If ur looking to upgrade from a 2 wheeler to a 4 wheeler or looking to buy a brand new car,then bang!!ur on the site you wanted to..We are a group of 10 fellas obsessed with cars just like you..We wanted to build this site earlier but thought of deffering it untill we complete test driving all the cars currently available in INDIA..And did i say that this site is useful for only INDIAN inhabitants?yes it is..This is only for those car enthusiasts looking to own a car in INDIA..
Many people make a good research on cars prior to owning one...but what we found is that most of them end up choosing a toy car,dissappointed after their buying..You wont have to suffer from that as we are going to give you a detailed study of all(almost) the cars currently available in indian market..ok now from where shall we start??firstly we would like to differentiate the cars into two groups basically,hatchbacks(or simply a "hatch") and a Sedan..Small cars like maruti 800,Alto,Zen(estilo as it is called now),Wagon R,Chevyrolet Spark,Hyundai Santro xing xo,Hyundai i10 and compact cars like Maruti Swift,Hyundai Getz,Chevvy U-VA,Fiat Palio Stile,Skoda Fabia and the like come under the hatchback category..and cars like the SX4,Esteem,Baleno,Verna,Accent,Swift dzire,Honda city,Honda Accord,Toyota Corolla,Chevvy Aveo,Optra,Toyota Camry, Skoda Octavia,Laura,Superb and the like come under the sedan category..You also have SUV's and MUV's but we did not concentrate on them....
That is all about the differentiation of cars..Now coming to the main part, the selection of ur car..as large part of our india roads are occupied by small cars,lets start with that segment..
Although maruti 800 and alto come under this category,they are differentiated from other as they contain 796cc engines and the rest have a 1100cc engines or there abouts..At the end we will also say which is the clear winner in this category..But again the final decision of selection lies with YOU..here we go.........
Maruti 800:The car most indians are used to..nothing much to say about..time to change with the technology..if u have ur budget around 2-3lacks,better go for alto..or else wait for the A-Star or splash to be launched at the end of this year..maruti may either replace its 800 or the wagon R with A-Star(as some people say)..so no more maruti 800 now...
Maruti Alto:Basically it is the upgraded version of 800 with a displacement of 796cc engine..It has 3 variants.Standard,Lx and Lxi,,,where 'i' suggests that it has a power stearing,which is always good for city driving..it is a genuine car which is much solid than 800..look at http://www.marutialto.com/Variants.asp for a detailed study on the features of all its three variants and http://www.marutialto.com/Specifications.asp for their specifications..coming to the pros and cons...cramped interiors are its major disadvantage,but then u can't ask for more in such a basic car..good structure,good mileage of 14.4 in the city(hyderabad,we tested here) and a great mileage of 19.3 on highway are its advantages..ground clearance at 160mm is good enough for the indian roads and power of 47ps is good but not excellent for a small car..talking about stability..this is where this car struggles a bit..this is good till 85-90km/hr but really makes you feel uncomfortable above,especially when u reach a three figure speed otherwise it has an excellent road grip..so suggests that this car is not for the highways where u have cars streaming at 150km/hr..wheelbase at 2360mm is again good but could have been 10mm greater..gear box is again a problem here as it is with almost every other maruti small car..the reverse gear doesnt get into the slot at times and you need to do quite a bit of attempts...so this is about the maruti alto,,,a good car over all for around 3 lacks...our rating for this will be 3.5/5..this is since it has no other competitors....otherwise this could have been a bit lesser......
Okk now we come to the most tough competition segment in the indian automobile industry..the cars in this category are maruti zen estilo,maruti wagon R,hyundai santro,hyundai i10,chevvy spark,tata indica,skoda fabia and u can also include tata indigo cs here...ok now we are gonna describe each of these cars,give their features and at the end say which car is better from every aspect...
Zen estilo:The first thing i have to say about this car is its shape..It is 100% love it or hate it kind of look...If u like its look then you can deffinitely go for this....But some people could not digest its front bonnet shape...We personally din't have any problem with the shape and in fact it gives a fresh look to the car......Speaking about fresh looks,,it doesn't look fresh if u had seen MR.WAGON(as it is called in japan)..The shape is brought straight from the suzuki corporation in japan and made a few necessary changes to fit in the indian conditions.
The car you see on the left side is the suzuki MR.WAGON...It has a smaller engine that of 600cc..Its production has been stopped in japan and the indian maruti company has acquired the rights and scraps to reproduce it...Its engine is the same as that of indian wagon R,,but with a slight tuning done for better responsiveness...it has a 1061 cc engine.look here http://www.marutizen.com/high/index.htm to know about the technical specifications in detail..the image below is the new zen estilo's....
