Jul 22, 2008 03:35 PM
7188 Views
(Updated Jan 09, 2009 04:08 PM)
Update on Dec 11, 2008
Thought I would update you all with what I think of Logan now.. now that I have driventhe car for roughly 7200 kms, have owned it for a little more than 6months and have tolerated the dealer for a little more than that.. so here goes...
Guys, without doubt, the car absolutely ROCKS. Itis a solid, no-nonsense car that takes you anywhere you want to go safely and surely. My initial grouses about the quality of finishes remain, but I have grown to accept it as fate. I mean, in India we areso used to be fleeced, we simply learn to live with it.
Apart from being a car that is good to drive, economical to own, Logan 1.6also seems to be a car that could have given Swift a stiff competition had it not been from the Mahindra stable. The dealers, the after sales service network, the people associated with Logan at the user level have nothing to dig deep into. They are mostly undertrained, underpaid and badly managed. So, owning the car is blissful as long as you don't have to speak to anyone at the service/body shop. The good part is, after all the noise that we have been making, I see Mahindra-Renault make efforts to change owner opinion by doing all sorts of CRM - get birthday wish, keep getting monthly calls "how is the car doing sir?"etc. However, they still need to clean up their act at home before consumer opinion really turns around.
Funny thing is, Mahindra-Renault is selling extended warranty like a hot cake. Yet, they took178 days (yes 178) to create a certificate for me and have it couriered over to me. Are they competing with India Post??
Let me comeback to the car. Minor irritants like a smelly AC and rattling door apart, the car is a beauty. I get so lost in the experience of driving it for long distances, that I feel one with it. The controls areslightly hard, but fine by me since I love things that need a little persuasion. The boot space is a delight, especially for long trips out of town. The engine is steady and very confidence inducing, the body is tough and makes you feel safe, thesteering is decent. The accelerator response is not as good as I expected it to be (compared to a Swift), but then you win some and you lose some, right?
I can go on and on, but will sign off now. Lemme know if I can give you more details. Adding an image. Hope you like it.
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The first review:
Will divide my review in 3 parts - PROS - CONS - HOPELESS
PROS: Absolutely amazing engineering, drive quality, engine feel, strength, suspensions and space and at this price - the best you can buy.
CONS: Interiors are very tacky - all that cheap plastic makes you feel like you are driving an IndiCab and not a premium car like this - actually the cost cutting is so RUTHLESS that you can see and feel it.
HOPELESSES: Bhasin Motors sales is probably the most inefficient car sales crew I have met in my life. It is obvious that they are not trained properly in soft skills department. I was walking around with 3.5L cash and they couldn't give me a car for 2 weeks, even after paying the booking amount. Had to go right up to the VPs to get the delivery done!!
all in all.. this is a car I am glad I bought.. but I wish it was marketed Hyundai or Maruti - companies who understand the Indian psyche.. the Mahindra brand fails to impress when it comes to "Customer Delight"
