Few days back, I was travelling in Punjab. I asked for directions from someone. He replied by pointing at a car that the place is near by that “RED MARUTI”. In fact that wasn’t any red car from Maruti, but was Hyundai i10. It was really amazing to note that people still call small cars “MARUTI” and all big cars are known as “HONDA” in INCREDIBLE INDIA. Honda scaled this feat in faster way. City being their bread and butter model deserves all the applause for this feat.
The City has three generations of upgrades now. Honda City went through lot of ups and downs as far as enthusiast following was concerned. Lot of people never liked the second generation, as the new car was a disaster of a design when compared to its predecessor. But new generation was cheap (around Rs. 1 lakh cheaper), compact and was fuel-efficient. These parameters helped second generation city in writing new rules of the game. The third gen Honda City decided to have a futuristic design while incorporating a powerful yet fuel-efficient engine. Yet again City is ruling the segment. I feel that aggressive marketing, awesome quality, latest technologies and comfortable products are DNA of Honda.
The new Honda city hasn’t deviated a lot from its older sibling. The basic design content is still the same but the hood has borrowed few traits from Civic. The looks can now be easily defined as “Executive”. It is a mixture of aggressiveness and simplicity in righteous proportions. Evident arrow mark on its side body is carved out by the character lines and it gives dynamic stance to the vehicle. Smoky large head lamps and large front grille (with grin smile) add aggression to its looks. The only negative that I was able to point was skinny tires that look out of proportion.
There is a lot of negative feedback about the interiors of Honda City in the market. People feel it to be bit plasticky.
I feel that interiors are simple and are full of engineering innovations. For Example: black top of dash panel will ensure that there is minimal glare on the windscreen while overall beige theme will give luxurious feel to inmates. I literally sank in the rear seat. My full back and thighs were supported on the soft cushion and pillow type neck rest forced me to go for a power nap. Same was the case with front seats, where I felt the support of side bolsters and comfort of cushions. Even adjusting the head restraint is delight. All the controls are located where they are supposed to be located. The operability is also pretty fine.
There is no denial in the fact that features like CD player, Auto AC are missing from the spec list but Honda has guaranteed that whatever is provided is best in class. The audio is futuristic with superb sound quality. No CD player definitely dictates the trend of future. All the essential safety features are also in place. The only worry is the price tag at what I am getting least number of features.
The new city is heavier as compared to its older generation models. So I was a bit skeptical abut its performance. But after testing the new 1.5-litre VTEC engine that produces 116PS, I can safely conclude that this car will bring smile on a lot of faces. It is the most agile engine one can get in A3 segment. The engine is capable of catapulting the car from naught to 100 faster than any other car in its segment. But the experience isn’t all that pleasurable after 150 km/h (one can treat this as a big compliment to Honda city).
The new engine produces its max power at 6600 rpm as compared to the predecessors 5800 rpm, which means the car needs to rev more to give you some juice. The engine has been tuned for a good low end torque, which gives the car phenomenal response in city driving. And to top it all, these extra horses and tuning hasn’t taken a toll on fuel efficiency.
The suspension system of the car includes McPherson strut for the front while the rear has Torsion Beam Axle. The suspension system is rigid as compared to older model and it ensures best ride comfort. The Honda’s ride is quite supple and you won’t find any reason of complaint in most of the surfaces. One can handle the sedan just like hatches. All thanks to it’s perfectly tuned suspensions.
I had a preconceived notion that the Honda City is just over hyped product. It is quite expensive and it sells only because of BRAND HONDA. But after the test ride, my notions blasted away.
Why Buy: Performance, quality, brand image and comfort.
Why Deny: Looks a bit expensive (especially after seeing its equipment list)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
New Alto K10 engine
We all know what Ratan Tata thought for the concept Nano. But here’s an amazing Fact:
“O Suzuki thought of making a car that would be one third the cost of existing car. So that women buyers and second hand car buyers can opt for it. And the result was ALTO launch in 1976. Alto soon became a world wide hit.”
In India Brand Alto was launched in year 2000. Few people guessed it right that it will surpass the unconquered king (M800) in sales. Another amazing fact is: Alto was launched at a price tag of 4 lakhs. It was much more expensive than Hyundai Santro. And now what wee see on the sales chart is the efforts put in by Maruti Suzuki to make the car more affordable for the Indian masses.
