The refreshed Toyota Glanza is a premium hatchback that rivals the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20, and Tata Altroz. While the Glanza is essentially a badge-engineered Baleno, unlike the pre-facelift model, Toyota has made a visible effort this time to introduce a few distinctive exterior styling elements that help differentiate it from its Maruti sibling.
Who is The Toyota Glanza for?
The Toyota Glanza combines the best of both worlds — the robust build quality, spacious interior, and driving dynamics of the Baleno with the premium badge and ownership experience of Toyota. Loyal Toyota customers and first-time buyers will appreciate the premium service and the option of an extended warranty of up to 5 years / 2,20,000 km. This also ensures a higher resale value compared to the competition. (TBD)
How are the Toyota Glanza interiors?
Step inside the Toyota Glanza, and like the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, you’re treated to a spacious and well-appointed interior. What sets it apart is the use of beige and black interiors in the top variant (grey and black in the lower trims), which enhances the premium feel. The Toyota badge replaces the Suzuki logo on the steering wheel and infotainment system.
The driver gets a six-way manually adjustable seat, including height adjustment. The steering wheel can be manually adjusted for both rake and reach to ensure the best driving position.
At the rear, the Glanza can comfortably seat two average-sized adults and one child, though accommodating three adults for long journeys may be a bit of a squeeze. A welcome comfort feature is the addition of rear AC vents and a USB charger.
Tell me about the Toyota Glanza’s Infotainment
Like most modern cars, the infotainment screen is positioned atop the dashboard, allowing it to be seen with minimal distraction while driving. The top-of-the-line V variant comes with a 9-inch touchscreen (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible), which remains easily readable even in bright sunlight.
A 360-degree parking camera is included and is especially useful when parking the Glanza in tight spaces. The V variant also features a head-up display (HUD) that shows speed, engine RPM, gear position, and time. While this is more of a vanity feature, it does add to the premium feel of the car.
Engine and Transmission
While there are subtle differences in design and interior between the Glanza and the Baleno, the engine and transmission are identical. Both use the 1.2L K-Series Dual Jet Dual VVT petrol engine sourced from Suzuki, producing 89.3 PS and 113 Nm of torque. This is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT, depending on the variant.
The engine is a tried-and-tested motor that has powered the Swift and Baleno over the years. Emission norms have taken some of the fun out of the engine, but for city drives, the power feels adequate.
What does feel underwhelming, however, is the AMT transmission. It works well when driven calmly but feels sluggish during quick overtakes or hard acceleration. In such cases, it’s best to slot the gear lever into manual mode for better control. The ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency for the AMT variant is 22.35 km/l, but in real-world conditions, you can expect around 15% less.
Ride and Handling
As a city car, the Glanza strikes a fine balance in ride quality. The reworked suspension absorbs potholes and speed breakers with ease. The cushier ride works well on most surfaces, and the ground clearance ensures the underbelly doesn’t scrape on taller speed breakers.
Handling, like most aspects of the car, is adequate. Body roll is evident during aggressive cornering — not alarming, but definitely noticeable.
Is the Toyota Glanza safe?
Like the rest of its competitors, the Glanza gets a host of active and passive safety features in this version. The former include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Hill Hold Assist, parking sensors, and a reverse/360° camera. The latter include six airbags in all models, plus seatbelt pre-tensioners, ISOFIX child seat anchors, to name a few.
Though the Glanza has not been tested for the Bharat NCAP crash test, given that it shares 100 percent of its underpinnings with the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, a 4-star safety rating is an assumption based on the Baleno’s Bharat NCAP result.
Should I Buy One?
The Toyota Glanza was already a solid product, thanks to its reliable build and proven engine. The refreshed version introduces distinct Toyota design cues that help it stand apart from the Baleno, and in our view, the Glanza actually looks better.
As a complete package, the Glanza makes a strong case as a city-focused hatchback, with enough space for five adults on short trips and a 318-litre boot that’s adequate for weekend getaways.
While the AMT transmission is a weak spot, it’s not a dealbreaker. In a world increasingly obsessed with sub-four-meter SUVs and crossovers, the Glanza offers a refreshingly simple, practical, and stylish alternative — with a starting price of ₹6.9 lakh (ex-showroom).
