5 Accessories for your used Toyota Etios

By Martin Pretorius

The Toyota Etios isn’t exactly what anyone would call a beautiful car. What it is, is sensible, frugal, dependable and practical. But why settle for an ordinary car when you can have something unique? As luck would have it, there are a number of worthwhile accessories to turn your Etios into a head-turner, and we selected five of the best.

Body kit

With the Etios being a developing-market product, Toyota played it safe with the styling. It’s strictly functional in appearance, and while that is a sensible approach for a car which has to appeal to a very wide audience, the end result does look a little like a plucked chicken.

Help is at hand, though, as there are various body kits available on the aftermarket, which will add a distinctive touch to your little budget Toyota. Of course, these add-ons are all cosmetic rather than functional, but if the function is to look good, they still hit the spot.

Alloy wheels

The current Etios Sprint and Cross variants come with 15-inch alloy wheels from the showroom floor, but those wheels still look a little lost in those large wheelarches. will fit without any other modifications, and will allow you to fit wider rubber for more-secure handling as well as an improved appearance.

Audio system upgrade

While the current Etios audio system is a vast improvement on the indecipherable setup used until 2015, the sound quality still leaves much to be desired, and it’s not laden with features either. To remedy this situation you can purchase a much nicer and , or even splash out on a with navigation and a colour display. Your ears will thank you.

Better headlamp globes

The standard Etios headlamps actually have a pretty decent reflector- and lens design, giving a good spread of light and reasonable beam reach. The only problem is that the factory-fitted globes cannot take full advantage of these nice features, because they simply do not emit enough light. You can remedy this situation by fitting a set of Philips WhiteVision H4 globes – they’re road-legal, but emit a lot more light (of a crisper, whiter colour than the stock units) without taxing your car’s electrical system or blinding other road users. This is a useful safety upgrade, and thus well worth considering.

Smash and Grab window film

Because most Etioses are primarily used as city-bound commuter cars, the chances are that you spend a lot of time in traffic. In these conditions, it’s easy for an opportunist to knock out a side window, grab whatever they can find, and make off with your property. Even worse, they may even use the opportunity to attempt a hijacking. Protect yourself by having a professional outfit apply smash and grab film. If you’re clever, you’ll choose a slightly darkened window film to give that “tinted glass” look, which will also reduce the cabin’s temperature on a hot day. Safe and smart, that’s the best way!