Present day sales: Alto market share is more than Hyundai, Tata Motors, and everyone else in Indian Market.
2010 Update: Alto K10 Launched - Base Variant Priced At Rs. 3.03 LakhsMaruti Suzuki launched a new version of Alto with the K10B engine. The Alto K10 launched at an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.03 lakh for LXi version and Rs 3.16 for the VXi version. The car will offer a plusher option with more punch and better fuel efficiency.
Front exterior looks remind me older Zen, which was my favourite. New angular headlamps with big grille make ALTO bolder and more mature. The restyled rear with new tail-lights looks modern, but small rounded tail lamps give a feeling of Chinese car. To accommodate the bigger engine the length of Alto was increased by 125 mm, and it helped to give new Alto a purposeful stance. Side body is exactly same which indicates that interiors haven’t changed. There is no change in wheelbase of the car. It now rests on 13-inch wheels and tubeless tyres instead of the 12-inch jobs you find on the current model.
Stepping inside, I got a nostalgic feeling. Many things were still the same when compared to existing Alto. A new steering wheel, with new instrument cluster looks good. The speedometer with bigger and clear font is quite user friendly. The new gear knob is similar to Swift, which gives a sporty and confident look. But somehow I feel the interiors still are plasticky. All grey interiors are drab. Even new seat covers don’t fill so much life in the interiors. But there is good news for the customers. Scoop on the back of Front seats and space beneath it increases the legroom. Customers still might complain for less legroom, but that is what one can get in this price. In terms of features customers can now get Power windows in VXi variant.
Seats aren’t very comfortable and noise inside the cabin is also there. But it is comparable to all cars with a price tag of around three lakhs.
The major change is the most refreshing one. Now Alto is even more powerful. On paper it is as powerful as Astar or Estilo, but on a straight line match, it can compete with Swift. Thanks to its light weight. Now Alto is more powerful than most of the hatches in segment. I was reading a magazine and it said that Alto K10 is not stable at 140 kmph. And that is the best compliment anyone can give it to Alto.
New Alto can be said to be a level higher than the current alto in terms of ride and handling. The ride is pretty smooth on highways and the car is much better poised and has less vertical movements compared to the current alto. Even on coarse roads and sharp speed breakers, the impact felt inside the cabin is much better and noise levels are also less. Damping on uneven surfaces is good and after lane change also it feels decent. Steering is not that responsive at short inputs but the response feel is quite linear. Grip on road is slightly less but good compared to Alto.
It is a good option considering the price at which it is offered. There is no car in direct competition to this king. And there is no doubt that the car will be the king of Indian market. It might get some competition after Hyundai’s new small car launch due next year, but I hope that Maruti wont be sleeping till then.
Why Buy: Brand, After sales cost, Price, Engine, Fuel Efficiency.
Why Deny: Dull Interiors, Cabin Noise, Slightly uncomfortable seats.
“O Suzuki thought of making a car that would be one third the cost of existing car. So that women buyers and second hand car buyers can opt for it. And the result was ALTO launch in 1976. Alto soon became a world wide hit.”
In India Brand Alto was launched in year 2000. Few people guessed it right that it will surpass the unconquered king (M800) in sales. Another amazing fact is: Alto was launched at a price tag of 4 lakhs. It was much more expensive than Hyundai Santro. And now what wee see on the sales chart is the efforts put in by Maruti Suzuki to make the car more affordable for the Indian masses.
Present day sales: Alto market share is more than Hyundai, Tata Motors, and everyone else in Indian Market.
2010 Update: Alto K10 Launched - Base Variant Priced At Rs. 3.03 LakhsMaruti Suzuki launched a new version of Alto with the K10B engine. The Alto K10 launched at an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.03 lakh for LXi version and Rs 3.16 for the VXi version. The car will offer a plusher option with more punch and better fuel efficiency.
Front exterior looks remind me older Zen, which was my favourite. New angular headlamps with big grille make ALTO bolder and more mature. The restyled rear with new tail-lights looks modern, but small rounded tail lamps give a feeling of Chinese car. To accommodate the bigger engine the length of Alto was increased by 125 mm, and it helped to give new Alto a purposeful stance. Side body is exactly same which indicates that interiors haven’t changed. There is no change in wheelbase of the car. It now rests on 13-inch wheels and tubeless tyres instead of the 12-inch jobs you find on the current model.
