Mar 13, 2009 06:20 PM
6442 Views
(Updated Apr 06, 2009 07:48 AM)
This is an update of my review after owning i10 kappa for about a month. Even though I have driven it only about 500 km so far, I am eager to share my experience. It's mostly positive, but I didn't overlook the negatives.
Let me first say that I really love driving the car. i10 kappa is zippier than any other small car. Its ride and handling are great. I have driven the car at both 60 km in third gear (takes a little practice if you are a first-time driver). That means you don't have to change gears frequently. The car doesn't complain either way. Comfort and spaciousness are even better than some of the sedans. If reviewers called its power steering the best-in-class, they didn't lie.
The first 500 km gave me about 11.5 kmpl in city conditions and with AC on 70-80% of the time. This included a 60 km stretch on the highways. That stretch on the highway is the only time I hit the fifth gear. I was not supposed to drive it too fast before first service. But with i10 kappa, the minimum speed you would drive on an empty stretch is 85-90 km/h. You may hit 100 after the first service. The car is very stable at any practical speed.
Among negatives, I think the car behaves differently when 4/5 people are sitting. I could feel a little power lag with AC on. I got the delivery of my car yesterday and have only driven 50 KM. But I bought this after intensive research of a couple of months. I compared all hatchbacks available under 5 lakh in India. I finalized two cars: Fiat Palio Diesel and Hyundai i10. Finally bought one: i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa.
The key criteria for comparison were look & feel, fuel consumption, comfort, build quality, handling in city, and service. Of course, I was primarily looking for a city car which will run about 600-800 km per month.Indica Vista comes with good value for money but poor build quality and pathetic Tata service are its bane. Let's not talk of Indica Xeta or Indigo CS if we want to consider refined cars that do not shake or sneeze. Pathetic Tata service continues to hassle Fiat Palio owners as well. Maruti hatches are too narrow to provide comfortable seating.
Also, they are poor in features. Swift has got the features and girth, but is too bulky from outside and cramped at the rear seat. GM cars are known for poor service and high cost of spares in India. Same is the story of Ford India (though Ford has no hatches, Ikon comes under 5 lakh). Santro is dated now and has a 10-year old engine in terms of technology.
That leaves only I10, which passed the test in all the criteria! Its score was not top class in every criterion, but it fared pretty well in all of them. Top this up with insurance, Sony music system, all accessories, and good behavior free from Kun Hyundai in Hyderabad. I10 wins it hands down!
