Sep 13, 2009 06:16 PM
2411 Views
(Updated Jan 31, 2010 06:23 PM)
I drove two Diesel variants of Verna and found both of them very noisy. They say you cannot keep noise out of a Diesel Engine and Iamyet to try the Petrol. What offended me most was the unaesthetic design ofthe Dash Board particularly the mismatch between Steering, AC panel and Stereo.
Also I found the Brake eggageratedly effective and I read of reports of Skidding. If you go for Verna or SX4, ABS( ABS(from the German Equivalant of Antiblockiersystem meaning Anti-lock Braking System * is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up(or ceasing to rotate) while braking.) IS A MUST.
Verna gear box is very "strict"and designed with Particular gear for a particular speedwhich may make it taxing to drive in city. The Best thing aboutthe car is its colors and Hood, contours and Grille design. In terms ofappearance it is next only to the Honda City. The Price tag for petrol on Roadin a compromised petrol VTVT version( MinusABS, Climatiser, Motor Mirrors, Height adjustable seats and Driver seat handrests etc) costs about 7.4 L on road Hyderabad.
Though Verna is not out of list it is notfavourite No 1. It is my Daughters coice too. Though I like Honda City, the price tag scared me as any version with equivalent features is about Rs 1.5 L to 2 Lakhs costlier than Verna or Fiesta.City 1.5 S MTcosts Minimum 9.5 Lacs on Road Hyderabad . Thus City is out of list even before I test drove the new Version. It would have been my choice if My budget was Rs 9-10 Lakhs. Thats' why I rate it as a C+ segment car if such a segment were to exist.
The Winner(perhaps) is. Ford Fiesta Petrol the car that stole myheart when I first boarded it in 2006. It has improved further by now. TheDealer( Modi Ford, Begumpet) was kind(smart n savvy) enough to allow me test drive of threeversions at home( Diesel, Petrol and Sports) and also arranged visit totheir show room(drop and pick up) for seeing more colors and models.
TheDiesel was less noisy compared to Verna and the gear box was less "strict" and hence more friendly. The Petrol was not as silent as SX4 but was Good. What is the Best about the car is its interiors and more features for a budget of about Rs. 7.2 L. I was getting everything includingABS and seat height adjustment, integrated controls etc etc at that price.TheInteriors were a neat mix of Beige, black and silver and novel round ac vents.
May be I will settle for Fiesta Petrol 1.6 beforethe end of Sep'09. My only worry is about Ford America'scondition and its likely impact on the Indian arm. Some one can clear me onthis .perhaps. Alast I Purchased a Petrol Fiesta SXI of Platinum color in Oct 2009and psted a review on 31-1-2010 after driving 5000 KM.