Stepping inside, I got a nostalgic feeling. Many things were still the same when compared to existing Alto. A new steering wheel, with new instrument cluster looks good. The speedometer with bigger and clear font is quite user friendly. The new gear knob is similar to Swift, which gives a sporty and confident look. But somehow I feel the interiors still are plasticky. All grey interiors are drab. Even new seat covers don’t fill so much life in the interiors. But there is good news for the customers. Scoop on the back of Front seats and space beneath it increases the legroom. Customers still might complain for less legroom, but that is what one can get in this price. In terms of features customers can now get Power windows in VXi variant.
Seats aren’t very comfortable and noise inside the cabin is also there. But it is comparable to all cars with a price tag of around three lakhs.
The major change is the most refreshing one. Now Alto is even more powerful. On paper it is as powerful as Astar or Estilo, but on a straight line match, it can compete with Swift. Thanks to its light weight. Now Alto is more powerful than most of the hatches in segment. I was reading a magazine and it said that Alto K10 is not stable at 140 kmph. And that is the best compliment anyone can give it to Alto.
New Alto can be said to be a level higher than the current alto in terms of ride and handling. The ride is pretty smooth on highways and the car is much better poised and has less vertical movements compared to the current alto. Even on coarse roads and sharp speed breakers, the impact felt inside the cabin is much better and noise levels are also less. Damping on uneven surfaces is good and after lane change also it feels decent. Steering is not that responsive at short inputs but the response feel is quite linear. Grip on road is slightly less but good compared to Alto.
It is a good option considering the price at which it is offered. There is no car in direct competition to this king. And there is no doubt that the car will be the king of Indian market. It might get some competition after Hyundai’s new small car launch due next year, but I hope that Maruti wont be sleeping till then.
Why Buy: Brand, After sales cost, Price, Engine, Fuel Efficiency.
Why Deny: Dull Interiors, Cabin Noise, Slightly uncomfortable seats.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Hyundai i10
Twelve years back Hyundai was born in India. And today they have written a success story in Indian Automotive field. Probably many B-Schools will start focusing on case studies on success of Hyundai in Indian as well as well in International market. Most of Hyundai launches in A2 and A3 segment received warm welcome from Indian customers. The way Hyundai has fought against competition is phenomenal. Let me put few examples to show how flexible and how fast Koreans are:
Santro launch 1 year ahead to wagon R
I 10 launch 1 year ahead to A-star
Getz launch 1 year ahead to swift
Verna launch 8 months before SX4
Even their Ultra Low cost car will be ahead of maruti model by a year or so.
I test drove new kid from Hyundai recently. Hyundai i10 was supposed to be a full model change of Santro. But the market refused to bid farewell to their Santro. As a result there was expansion in product portfolio of Hyundai. Its always difficult for me to understand the fact that one of variant of i10 (Santro FMC) is selling at 6 lakhs.
i10 has got a minor facelift. Bumpers with flattened corners, new head and tail lamps, new front lower grill, Fog lamps give a refreshing look to i10.It seems flattened bumpers with twin front grill is becoming Hyundai family characteristics. These attributes give more compact and techy look to the vehicle. The new external appearance may not be to everyone's liking, but it has indeed changed significantly.
There was a pleasant surprise waiting inside, i10 has done away with all beige interiors. Already there were numerous complaints of weird reflection of dash on windscreen. This problem is now resolved by dark brown colour. But now the interior feels a little cramped. All new Blue illumination makes the interior livelier. New seat upholstery looks good, but semi fabric seats even in top variants is bit irritant.
i10 got even more richer in the field of Features. Features like Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable ORVMs will fulfil all the desires of intended customers. Gearshift prompter aids in increasing the fuel efficiency. But then most of these features come in Asta version which is quite expensive. I strongly feel that Asta variant is NOT a value for money product.
Other than cosmetic changes, Hyundai has done few refreshing changes in engines as well. The 1086cc four-cylinder unit - now badged the iRDE2 - makes about 3 bhp more (68 bhp at 5500 rpm) and 10.1 kgm of torque. The motive behind this was to make it more powerful than Wagon R. (But I guess that’s only on paper).The valve diameter has increased and so has the lift, leading to better breathing and performance
The output from the 1197cc DOHC 16-valve 1.2, now renamed the Kappa2, is the same, at 78.9 bhp at 5800 rpm and 11.4 kgm at 4000 revs. VTVT in 1.2 litre is a welcome change too. Now as per ARAI figure fuel efficiency of 20.36 makes the car even more attractive.
