Aug 31, 2006 02:01 PM
14916 Views
I have purchased XO variant of this car. Although it has been about an year of possession but I think this is the appropriate time span required to give a honest openion about product like cars!
To explain clearly, I would like to narrate a story of my decision.
My journey had started last year, somewhere in the month of june. Me and my wife want to purchase a car......without any specific reason in mind.
Our choice was something among Swift, Wagon R, Santro and Esteem
So, going with indian middle class mentality we have first thought about getting a second hand car from maruti true value or from any direct buyer (local dealers were out of question because of reliability issue)
We had seen several cars at true value but they all were too driven for the money TV was asking. cars from local buyers were also not giving any confidence, as I was not able to find what was inside their bonnet.
After working for some 4 months, we were not able to make upto anything. Then out of nowhere we started taking test drives of new cars.
I have driven Swift, which of course is a good car. Its great fun to drive it. Specially gearshift and steering feel is great. But interior space is compromised and Styling is striking.( Aesthetically anything too striking/radical do not have a longer product life.........) also this car was new at that time so reliability was also an issue (as initial product lots have problems in market. the manufacturer then slowly rectify them).
Wagon R is also a good car, It is actually a designer vehicle, you can customize and use it as per your requirement. Being 6.1" it suits my profile. However test drive was a disaster. The vehicle communicate every pothhole to your bones. It vibrates too much. Also, This product is here from a very long time........which means a boring car!
Maruti Esteem is a good 3 box car but it dosen't suits my height. Its steering wheel touches my legs but I would like to admit that it is a great car to drive.
Then comes Santro Xing.
We had test driven it on 12th october, on the day of dussera. I liked the initial feel of the car. It drives like a big car, that was the reason of our choice.
Also, we were getting several features in this vehicle in a lower price band than that of Swift.
I had read several articles about the good build quality of this vehicle.
Resale is also good and is second largest selling car in India (internet reference)
All these points help me made my decision. Finally I got Santro Xing XO model from Safdarjang Hyundai, Gurgaon. The purchase price was, 3,85,000rs. First year insurance, MP3 player, gear lock and some other small accessories were free at that time. I had insisted dealer and managed to get seatcovers, god idol, mud flaps & floor mats.
I am driving this vehicle from last one year and have covered around 10k kms.
Normally we use to drive it on longer routes, We have visited Kota twice (500km one side). Mussorie, Agra, Simla etc. We use to drive in delhi too.
Fuel efficiency is in the range of 16-17kmpl in city driving condition and around 18-19 on highway. Interior space is sufficient for a small familiy. Its roomy but width is a constraint.
Interior build quality is good and dasboard is interesting and has upmarket feel. Seats are supportive and overall feel is of well ergonomically designed car. (is equally good for me as well as my wife). The only drawback in interior is awckward placing of rear power window switch.
Otherwise there is enough spaces for keeping belongins like mobile, cups, car papers.
Exterior is also in aesthetically acceptable range (certainly better than prior 2003 model).
Head lamps and tail lamps are the best part.
The car is too tall however rear end treatment creates a good camouflage, It looks best from f/ rear 3/4.
As per durability, my front grill has already started loosing its black coating (I have to chk for its warranty) otherwise there are no issues with the car.
Overall it is a good package and a certain value for money. Being in the market from such a long time, It has proved to be a reliable contender. Features offered at that price band are a bonus. Constant upgrades from the manufacturer are good and are keeping the product in sync with the pace of market. Ride quality and fuel efficency can be taken as key decision makers for purchase of this car.
