Hyundai Santro Xing

Sing with the Xing…


Thanks to the facelift from the Zip-drive model, Xing looks little better and mature. Though it’s still sticking to its auto-rickshaw appearance, it’s far more appealing and acceptable now.

The Styling is contemporary with new single line chrome grill (in the latest version), clear glass headlamps, high and bright tail lamps added with sporty tall spoiler and imposed fog lamps in higher variants. The length of the car has been slightly increased compared to its older sister, giving it better leg room and boot. The interiors are simple and easy to use. The two-tone dash-board though has a theme lacks character and looks plasticy. The standard upholstery too is not worth a special mention. The leg and the head have enough room and will let you get in and out at ease. This happy go car fits four well while five becomes a bit cumbersome.

As a safety feature crumble zones have been introduced, its basically making the front part to crumble in effect of a collision, reducing the impact on the passengers, though this saves lives, the obvious problem is that the body is too malleable and vulnerable to dents.

Moving to performance the 12V SOHC, 4 cylinder, 1086cc Epsilon engine delivers a decent 63ps at 5500 rpm. Santro is definitely not a speed demon, it moves from 0 to 100 in over 15 seconds and delivers a top speed of around 140 KMPH on road; of course it starts to rattle as you cross the 120 mark. The lack of great power makes highway drive a little lull, but its turning radius and high seating provides a good zippy drive in the city. Being a tall boy it has lesser center of gravity and must be handled safely. Luckily the inclusion of ABS as an option reduces risk. The Automatic version too gives a great driving feel in the city but hampers performance in the highways.

Much like many Korean cast iron engines, Santro too is not a mileage master, and it delivers an average of 10 KMPL in city and 16 KMPL in the highways. But the latest eRLX promises more mileage and power through its 'Active Intelligence' technology. Technologies like ones below sound jazzy,

Rotary Head Intelligent Valve Actuator (RHiA)
Differentially Programmed Intelligent Injection (DPiI)
Real time Intelligent Ignition (RTiI)
Fuel Quality Immunizer
Optima Design Combustion Chamber
Ultra Low Friction Piston rings

And promise Refined Power Output, Best in class Torque, Improved Fuel Mileage, Reduced Emissions, Less Wear & Tear and Enhanced Engine Life. But it’s still too early to see how effective and efficient they really are.

Over all, Santro is doing all it can do to stick to the market and has been by and large successful. Its decent ride quality, and decent mileage, though nothing to flaunt with, gives no reason to shun it either. Still with a price not too far from the Suzuki Swift or its own sister the GETZ, some one needs to have special reasons to go for it. This is a Sun-Shine car, but the sky is cloudy.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

To begin with, the Baleno is an old wine in an old bottle. The revolutionary European styling by a Japanese car-manufacturer has stood long enough and is desperate for full swing make-over. Maruti did give a minor face lift when it introduced the LXi, the economy variant in the market. The new honeycomb front grill and clear lens headlamps bring some smile to the otherwise droning face. The rear is still crying for attention. The boot, though spacious for a family outing, looks boxy and homes a pair of dull sliced-bread like tail lamps. The standard rear spoiler however dated, at least make this car noticeable in the parking lot. Alloy wheels, part of the standard equipment in the VXi variant, are a class apart and ups the over-all side appearance.

The Interiors are cool. The upholstery is neat and comfortable. Over to the dashboard, the a/c outlet has got a trim aluminum look, the dials have got a new white base, though I am not sure how they help in night driving, and the over-all dark finish of the dashboard makes it feel less plasticy. Leg space is adequate and getting in/out is not a problem even from the driver’s seat, yet head-room in the rear is a problem for tallers.

Moving on from stylei to substance, Baleno is fully loaded with substance. The 1590 cc, 16 Value, 94 BHP is a charging bull with unmatched torque. The all-aluminum engine provides performance and durability. Despite figures far less impressive compared to other cars of its class, it is by far the fastest in its class. It has great handling and superb suspensions to make you glide even on bad roads. The gear shifting could be hard for few weeks, but gets better as days go.

Who ever said performance and fuel-efficiency are inversely proportional need to think twice. With figures of 10 Kmpl in city and 15 kmpl on the highway, Baleno is still the most full-efficient car in its class, no wonder it’s truly Japanese. The tyres are good but are unable yield to the car’s performance. At high speeds, this car with wider tyres would have better grip and make your drive un-forgettable. Baleno’s 13 sound reductions techniques though sounds (and is) a little exaggerating, does make the car less noisy. And its aircon is the best one can ask for.

For reasons by far not clear, yet not clandestine, this car has been in under-rated and survived in the silhouette of other cars for a long time now. But with cars like the Ikon, Lancer remaining the same from days of their launch, and Honda City downgrading its performance, one good make-over can put this car in the lead for good. And with Maruti’s M800, Zen, Wagan-R, Esteem, Omni and very recently the Alto getting a face-lift, Baleno’s turn is not far away.

Few extra features like, ABS, Airbags and wider types would have added class to this speeding beauty.

Finally the price tag, for all this performance and efficiency, Baleno is far cheaper than the rest. And, for the price tag coated, cheap spares and Maruti’s un-paralleled service network this car is hard to resist.

Did I tell you that this Baleno is sold as Suzuki Esteem in many countires around the globe?