakh km warranty on the Glanza, which outnumbers the Maruti Baleno’s two years/40,000km. Additionally, one can also opt for the extended program, and avail the five years/2.2 lakh kilometre warranty on the Glanza. The extensive warranty guarantees a zero headache ownership for a long time.

Negatives

1. Needed to look different from the Baleno

Like I mentioned before, rebadging isn’t a new concept, you have the VW Vento-Skoda Rapid, Renault Duster-Nissan Terrano and even the Nissan Evalia and Ashok Leyland Stile, but even though these were essentially the same cars, the manufacturers took the effort for making subtle or more than subtle design changes, but it's not the case with the Glanza and the Baleno. We just wish Toyota could have added its elements to the Glanza.

2. CVT should have been mated to the new K12C dual-jet engine instead of the current K12B

Apart from this K12B, the Glanza is also available with the BS-6 compliant, 1.2-litre K12C engine. This engine not only uses mild-hybrid technology but also gets two injectors per cylinder thereby improving precision and combustion resulting in higher efficiency. It also makes more power at 89bhp which is the icing on the cake. Sadly it’s available only in a five-speed manual avatar. We can’t help think that this engine with the CVT gearbox could have made for a way better combination.

Conclusion

The Toyota Glanza on its own makes for a pretty compelling product. It looks good, drives well, has a good amount of features and at Rs 9 lakh ex-showroom is priced on par with the competition too. But why would you buy one from a Toyota showroom and not Nexa? Well frankly there aren’t too many reasons to choose between the two, but if you do appreciate the extra peace of mind that comes with the Toyota, the Glanza it is!

Pictures by Kapil Angane