: : : PLEASE LOOK AT THE UPDATE AFTER 8000KM run AT THE END : : :
I was looking for B or B+ segment (Starting segment of sedan car). Just because, I love a car with boot. It gives u enough space inside car while the whole luggage is safe and locked behind you.
The options in this segment were
(1) Maruti Esteem 1.3 L (83 bhp)
(2) Tata Indigo 1.4L (84bhp)
(3) Ford Ikon flair 1.3L (70bhp)
(4) Fiat Petra 1.6L (100bhp)
(5) Opel Corsa 1.4L (88 bhp)
I simply ruled out Tata Indigo because it lacks power and the parts used in the interiors are of really cheap plastic. Also Indigo has maintenance problem (even though maintenance cost is low).
I ruled out Esteem because no matter how new ur esteem is, it always looks old.
After test driving all cars (at least twice) my observation abt those cars..
Inner Space - Indigo is real winner here. It has nice head room and it is indeed as spacious as Hyundai Accent. Esteem was the cramped version.. very little head room and feels like u r sitting on the road because of very little ground clearance. Petra & Corsa were intermediate.
Power - Fiat Petra was a star here. 100 bhp power and 1600 cc engine it is more powerful than Maruti Baleno which is higher segment car than this one. Corsa stands next here with 88 bhp. Ikon Flair does not have anything to mention in this category.
Safety features– This is where I loved Corsa. It has everything which the user has not even thought of. Once u r in the car, it gives u a feeling of sitting in a tank. When u see the car, just kick the front bumpers u will feel like kicking a stone. (Esteem bumper may show crack here). Just look at the door, they are very heavy. It has gear system so that u don’t crush your fingers while closing the door. Just release the door from the 2nd door gear and it will give u sound of “dhhupp”, the door will close. In ANY maruti car u will have to push the door hard to lock it properly otherwise the door would not lock and internal lights (which are indicator of door lock) will be ON. This is one small testing to see how heavy doors are. Imagine u r hit from side and the heavy doors protects you.
Corsa is the only car in this segment which is having a sheet below engine to protect from stones rolling from tyres. The other car which has this feature is Honda city.. but u will have to pay 7.5lacs to get that.
Engine is protected by thick rods placed around. Even Accent does not have this thing.
Corsa has collapsible engine and steering. Imagine the car is hit from front. The obstacles between u and the front vehicle are.. (1) Rigid bumper (2) Tough bonnet (try lifting it by one hand, u will smile in surprise to know that u can not lift it easily.) Bonnet of maruti 800, I can lift by one finger. (3) Steel column around engine (4) & then engine.
Corsa has crash censors. Once the front hit is hard enough to break engine, the crash censors will disable all locks and power windows. The fuel supply to the car will be cut off which is again unique feature in this segment.
Corsa fuel tank has unique feature. Fuel doesn’t come out even the car is rolled on the other way. Hence it prevents from setting fire in case of accidents.
Corsa comes with all four Power windows, power steering, real defroster, power antenna, central locking, dead locking, child lock and many more fancy features to enjoy with. Corsa has better & more features than any other cars in this segment.
Milage & Service –
Of course Maruti is best in this class. Esteem has better milage. I think I know the reason, 1.3L engine pulling a plastic like built body doesn’t require petrol. It gives milage but in case of crash the same body can not withstand.
Corsa has 10, Petra has 11 and Indigo has 9.5 Km/l milage in city with AC.
Except Fiat, service of all vendors is good. Maruti service is excellent as it is populated at every other town.
Driver’s pleasure:-
If u place all the above discussed cars under one roof to observe them in one glance, u feel corsa looks much smaller than all. But that is teaser to your eye. Ikon looks bigger than all. But if u look at wheelbase which is very important factor for stability at high speed, Corsa and petra are higher. I was surprised to see this data. Ikon looks bigger but its like big piece of cake kept on small plate. Corsa has optimum ratio.
For those who doesn’t understand wheelbase, - Draw rectangular along with the four wheels (not the body) that area is wheelbase. As u all are engineers, I do not have to explain how it affects the stability.
I have touched 160KM/hr on Mumbai-Pune Xpress Highway with ease.. My friend who was sitting besides me noticed the speed only when I showed him the speedometer. No sound- No vibrations .. wow.. I loved that.
kerb weight of corsa is 1041 KG. You will not feel anything unless u read the next line.
Kerb weight of Ikon is 870 KG and that of Esteem is just below 800 KG. Corsa looks smaller but the weight suggests that, it is built of real metal and is real safe.
The guys who also want a car to use in city.. Go for it. I have never felt corsa as a big car because of its exterior look. The road will totally visible unlike the others cars.
I bought corsa just because of the safety features, comfort features, nice interiors and all those with just 5lac rupees tag…
How much did I pay?
On road price of corsa is 5.8 lacs.
I could get 40K cash discount after lot of pushes & threats of buying Fiat Petra.
I got 4 speakers Blaupunkt CD/MP3 system
I got all cosmetics which are not part of standard accessories like floor mats, mud flaps, car perfume, side black strips etc.
I got GM branded car cover.
I got tubeless tyres.
I got rear spoiler (it’s a fin above boot costs around 8K for brand product).
Overall, I got accessories worth 25K and 40K cash off.
Corsa at 5.15lac, I think it’s a gr8 deal.
At 5.15 lacs I could have got Hyndai Getz (less power, no boot, safe? )
Maruti Swift (Sexy car, no boot, cramped rear seats)
Maruti Esteem higher end model (I have already wrote a lot abt this one)
Corsa is better than these cars in terms of pricing too.
Do not forget to add comments or rate this reveiw...
I hope this information is useful for the passionate buyers like me who are looking in this catagory.
: : : UPDATE : : :
It has been more than 6 months and 8000KM run that I am a proud of owner of Corsa.
I thought this is the best time to share my views and experience which will help the buyres.
My long trips include Pune to Goa(1200 Kms in 3 days); Pune to Hyderabad (1100KMs in 3 days). All those trips were with 4 people in a car including full of luggage inside boot.
Milage -- On high-ways in couple of trips I have got 15.5KM/l (Speed pertrol); 14 KM/l (speed/normal) is the worst I have ever got on long trips. In city worst is 10 and best is 12km/l.
Performance -- I was not sure of the servicing statergy of GM that I need to service my car once in a year or after 10000 KM. Till today, I have not at all visited Dealer/Mechanic and I am very much happy with the pick-up, milage and running of the car.
Suspension -- The only issue with this car is low ground clearence (which is quite common with high-end cars like Honda City, Maruti-Baleno). one has to drive carefully through pot-holes and big speed-breakers.
Sturdy Car -- I want to share one good feeling about this car; This one is sturdy, built like a tank. Even on service roads it does give a comfortable ride.
The one who will own this will always be proud of this baby....
: : : Take care and Happy Driving... : : :