As u can see there is no particular difference in the shape but the technical specifications have been changed...the interiors are quite good with dual tone beige colors,,better than wagon R and santro i have to say...basically this car has 3 variants lx,lxi and vxi...the wheelbase of 2360mm could have been a bit more for lx and lxi variants though vxi has slightly larger wheelbase..its basically a low cost car with all the luxury features..its starts from 3.2lacks for a base model and the top variant can be around 5lacks on road..additional safety features such as dual air bag and anti lock braking system can also be found in top variant(they are optional though)...coming to its pros....you wont believe its absolutely fun driving this car in city trafic.You can just go through the trafic just like you go on ur bike....and the thing that stands out in this car is its AC...its just fabulous,,just in a matter of 2 minutes you get the chillfeeling...beeing a tall bo design getting into this car is just too easy....its ground clearence at 165mm is good and its shape adds to it even more......Another thing to mention about this car is it cornering..I will not say that its fabulous but u'll surely feel better than some other cars...The B pillar obstruction will be minimum in this car,which is very good...
You might have heard people saying that this car gets tensed at higher speeds,but believe me there is no such problem..I easily reached 130km/hr without any great effort..It gets a bit nervous if i go a bit further though as all tall boys do..As i said the interiors are made very well,but the open box at the left side of the dash may have spoiled the looks a bit according to me..The seating position is ok.. U'll feel dissapponted if u have been used to the old zen....Older zen was a better ergonomical seater than this..This car's boot is quite good if not excellent for its class...
And the cons......Well its again the gear box...Maruti said that it solved the problem but looks as if the problem is more pronounced in this car....Although it decreases as the odo reading ticks by...And the back seat really dissappoints me..3 people can easily be seated in the older one but here its is a bit crampy...Three largely built persons CANNOT sit in this car(in the rear seat that is)....No other cons about this car....
its gear ratios are very good but the gear shifting is not quite up to the mark...Even with 3 members in,this car easily can pull even from 3rd gear with quite good acceleration.....The vxi variant has power windows for all the 4 windows where as the lxi has power windows only for the front windows...
Ash tray and Bottle holders are provided in all variants...But the day/night rear view mirror is missing,,It has the normal RVM.....At the end we say that if u love this car then just go for it...Its just a value for money..Its mileage is around 13 in the city and 16.5 in highways with AC on 50% of the time.....Even though this car did not do well in the initial stages of its launch,its picking up its sales now and giving a tough competition to its peers...So if u like its shape then there is just no reason why this cannot be your first car..(or wait for sometime for the launch of its diesel version which is scheduled later this year)..
Wagon R: The main reason why the maruti people did not name zen estilo as MR.Wagon is due to this car..They might have thought that already we have a car named wagon R,then why confuse people with another 'WAGON'.This car has lots of variantssuch as lx,lxi,vxi,ax,and the same in the Wagon R Duo also....Duo indicates that it can even run with LPG..The normal petrol tank capacity is 35ltrs and the LPG capacity is 22.5 ltrs..But the main problem in using LPG is the deadness of 2nd and 3rd gear..It seams as though they are not working..But things become alright if u use petrol again..It comes in 6 colors but the black is the one most people opt for..But one has to be very patient with his car if it is black one,because the dirt on it(if there is any) seems to belike anything ..Coming to the engine configuration..It has the same 1061cc engine as that of zen estilo with 4 cylinders and 4 values in each cylinder..It starts from 3.6 lacks and can be around 4.5lacks for the Ax variant(metallic).. visit http://www.marutiwagonr.com/index.html for its specifications..Very recently MUL changed the looks a bit to attract people a bit more....And hence they soled 5.6lack units(till date) of maruti WagonR in india which is quite a good number..The seating is good compared to estilo but the thing that disappoints me is its AC,which is not at all good and the same was verified and made to work extremely well for zen estilo..But it is not change for Wagon R..The top speed is a bit higher than zen estilo and have to say that it handles higher speed better than estilo but not against the other cars in this category..Its electronic power stearing is good but not excellent...Again the gear box problem persists here too..If i said it is very bad for estilo,it is worse here..Especially when your changing to/from 2 nd gear,and not to forget about the reverse gear..As u can see its boxy look adds to its disads for me..
