Santro...The Dependable. ........ Review on Hyundai Santro Xing

I own a Xing since october 2005. I never really had a major issue with. It has been a reliable performer for me since the Day 1. I have handled the car in every possible manner. I drove it at all possible speeds even at 145 KMPH. It has been driven 20700 kms and we make a trip to Saharanpur(170 kms from Delhi) twice a month. This is what I have found about my Santro in these 3.5 years.

PROS:

1. Very good driving view with a lot of leg & head room: This baby has lots of space in the front with moderate space at rear seats but we are only 3 in our family so that is not an issue.

   
   




2. Zippy Engine: Mind you the Engine is very zippy. As soon as you press the Accelerator the car takes OFF & can reach 100kmph in 5 seconds.

   
   




3. Good feel of the steering even at speed of more than 100 kmph: The steering really gives the confidence of complete control. Even during sharp turns the car can be turned on higher than recommended speeds.

   
   




4. Good interiors & good feel of switches compared to other cars in this segment:The interiors are very good especially compared to the Zen Estilo, Wagon R( went to a Maruti showroom to buy another car in january). . The switches also feel good and do not make click sounds when you press them.

   
   




5. Build Quality: The build of this car is what I really admire. Live Example: I was going at a speed of 55 kmph or so one day and an Alto stopped without warning and I slammed the brakes but could not avoid hitting the Alto. I suppose the collision happened at a speed of 40 kmph(car skid when I jammed the brakes) & guess what I saw the rear end of the Alto was a mess. The dent on alto was in the shape of the santro's front( I hope you understand what I mean). I thought Boy! I am gone I will now have huge repairs. Guess what I could hardly see a dent on my car. The only damage was the misalignment of the right side headlamp and the bumper( one could see a small gap between headlight and bumper)! believe me there was no damage at all. That was the time I really admired the build quality of a hyundai. There have been numerous hits by tyres of Cyclerickshaws, motorcycles on the rear bumper but there has never been a misalignment for the rear bumper not even a bend or a dent. It is looks like a new bumper even after 3.5 years.

   
   




6. No major glitches except a power steering belt replacement and passenger side power window that sometimes stops: I never had a major repair done to this car. the only replacement from original factory fitted parts is the AC cum Power steering belt that was damaged and had to be replaced(rs 90).

   
   

There was a small problem with the power window on the left passenger side. The windows used to get stuck halfway so I was really afraid to open it. It used to stop and then start working on its own. The problem started within 3 months of my car purchase. Whenever I took the problem to the service center the window started to work so could not get to know what the problem was. The problem continued occassionally till 1st year of purchase after which it never happened and to this day the windows works fine.

1. Excellent paint Quality.: The paint quality believe me is excellent. I have a metallic Scarlet Sage coloured santro and the hairline scratches are never visible. One wash and the car starts to shine as if I just got a delivery from the showroom( of course I keep it well maintained).

   
   




2. Amazing mileage: This is the part where most people would not believe me. I got a mileage of 18.3 kmpl( Actually I was checking the mileage of the car seriously), before this I never cared for the mileage. I checked it in the month of March. The car was completely driven on Delhi roads in the evenings and the Ac was intermittent with speed ranging from 40 kmph to 85 kmph. Actually I have spoken with a lot fo people about the eRLX model and they have also said that it is capable of getting 17 kmpl to 19 kmpl .

   
   




3. Gear Shift: The gear shift is extremely quick, short and it also gives a sporty feel.(try it on high speed drives and you will know what I mean by Sporty gear shift).

   
   




4. Good High Speed Stability: I have heard that the Santro sways a little bit at the rear on high speeds but I have never felt anything like( of course I do not have any knowledge of the Vehicle testing mechanics). As I have already said that the car has been driven by at speeds ranging to 145 though only 3 or 4 times but I drive it constantly at speeds of 120 kmph on the Delhi Saharanpur highway.

   
   

CONS

1. Pollution: This is one problem that I have had since the last one year. The car pollutes after 2000 kms of its service. The Emission is very high and this has happened with me time and again. I get a pollution certificate and the second time I go to get a certificate and I am told the car is polluting( I WOULD WELCOME YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON THIS).

   
   




2. Engine Revs are very high sometimes.: Sometimes the Engine over revs and the car if its on a gear just races ahead. I understand that it because of the ECU and the computer detecting over loads on the Engine.( ** This is not a big problem but a little annoying).

   
   




3. Rear Ride: As a driver you could feel the rear of the car bumping when you go over pothholes.

   
   




4. C-Pillar: The C pillar is sometimes a pain in the Eyes as it hampers the visibility completely towards the drivers side.

   
   




5. Effect of AC in extremely hot weather of Delhi( i.e. in Mid June).: I would say the AC is quite good but during extremely hot weather it has to be put on Full Blast to get a comfortable temperature inside the car.

   
   




6. Cannot overtake on 4 Gear.: This is one problem I have noticed in the Santro. When in high speed driving and you need to over take a truck or something then the 4th gear is not what you want the car to be in. It feels as if it is gasping for breath( Remember Santro has Overdrive on 4th and 5th Gears). Of course you can overtake in 3rd and 5th gears easily. One thing for sure Even though I say 4th gear is bad for overtaking, it can take the car from 30 kmph to 110 kmph so it is powerfulyl and I guess it is for the cruising mode.

   
   

all the problems that I mentioned I know are somewhat related to the way I drive the car except the AC part. The catch is that I drive the car at high speeds only on highways.

I get the car serviced on every 4000 kms interval and it costs me Rs 2700 in the showroom. I would highlight the rough costs.I have noticed one thing. The Fuel injectors cleaning cost is Rs 250 but the labour cost is Rs 500. I got my car services from the Hyunday showroom but got theinjector cleaned from a known trusted mechanic. The showroom charged me Rs 1960(incl of taxes) without the Injector cleaning. So I saved Rs 500 by getting the injectors cleaned from outside. Remember the only way injectors are cleaned are by using high pressure pumps and it was done in front of me. The mechanic charged me only rs 250.