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REVIEW

Small is IN

2008-09 Toyota Vitz tested

Ehsanur Raza Ronny
The death of the Toyota Starlet left many people to bum incense candles for days to relieve the sadness. First time car owners, small families and people with ridiculously tiny parking spaces looked elsewhere to fill their small-car need. The Starlet was originally designed with soft roly-poly suspension and a steering that provided no input. In a market where ordinary and simple ruled, the Starlet sold big. There was the 130bhp GT for the enthusiasts, but that came in limited numbers.
Post 2000 Toyota only had the Vitz/Platz (a.ka. Yaris) on offer. The latter should have been called a platypus instead of a Platz because of its severely stunted, odd looks. The hatchback was better looking, cute, almost. But they were all slow and rather uninteresting unless you chanced upon the Vitz RS. That was a pocket rocket in line with the older Starlet GT. 1 digress, but there's a point. The second generation of Vitz came in
with better looks and more interesting city options.
The one I test drove was the 2008-9 model. It's similar to the one in the pictures except it had so many scratches, dents and ugly steel protective bumpers, we thought we'd take the refuge of the net and find a red picture. Cause these cars look great in bright spanking colors. Designed in Europe, it reflects contemporary class leading design cues. Simple, but pleasing to the eyes.
I've been dying to have a go in it for one particular reason. This is the 1.0 litre car with the CVT transmission and it hasn't been bogged down with a CNG tank. It's spacious. Tall people will fit easily without suffering from neck cramps. Wide people, too. The controls are simply intuitive And there's a push start button to make you think this is a sporty thing. It's not. But should you care?
The 996cc isn't quite enough but in the city you don't really notice The
engine, developed by Daihatsu, 1
produces a little under 70bhp. 11
The CVT ensures acceleration is brisk and smooth, enough to BJ
tackle those annoying electric '
rickshaws and the errant Premio driver. It manages to cope with the added weight of modern safety requirements - stiffer, thicker body shell, airbags and heavy electric motors everywhere. The ride is supple and the cabin is muted. There you have it. That's all you need in the city.
So, should you really care?
In most parts of the world, small cars are the big sellers in the cities. Easy to park, decent looking, and a lot of interior space, thanks to tighter engine dimensions. Except in America where people love oversized everything. We're not Americans. We don't have their football field wide streets. We need the little cars.
The Vitz 1.0 is brilliant in the sense
it has ample space, good looks and you don't even need CNG. You shouldn't have CNG, not in this car. It is ridiculously fuel efficient. We drove around in city traffic and took it out on the highways in the early mornings. On the highways it started to rock a little from side winds after the HOkmph mark. But the car easily averaged 12kmpl. With A/C. Why would you saddle it down with a maintenance hungry, heavy CNG system? If you want a bit more juice, there are a few 1.3 available here.
A week's worth of driving around in the little gizmo made me fall in love
with its simple demeanor. It's comfortable, fits four-and-half people, very easy to maneuver and you forget it's even there. It's not special, but it's perfect for all your daily needs. If you want special, try and get the 1.8 RS with 130bhp. Now that would be special.
Alternatives:
Mitsubishi Mirage/Colt 1.0 Maruti Suzuki Ritz/Splash
Hyundai ilO