Mahindra Verito Vibe vs Toyota Etios Liva: Space race

The Verito Vibe will be considered by people on the hunt for a good premium hatchback and one of its competitors would definitely be the Toyota Etios Liva. The Liva comes across as a good car with a diesel option, Toyota’s service and reliability and fresher looks. But is it enough to win against the Vibe? Let’s find out.

What does the Liva have to offer?

The Liva has a simple yet young design theme. The smiling chrome grille and rectangular rear do help keep the car’s overall appeal young, funky and vibrant. Fit and finish isn’t all that great, considering the standards Toyota has already set for itself. Plastics are hard and Toyota could have done a better job with the interior.

The Liva has space, lots of it. There is ample leg room at the rear even when the front seats are adjusted for a 6-footer. There is a nice and spacious 251 litre boot as well and it will easily gobble up most of your luggage. The rear seats can be folded flat to expand storage space as well. The ride quality in the Liva isn’t all that great as the suspension is stiff but this does help in better handling.

The Liva GD with safety pack gets two airbags, ABS, tilt steering and internally adjustable ORVM’s. There is no music system, tachometer or height adjustable seat. So it is evident that in terms of features there isn’t much to talk about in the Liva apart from body colored ORVMS, wheel caps etc. Also read: Best cars for bumper-to-bumper city traffic

The diesel Liva sports a 1.4-litre motor that churns out 67 Bhp of power and 170 Nm of torque. It feels peppy and the car hits the 100 Kmph mark without any major fuss. The engine is noisy when revved hard but Toyota has managed to keep its vibration and drone under check. There is a slight lag but once you get in the rev band the turbo lets the Liva accelerate with ease. It has an ARAI-certified mileage of 24 Kmpl and we got around 21 Kmpl during our road test with the AC turned on. Also read: Premium hatchbacks for first time buyers

What does the Verito Vibe offer you?

The unattractive notchback design and the fact that the Vibe is practically identical to the boxy Verito, doesn’t do much for the car in terms of looks. It however, could appeal to someone looking for a different look than the bulk of other hatchbacks out there.

The Mahindra Verito Vibe, compared to other hatchbacks in its segment, is easily the most spacious car in its class. The cabin space is identical to the full-size Verito – a car whose USP was space. The rear seat of the Verito Vibe is wide and can seat three abreast comfortably. Boot space is a huge 330 litres but flexibility of space is compromised as the seats can’t be folded and neither can the rear parcel tray be removed. Adding to this, access to the boot isn’t all that convenient either.

The Mahindra Verito Vibe is powered by the tried-and-tested Renault-Nissan K9K 1.5 litre (1461 cc) diesel engine that puts out 65 Bhp of power at 4000 Rpm and 160 Nm of torque at 2000 Rpm. The engine is known to be incredibly fuel efficient and have very little turbo-lag, making it very drivable in the city. A super-light clutch adds to the drivability factor, especially in traffic and the Vibe is very stable with minimal body-roll. Also read: Pros and cons of Toyota Etios Liva

The top-end D6 variant of the Verito Vibe gets a single driver’s airbag, ABS, EBD, power adjustable mirrors, height adjustable seat, height-adjustable steering and double-DIN music system with USB and Aux-in. Though, it misses out on Bluetooth, rear wiper and a rear defogger.

What we think…

Both these cars are well matched in terms of pure specs as not much separates them and both of them are as frugal as the other. Two very important aspects that one looks into while buying a car.

The Liva diesel will give you great mileage, good handling and a fair amount of space inside the cabin. But, it does lose out on the features inside the car. The lack of a music system in a car that costs Rs.5.84 lakh (Rs. 5.54 lakh, without the safety pack) is a sore point.

Here is where the Vibe shines, with more features to offer but the fact remains that its 330 liter boot has limited usage. Also, the Vibe does cost Rs. 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which is a whole Rs. 65,000 more than the Liva. This alone would make buyers swing towards the Toyota Etios Liva, which is what we would choose too. Also read: Ford Figo vs Chevrolet Sail U-Va vs Toyota Etios Liva