On the test track, I felt that new i10 has lost the punch in initial pick-up when compared to older i10. But still it is better than other 1.2 litre engines in market. The gearbox is precise and allows for quick shifts, even gear ratios also favour zippy city driving. On the highway the i10's motor feels a bit wanting; it runs out of breath beyond 120 kph. It also doesn't like high speed directional changes. But keep it between 80 and 100 kph and it comfortably cruises. So I will rate it as best City car.
To conclude I would like to make some comparisons. I usually don’t like to compare, but for sale horse like i10 it is important.
Santro owners will not like i10.
I always feel that Santro provides more comfort. Wider and longer seats, adjustable head restraints (in old Santro), comparatively low seating and better utility spaces make Santro better option.
The i10 competes with the Maruti Suzuki A-Star, Estilo and the Ritz mainly. Compared to the Suzukis, the i10 is well-built and has quality components going inside. It is easily the better car compared to the A-Star and the Estilo, while the Ritz would win for its effervescent handling and a muscular 1.2-litre engine.
Why Buy: Size (apt for city driving), Zippy 1.2L kappa engine, trendy styling, airy cabin, Hyundai network, AT option
Why Deny: Top variant are expensive, not designed for taller people.
Santro launch 1 year ahead to wagon R
I 10 launch 1 year ahead to A-star
Getz launch 1 year ahead to swift
Verna launch 8 months before SX4
Even their Ultra Low cost car will be ahead of maruti model by a year or so.
I test drove new kid from Hyundai recently. Hyundai i10 was supposed to be a full model change of Santro. But the market refused to bid farewell to their Santro. As a result there was expansion in product portfolio of Hyundai. Its always difficult for me to understand the fact that one of variant of i10 (Santro FMC) is selling at 6 lakhs.
i10 has got a minor facelift. Bumpers with flattened corners, new head and tail lamps, new front lower grill, Fog lamps give a refreshing look to i10.It seems flattened bumpers with twin front grill is becoming Hyundai family characteristics. These attributes give more compact and techy look to the vehicle. The new external appearance may not be to everyone's liking, but it has indeed changed significantly.
There was a pleasant surprise waiting inside, i10 has done away with all beige interiors. Already there were numerous complaints of weird reflection of dash on windscreen. This problem is now resolved by dark brown colour. But now the interior feels a little cramped. All new Blue illumination makes the interior livelier. New seat upholstery looks good, but semi fabric seats even in top variants is bit irritant.
i10 got even more richer in the field of Features. Features like Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable ORVMs will fulfil all the desires of intended customers. Gearshift prompter aids in increasing the fuel efficiency. But then most of these features come in Asta version which is quite expensive. I strongly feel that Asta variant is NOT a value for money product.
Other than cosmetic changes, Hyundai has done few refreshing changes in engines as well. The 1086cc four-cylinder unit - now badged the iRDE2 - makes about 3 bhp more (68 bhp at 5500 rpm) and 10.1 kgm of torque. The motive behind this was to make it more powerful than Wagon R. (But I guess that’s only on paper).The valve diameter has increased and so has the lift, leading to better breathing and performance
The output from the 1197cc DOHC 16-valve 1.2, now renamed the Kappa2, is the same, at 78.9 bhp at 5800 rpm and 11.4 kgm at 4000 revs. VTVT in 1.2 litre is a welcome change too. Now as per ARAI figure fuel efficiency of 20.36 makes the car even more attractive.
On the test track, I felt that new i10 has lost the punch in initial pick-up when compared to older i10. But still it is better than other 1.2 litre engines in market. The gearbox is precise and allows for quick shifts, even gear ratios also favour zippy city driving. On the highway the i10's motor feels a bit wanting; it runs out of breath beyond 120 kph. It also doesn't like high speed directional changes. But keep it between 80 and 100 kph and it comfortably cruises. So I will rate it as best City car.
To conclude I would like to make some comparisons. I usually don’t like to compare, but for sale horse like i10 it is important.
Santro owners will not like i10.
I always feel that Santro provides more comfort. Wider and longer seats, adjustable head restraints (in old Santro), comparatively low seating and better utility spaces make Santro better option.
The i10 competes with the Maruti Suzuki A-Star, Estilo and the Ritz mainly. Compared to the Suzukis, the i10 is well-built and has quality components going inside. It is easily the better car compared to the A-Star and the Estilo, while the Ritz would win for its effervescent handling and a muscular 1.2-litre engine.
