Sep 13, 2009 06:39 PM
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I needed a reliable vehicle that would meet not just my daily requirements of an average city life, but would also cater to those major once-in-a-year flights of fancy I get, of long road trips - usually to destinations far and remote.
This was in mid-2006, when I had returned to India after a long stint overseas. I had no bias for any car in particular, as the sudden(to me, FOB) plethora of vehicles available on the Indian roads was an amazing change from what it used to be like not very many years ago(the long reign of the Fiat and Ambassador). So I began with a systematic checking-out of the cars I thought that I might be happy owning.
The first(and most dissapointing) was the Ford Endevour! I was actually quite put-off that the Ford motor company was trying to shove a 1970's(or so it seemed) model down the collective throats of the Indian consumer.under- powered, no music system(!) - basically none ot the little mod-cons that even the most basic Marutis or Hyundais offered! Even the spare-wheel cover was an "extra" for a whopping(or so I thought, at least) 19, 000/- bucks! The price of the car was no chicken feed, either.
I then checked out the Hyundai Tuscon - and immediately fell in love with it! The only reason I finally didn't go in for it was it's lack of "road presence" - purely a subjective POV, I agree.
Next was the Scorpio.despite all the jazz, it's designers had not been able to get over the basic jeep-like feel in the interiors. leg room was cramped for the front passenger, and nearly non-existent in the rear seats. The 4X4 version(which is what I wanted in the car I would buy) would take 4 months to deliver, the less- than-interested sales girl informed me.
Finally came the Safari.in years of olde, this car had gained the unfortunate reputation of being "junk". So it was a plesant surprise for me on being introduced to the latest DiCOR, VX 4X4. And it was an instant sale!
My dealer in Mysore, Urs Cars, had the model delivered before schedule!
My PD test drive was off road, at the base of Chamundi Hill. I put her through her paces.the sales guy in the rear seat nearly blew a valve through some of the more "precarious" parts of the test. The vehicle took it all in it's stride.
Points that were thrown up during that test drive, and right through my 3 years of driving this great car, were:
High sideways'rolling' motion.not good at high speeds!
A reluctance to come to a "grinding' halt, no matter how hard I pressed the pedal. Now that's something to do with the ABS system, which ensures that the car does not go into an uncontrolled skid on sudden application of the brakes. The experts go further by saying that while this gives a controlled and quick deceleration, the driver has time to maneuver the car safely away from the hazard, without having to worry about skidding. Good in theory, not so great practically(what if there is no room to maneuver?). With a kerb weight in excess of 2 tons, ones gotta keep this in mind while out on the highway!
The plastics and interiors are nothing less than shoddy! Dissapointing, but easy to overcome once one has really checked out all the other features of the car.
The ride is amazingly smooth.the car eats up the kilometers like its been born to. I hit 160 on a trip to Hyderabad and found out only when I casually glanced down at the speedo.she sat steady as a rock on the road at that speed, no vibrations, no steering jitter and none of that "lifting off the road" kind of feeling'lesser' cars have at those speeds.
Interiors are as roomy as one would want them.with foldable rear seats, there's very little this car wont take as luggage.
The milage is just ok, at 12 kmpl on the highways and 8.5 in the city.
The fourwheel drive is great. The car seems'unstoppable' under most terrain conditions. This quality was typified when, giving a lift to my JCB operator on the farm, I kind of reversed up a steep, slipper knoll in order to turn the car around. The guy's eyes widened in amazement and he blurted out that even his JCB would have found that particular maneuver hard going!
In the city she can be quite a'b' to maneuver and find parking for. It's got a huge turning radius, and can be quite embarrassing trying U turns in traffic. The reversing camera turned out to be more than just the gimick I initially thought it was. In most case, reversing this giant in akward spaces is easier than reversing even small cars, thanks to this gadget.
The two DVD screens in the back, while adequqte, are the least used of the cars bells and whistles. Unless one is a reall movie buff, the drive is better enjoyed looking out of the windows!
The music system has given me some problems.Blaupunkt can not seem to ever get it fixed!
All-in-all, a great car.have had NO major complaints over the three years of heavier-than-average use. The parts that have needed changing(which are very few) were all covered under the extended warranty. so have never really been out of pocket on this account. All(but one) of the authorised sevice centres I have been to have been simply amazing in their service.an eye for detail, prompt delivery, quick paperwork where required, and never anything less than pleasingly efficient.
If anyone is thinking of going in for the 2.2 VTT, go for it with eyes closed(so's you don't see the tacky plastics!) and you will enjoy miles of safe and speedy driving.
Ciao,