Alloy wheels are missing..Another problem is its headlamps..They are not at all powerfull,but u'll get used to it once u drive a bit..Wheelbase at 2360mm is again same as zen estilo and needed to be bit more to compete against its hyundai brothers..Roofrails are provided to add to its looks and the rear top spoiler even adds to its looks..its interiors are good but not as good as estilo..It has a electronic tripmeter..Front fog lamps are provided in higher versions which i have to say adds to its LOOKS only..Its ground clearance at 165mm is good for the indian conditions..Again a bit cramped in the rear seat..Has power windows for all the windows in higher end variants..It also has a internally adgustable OVRM'S for the higher end variants..As always since it a maruti product, the after sales service will be no doubt excellent..Its mileage will be same as that of estilo's if not slightly a bit lesser..It gives an average of 16 on the highways with AC ON most of the time..The room inside very good and the rear seats are foldable which is useful...So that's about Wagon R...If u like its boxy shape or if you have to much of travelling to do daily then this is the better of the two cars described till now..
Chevy Spark:This car definitely lives up to its name ,but for some serious problems..It has 5 variants spark 1.0E,spark 1.0,spark PS,spark LS,spark LT..Although few optional accessories can be added to the LT variant..It has to be said that its a bit over priced for its size...The price range starts from 3.23lacks for the base model and can be around 4.4lacks showroom price for the LT variant including the optionals available..This car is driven by a 995cc engine delivering power of 63ps which is not at all bad but the same time not too good..It has 4 cylinders and only 2 valves per cylinder...If u have confidence in GM cars then deffinitely this is a great first car to have..But at the same time you have to be very carefull not to take this car very far away from the cities..Since it being a GM car not many service stations will be present..Its looks are dashing..Its control and the road grip are excellent..Power stearing is not provided for the 1.0E and 1.0 variants..If there is any particular thing that needs to be mentioned about this car has to be its dashboard..The instrument cluster is placed in the center of the dashboard..You need to get used to this type of arrangements in the beginning..Really at times you get very confused..We have the habit of seeing through the steering wheel to see the readings and now you see there and u'll find nothing....So u have to get used to it..
Another disadvantage of is that everyone in the car can see at what speed u'r driving (:D)..As u can see the steering wheel doesnt look too sporty...Alloy wheels are again missing but tubeless tyres are present for every variant..Wheel base of2345mm is not enough to compete against its rivals..The boot is extremely negligible ..visit http://www.chevyspark.in/ for more details about their specifications..ABS and driver side air bags are optional with LT variant..Spark comes with a 3 year warranty..But large number of customers aren't happy with this..They are happy with the 3 years but they are not happy with what they get in these three years..Many said that you cannot expect anything for free except the oil change in these three years..The servicing of GM is not up to the mark and has to improve very soon if it have to stay anywhere in the competition..It gives a mileage of 12.2 in the city with AC which is ok and 15 on the highways..If you have to travel on the highways anytime then i have to say that this is the perfect small car for you..But as i said, it is GM car,so better be carefull..As u can see its a great looking car especially with the roof rails..
Its tail lamps are changed a bit since many people reported that they are extremely bad..The one you are seeing is the changed model..Previously they used to be circular just like the front headlamps of the daewoo matiz..Many features are provided with this car but you wont get maximum of them unless you go for LS or the LT variants which are on the higher side compared to its rivals..Finally its a great car for CITY driving ...Go for it if you have faith in GM..Otherwise just wait a bit,many other good cars are on your way....
Hyundai Santro: As they say "old is gold"..Eventhough hyundai introduced a brand new car in the same segment as the santro,you will see no decrease in the sales of this guy..Its truely an alround performer..Its available in different variants like XK,GL,GLS,XL,XO,AT..Santro also comes with CNG for XL and XO,but at present they are only available in delhi(NCR) showrooms.. visit
http://www.santroxing.com/santromain2.asp?pagename=features for different features available in different models and
http://www.santroxing.com/santromain2.asp?pagename=tec for their technical specifications..Now this car has seen a tremendous change in its look from its launch till date,which was exceptionally good..The car looks more more modern now..The top variant has power windows for all the 4 windows..It is driven by a 1086cc engine delivering peak power of 63ps..Its 9.8kgm torque at 3000 rpm is extremely good for a small car indicating greater pick up in its class..Wheel base of 2380mm is again greater than the maruti models providing more smoother drive..Alloy wheels are missing though..The gear problems you find in maruti cars are completely thrown out in hyundai cars though the gear shaft positioning is a bit awkward..Power stearing is provided but is not quite as good as the maruti's..Hyundai's servicing,not as good as maruti's but not far behind one has to say..It has got great road grip..And performs well on the highways too..Mileage on average will be equal to that of wagon R..A rear wiper is also provided with a top rear spoiler which were missing in MUL cars..As i said the response when you put your foot on the accelerator is amazing..But a small black mark on this car is its bumpy ride in the back seat..The interior space is excellent compared to others..You wont find hyndai's cars to be narrow as the maruti's cars and there is a reason for this..In japan where suzuki's cars are made small cars have to be made strictly according to the dimentions given by the government and hence that size..Santro is a bit broader and hence the manouverability in the city traffic becomes a bit difficult..Leg room for the rear seat passengers is lower but one cannot complain about this for a small car..
