Toyota Glanza: The Toyota Glanza, which has been introduced under the cross-badging agreement with Suzuki, is essentially the re-badged Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
But Toyota are marketing the Glanza as a premium hatchback with Maruti engineering reliability along with Toyota’s extended warranty, after sales support..
In its new incarnation, the Glanza comes with modern design, intelligent features, and impressive performance – all wrapped in a surprise package for the city commuters and young families.
Stylish and Premium Exterior
The Glanza looks quite familiar at first sight, but Toyota has added in some unique elements that make it look different from the Baleno.
Up front there’s a slicker grille treatment a la Camry-style chrome, for a more upmarket appearance.
The headlamps are projector LED units with integrated LED DRLs and the bumper now comes with sharp contours to add to its sporty appeal.
The profile side is much the same as its brother, and clean lines and 16-inch alloy wheels provide an elegant touch.
At the rear it features a low profile of LED combination lamps and a subtle Toyota badge.
All in all, the Glanza appears to be a well-proportioned car with a modern design language— a perfect car for city-dwellers who like to keep a balance between style and sophistication.
Added Utility in the Premium Cabin
The cabin of the Glanza gets two-tone dashboard, heavily bolstered seats as well as use of good materials that offer a premium feel to the cabin.
It also has a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment (in higher variants) with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Toyota’s voice assistant. On the whole the set-up is responsive and intuitive.
Cabin space is abundant for five, and head and leg room abounds at each position: front and rear.
Third passenger won’t feel the pinch thanks to flat floor at rear and 318-litre boot is good enough for city errands or short weekend getaway.
However the Glanza is not wanting for features too as this one too has a head-up display (HUD), 360 degree camera, rear AC vents, height-adjustable driver seat and fast charging USB ports.
Toyota also injects some exclusivity with its brand-exclusive interior theme and additional warranty offerings.
Engine Running Smoothly and Efficiently
Glanza is powered by a 1.2-litre K-Series DualJet petrol engine making 89 bhp and 113 Nm of torque.
It’s an engine that punts the car along on a whisper with adult fuel economy and an agile gait.
It is coupled to a 5 speed manual or an AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission) gearbox tuned for stress free and fuel efficient city driving.
Although it’s not the hottest hatch cruising the boulevard, the engine packs enough punch for city and occasional highway driving.
It delivers between 22-23km/l (variant and driving style dependent) which makes it one of the most fuel-efficient premium hatchbacks.
Ride, Handling, and Safety
20:33 (IST) Drives like a world class car Bearings, the suspension – all is tuned for comfort and does so soaking in bad roads and speed-breakers with ease.
The Glanza is also flat and composed on the road, at least at moderate highway speeds. The steering is quite light, which is good for around town, although it feels a bit vague under spirited cornering.
For safety, the Glanza comes with six airbags (on the higher trims), ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold control and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
‘They are the features that make it ideal for families and first-time buyers.
Pros:
Smooth and economical petrol motor
High quality tools with Toyota’s iconic styling features
Modern features in a roomy cabin.
Really nice warranty and service plan from Toyota
Smooth ride and easy to manuever in the city
Cons:
Transmission is AMT, which is not as refined as CVT, or torque converters.
No diesel engine option
Just the same as the baleno in a number of places potentially less original
Not a fun car for a fun driver
Toyota Glanza: Final Thoughts
Toyota Glanza is a complete premium hatchback which offers the reliability of a Japanese product, engineering of maruti and service mobility of Toyota.
It doesn’t innovate so much as merely check all the boxes that a modern city driver craves — efficiency, comfort, features and peace of mind.
So if you’re in the market for a fashionable, well-equipped and reliable hatchback, the Glanza is a wise investment.