Toyota Glanza Test Drive Review – Unaltered

Toyota Glanza Review

Car Tested: Toyota Glanza V CVT; Road Test No. 1146; Test Location: Mumbai

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8.18 – 10.40 lakhs

With the Glanza, Toyota has combined its reliable and strong service network with Maruti’s frugal and practical Baleno

Suzuki and Toyota announced their partnership sometime back and as part of the initial deal, the automakers will be sharing some models with each other. The first product to come out of this joint venture is the Toyota Glanza which is nothing but a rebadged Maruti Baleno. In fact, it is so similar to the Baleno facelift that there are no changes at all apart from the badging. However, a lot of people keep asking which one to buy, the Glanza or the Baleno. We drove the Toyota Glanza and now we have the answer to all your queries.

The Glanza gets a modified grille housing the Toyota badge

Exteriors – The Toyota Glanza is based on the facelifted version of the Maruti Baleno. There are no changes at all and the colour options, alloy wheel design, lights, etc. are all the same. The facelifted Baleno gets minor design tweaks compared to the older car and the same have been carried forward. The grille on the Glanza is a tad different and you get Toyota badging all around. Fun fact is that both the Baleno and Glanza are manufactured on the same assembly line right now. The Glanza does look good and has the right proportions to slot it perfectly in the premium hatchback segment.

The Glanza gets the familar dashboard and infotainment screen

Interiors – Just like the exterior, even the interior of the Glanza is identical to the Baleno. You get a Toyota badge on the steering wheel and that’s where the changes end. The dashboard layout is exactly the same and there’s no difference even in the equipment list. You get all the features like projector headlamps, auto climate control, keyless go with push-button start, electrically adjustable and folding ORVMs, auto-dimming IRVM, etc. The SmartPlay Studio infotainment system is now called Smart Playcast but the UI and connectivity options remain the same, with a glaring omission of navigation here too.

The rear seats offer great comfort and can easily seat three people

Apart from the Toyota badge on the steering wheel, the Glanza gets the same spacious and feature-loaded interior

The Toyota Glanza offers generous space inside the cabin. I particularly liked the comfort offered by the front seats and the largeish dimensions. Space at the rear is also quite good with more than adequate knee room and headspace. The cabin is also wide enough for 3 people to sit comfortably at the rear. Cargo capacity is just about decent but the Baleno has always had a high loading lip which makes hauling in heavy luggage a tad cumbersome.