The interiors are OK as one can see but the dual tone beige interiors which is quite familiar for the indians are missing..The seating position is good compared to maruti's small cars..The dead pedal which i mentioned can be at times very irritating too.. Also the accelerator pedal is too high for comfort..Boot is again not great..As i mentioned the power stearing here is a hydraulic one where as in maruti's you will find electronic power stearing which always has a slight advantage over the other..The AC is good but could have been better..And the decrease in the drag while the AC is ON is more pronounced in this car..Headlights are powerfull compared to other small cars discussed..Rumors are that santro's production will be discontinued by the lastquarter of 2008,but there is no official information from hyundai..So,go for santro if you believe in old is gold concept..Great
highway performance in its class..Not great city driving experiance..Price range is very good,comparable with maruti's..Also go for it if you are a hyundai lover(as many people say) or wait a bit there's another hyundai coming for you....
Hyundai i10:From the initial launching of the car in october 2007 to the publicity given by shahrukh khan to the awards bagged by this car and to the latest reviews on the car,,its been a dream run for the hyundai company..No one expected this car to be such a big blockbuster, since it was launched in the santro category,which itself was selling like hot cakes..The exterior looks,the interiors,the dashboard,the integrated stereo system(only for magna(o)),the styling,the new gear positioning everything is just outstanding..
Look in the picture,you wont believe that it is a small car..The gear shaft is integrated in the dashboard itself which gives much more place for the front passenger..The interiors are the best in class one has to say..This car is available in 4 versions..D-lite,Era,Magna and Magna(o)..The price range begins from 3.45 lacks for the Dlite to 5 lacks for the magna(o) with sunroof..It bagged the prestigious Indian car of the year 2008(ICOTY).. visit
http://hyundaii10.co.in/features.asp for its exciting new features and also its technical configurations for different variants..Its torque of 10.1kgm at 2800 rpm is verygood but you dont quite feel the acceleration as in santro..Tilt steering is provided from the Era variant onwards which was totally missing in all other small cars..Its driven by a 1086cc engine but this engine is different from that of santro's..Tubeless tyres are provided for all variants although alloy wheels are not provided..Front fog lamps,dual airbags,ABS are provided for the magna(o) and sunroof is an optional..Auto down driver side front power window is provided, so that one need not press the button for a long time for the window to open completely..Now since the best of the best also has some drawbacks,lets look at some of them..More number of owners are recently are complaining about the reverse gear problem you find in maruti cars..But personally we did not have any trouble shifting to reverse gear..So better take a test drive before you make a purchase..2nd thing is the headlights..They are too weak even with high beam..U cant see the light from your car on the road unless you are travelling at midnight with no other vehicles nearby and no street lights..Even with the lights dipped..3rd thing is the complete lack of power in the 3 rd gear..This is the most annoying part since most of the city driving is done in 2nd and 3rd gear..The 3rd gear is a kind of dead..And the next thing is AC reducing the drag..It drastically decreases the drag of the car..And the AC is itself not so great..You wont feel its effect unless you run with full fan speed..And imagine the combination of 3rd gear and AC being ON..You dont want to experiance that in a city especially..Sometimes it feels like 4th gear is smoother than the 5th..And there is no much difference between the two..The smoothness of the cars while in 5th gear is missing..The suspentions are improved a bit from the santro but the typical bumpy ride of hyundai small car can be still observed at times..The prices are on the higher side for one's liking..This car has great control over the road..The dead pedal which was found in Santro is missing but the owners aren't too concerned about that..Another thing to be mentioned about is the front seat head restraints are not adjustable unlike the othe cars..One has to get used to this new arrangement..But the seats are made very ergonomically,one doesn't feel that he's missing something over there..And the front grille itself gives the car a sedan look..The boot provided is good but too deep for one's comfort..It will be a bit difficult while loading and unloading the luggages..And coming to the mileage part,it will be 13 in the city and 17 on the highways..Some owners have also reported that they got mileage of 20 on highways..
so this is hyundai i10 for you..The perfect definition of a small car and the best small car in india at present..The i10 era is the most popular version of all since it is very economical and after the budget,it became more popular..but its engine reliability is still a question and it is too early to decide on that point..Nonetheless the clear winner of the small car category is the hyundai i10..The second place may go to Estilo or Spark if you have faith in General Motors..Next is the old king santro and finally the WagonR..But always decide your car by your requirements..
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