Why Buy: Size (apt for city driving), Zippy 1.2L kappa engine, trendy styling, airy cabin, Hyundai network, AT option
Why Deny: Top variant are expensive, not designed for taller people.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Maruti Dzire
To offer a Sedan at an affordable price is always a dream for all automotive manufacturers in India. In India we have many users who are driving hatchbacks for years, some are looking for more boot space and few want status shift to next level at a cheaper price. Maruti stirred one more revolution by launching Dzire. Within 18 months of its launch, magical figure of 1 lakh was touched. This figure itself explains everything about the car. After surveying existing users I was amazed to see that most of them rate their car 5/5 on performance, specifications, features and everything. from Maruti.
The heart car is identical to Swift till B-Pillar. Maruti has smartly added boot to the smart car. Initially I hated the boot job done on swift, but now after seeing so-many Dzires on road I have started loving its shape. The chrome garnish on the boot-lid adds substance to overall design. I can not point out any glitches in the exterior looks even after watching it like a critic. Still I feel that Maruti could have done a better boot job.
Interiors are also similar to swift. All black interiors might give sporty feeling to some users while its shady interiors to others. Swift and dzire were the first cars to introduce features like Auto AC and Steering mounted audio controls in A2 and A3 segment. Later these features became so popular that now almost every car maker has to think twice before not offering these features.
The seats also offer nice comfort. The rear seat back angle is even more than swift to offer best in class comfort. Integrated audio looks good too, but I was not impressed by the sound quality. I guess that can be the only negative point in entire car.
Taking the car onto test track was amazing fun. In linear acceleration the car is even more stable than swift. (For users who have not driven swift: At 160kmph you will feel as if the engine can stretch even more. Thanks to its stability feel). On cornering, I feel a there was little under steer, but that is common feature in all sedans. Suspensions impressed me yet again by providing comfort to its occupants on potholed street. The only irritant was metal noise coming from B-pillar. The car is just average when it comes to NVH.
The tuning of Diesel engine is awesome. You hit the highway and you will surely be impressed by its performance. I was troubled by the evident turbolag on hills and had to opt for numerous gear shifts.
To summarize, it is one of the best option available in Indian Market. Dzire (Aptly named as such?) fulfils all the dzires of its target customers. The only request we can make to Maruti is to do something to reduce the waiting period of this car. Having won good accolades, it is sure worth a good buy!
Why Buy: Cost, Performance, Features, After sales cost, Brand
Why Deny: Waiting period
The heart car is identical to Swift till B-Pillar. Maruti has smartly added boot to the smart car. Initially I hated the boot job done on swift, but now after seeing so-many Dzires on road I have started loving its shape. The chrome garnish on the boot-lid adds substance to overall design. I can not point out any glitches in the exterior looks even after watching it like a critic. Still I feel that Maruti could have done a better boot job.
Interiors are also similar to swift. All black interiors might give sporty feeling to some users while its shady interiors to others. Swift and dzire were the first cars to introduce features like Auto AC and Steering mounted audio controls in A2 and A3 segment. Later these features became so popular that now almost every car maker has to think twice before not offering these features.
The seats also offer nice comfort. The rear seat back angle is even more than swift to offer best in class comfort. Integrated audio looks good too, but I was not impressed by the sound quality. I guess that can be the only negative point in entire car.
Taking the car onto test track was amazing fun. In linear acceleration the car is even more stable than swift. (For users who have not driven swift: At 160kmph you will feel as if the engine can stretch even more. Thanks to its stability feel). On cornering, I feel a there was little under steer, but that is common feature in all sedans. Suspensions impressed me yet again by providing comfort to its occupants on potholed street. The only irritant was metal noise coming from B-pillar. The car is just average when it comes to NVH.
The tuning of Diesel engine is awesome. You hit the highway and you will surely be impressed by its performance. I was troubled by the evident turbolag on hills and had to opt for numerous gear shifts.
To summarize, it is one of the best option available in Indian Market. Dzire (Aptly named as such?) fulfils all the dzires of its target customers. The only request we can make to Maruti is to do something to reduce the waiting period of this car. Having won good accolades, it is sure worth a good buy!
Why Buy: Cost, Performance, Features, After sales cost, Brand
Why Deny: Waiting period
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