2013 Toyota Etios, Liva facelift review, test drive

The company knew it had to do something to convince buyers that the Etios and Liva were worthy of their money and the two cars you see on these pages are Toyota’s attempt at addressing this issue, among others. As you can see from the pictures, the changes aren’t immediately apparent (there are tiny alterations to the grille, lamps and rear-view mirrors) and that’s because Toyota has worked on small but key tweaks to improve the overall feel of the cars. Do they make a tangible difference?

Open the doors of either car and you’ll notice the new two-tone dashboards on these top-end VSP-spec cars look a lot better than the dull grey that characterised the interiors of the earlier ones. In fact, the dashboard plastics used are the same as before and you’ll see this in the grain used, so it’s just the clever selection of colours that makes all the difference. Thankfully, Toyota has dropped that garish red gear knob with tasteful silver finish, which is more in keeping with the car’s conservative character.