Starting off with its size and road presence, the Glanza is just shy of 4 metres in length, though it has a fairly long wheelbase for the segment. Speaking of which, there isn’t much difference in its overall size when compared to other hatchbacks. The Glanza is ever so slightly smaller than the Hyundai i20 when it comes to width and wheelbase, but again, just that little bit more substantial than something like the Tata Altroz.

The Glanza’s dash follows a dual-tone black and beige theme that is easy on the eyes. It is supplemented with gloss black inserts in the centre and on the steering wheel, lending a more upmarket look. The steering wheel also has a flat bottom for a sporty look and now, the whole cabin is a lot more cohesive in its design, in terms of how the bits are linked to each other. For example, the narrow central air vents feel decent to operate and go well with the toggle switches for the AC temperature and blower speeds. The quality of materials used is among the best in this segment with hardly any ill-fitting plastics, even lower down the cabin

The front seats miss out on leatherette upholstery, although the fabric design looks good. And because it’s hard-wearing fabric, it’s easier to keep clean compared to leather seats. The cushioning is a bit too soft, though there is adequate side support. Then, both, the front seats and the steering can be adjusted, so getting the ideal driving position is easy. The view up front is clear since the dash is set low and the A-pillars aren’t too chunky.

The boot capacity of the Glanza is rated at 318 litres, which isn’t the most capacious in this segment but good enough for everyday purpose. To make use of the full cargo area, you can fold the rear seats individually using the 60:40 split feature. And to do that, you can neatly stow the parcel shelf over the boot floor.

Even the base variant of the Glanza is well-loaded. It comes with automatic climate control, power windows, remote keyless entry, rear parking sensors, gear shift indicator, one-touch up and down feature for the driver’s window, rear defogger, 60:40 split for the rear seats, and a few other small but significant features. It also comes with ABS, EBD, ESP, hill hold, and dual front airbags as standard. Features like six airbags, reach adjustment for the steering, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, rear AC vents, seatback pocket on the co-driver’s seat, fast charging USB at the back, lighting for the footwell, glove box, and the boot area are limited to the V and G variants.

The Glanza is powered by a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine from Maruti Suzuki that you can have with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT gearbox. Now, the entry-level E variant gets the manual version only, whereas the rest can be had with both manual and AMT options. The engine puts out 89bhp of power and 113Nm of torque, which is actually adequate given the weight of the Glanza (it tipped the scales at 960kg during our testing).

The steering on the Glanza is light, the manual gearbox is slick, the bite point on the clutch pedal is easy to get, and the engine is tractable and forgiving. You can keep it in a gear higher than you normally would and it will still pull cleanly. Add good visibility and linear brake pedal feel to the mix and you get a car that is easy to navigate in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Naturally, the AMT gearbox is even more user-friendly, making the Glanza AMT our go-to choice if your usage is primarily in the city.

The claimed fuel efficiency of the manual Glanza is rated at 22.35kmpl, whereas it’s 22.94kmpl for the AMT model. In our fuel efficiency test, the manual Glanza achieved 17.52kmpl in the city and 22.30kmpl on the highway. We tested the AMT model across the same route in similar traffic conditions and it returned 17.34kmpl in the city and 22.23kmpl on the highway.

There are nine variants in total, including the CNG and AMT versions. The entry-level Glanza E is priced at Rs. 6.81 lakh and the most expensive V AMT can be had for Rs. 10 lakh. The CNG range is limited to the middle two variants and their prices are roughly Rs. 70,000 more than the corresponding petrol variants.

The Toyota Glanza is a no-nonsense and extremely user-friendly car to use daily. By nature, it’s easy to drive and good for those who do not have a lot of experience in driving. It also makes for a great family hatch, given the amount of interior space and all the new-age features Toyota has added. All things considered, it ticks a lot of the right boxes for a typical Indian hatchback buyer and as things stand, all it needs is a solid NCAP rating to fully stamp its authority.