New Toyota Glanza 2024 AMT Long Term Review: A Small Car Which Makes Pure Sense

Performance is not exciting but when faced with a long traffic from Noida to Delhi, that's not one of your concerns. In plan stop and go traffic, the AMT is smooth enough

The 1.2l petrol is adequate in its performance but is suited to the everyday driving bit where the AMT also shines

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

There are cars which are purpose built to do a few things well and in this case, tackling traffic for everyday use. The Glanza is the most affordable Toyota and an automatic hatchback that is perhaps one of the perfect commuter cars. We had the AMT version which we think makes more sense since it does not reduce efficiency and is much more comfortable for daily driving since your left leg would not get tiring. The 1.2l petrol is adequate in its performance but is suited to the everyday driving bit where the AMT also shines.

Performance is not exciting but when faced with a long traffic from Noida to Delhi, that's not one of your concerns. In plan stop and go traffic, the AMT is smooth enough and it drives as like any conventional automatic. Having replaced the CVT, the AMT is still smooth for low speed with less of the pause of even head nod. Only when you rush to close that gap in traffic is when the gearbox lags but only when pushed hard is when there is the AMT pause. There is a slick manual which is more fun with a light clutch but we think the AMT makes more sense with the Glanza since even the efficiency is around 14-15 kmpl in city while on highway it is around 17-18 kmpl. While the steering returns to the centre unlike the earlier version, it is also light and a perfect car for tackling the city grind. Add in the fact that the ride is pliant at low speeds with good ground clearance and it is a solid package as a family car. 

Some issues? The idle start stop while turning the engine off does not turn it on with a  change in cabin temperatures, there is no sunroof or wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. However, the 360 degree camera was such a relief to use and works very well in terms of the display plus the HUD was a talking point with others while you can adjust the views/info too. The ergonomics are spot on too and the lighter beige/black colour scheme lifts the ambiance of the cabin. We felt the seats are slim but the space at the back is the highest in its class. Other things? Luggage space has gone slightly down but is still decent while we felt the loading lip is too high. Top-end AMT version touches Rs 10 lakh but for this price, it is perhaps one of the most sensible buys in terms of a no-nonsense city hatchback with good ride/efficiency/looks and features.