Hyundai i20 1.0 Turbo iMT: 9 Months Ownership Review


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Hello, this is my first post on this forum and I am happy to share my 9 month review of my Hyundai i20 1.0 Turbo iMT.

I purchased the car in April of 2021 after my long research which lasted about 2 years.
we previously owned a 2007 Ford Fiesta diesel, 2014 Hyundai Verna 1.6 diesel automatic and using the Mahindra TUV300 for a brief period of time. it was finally time to get a new car.

WHY THE I20?
we looked at a lot of cars in the 10-15 lacks budget from hatchback, compact sedans, compact SUV and sedans

I had my eyes on the New Honda City and was keen on buying it but when taken test drive of the petrol automatic variant I did not like it as much I expected. The car was really comfortable but did not give me that wow factor as the previous generation city's gave me. Another downside to the city was that it cannot seat 3 people behind comfortably. me and my 4 friends went for the test drive and we could not sit comfortably, its good for a short city travel but in long tours it is not possible for 3 full grown adults to sit in, A kid might be comfortable in long trips but not adults, so city was out of the list.

My dad Loved our Hyundai Verna and we all loved it in our family, we had to sell that amazing car as we relocated from Gujarat to Tamilnadu. But we had our trust in Hyundai due to the impeccable service provided to us, We once again looked at the new Verna and liked it but thought of going for something else this time. since our running is not going to be much, we decided to go for a rather small vehicle which can be parked anywhere and easy for my sister to drive as well,

So the hunt began. we looked at the Hyundai i20, Volkswagen polo, Honda jazz, Ford Figo and the Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
the ford figo and the baleno were out the list instantly as there was news of ford leaving (which they eventually did) and the baleno AT was the absolute worst to drive ( in my opinion). Even my family did not have keen interest in maruti suzuki overall.

so now the list was down to 3 vehicles.
Hyundai i20
Volkswagen Polo
Honda jazz

VOLKSWAGEN POLO
We took test drive of the polo and I absolutely loved it. the power delivery of the automatic was amazing and the confidence it offered was superb. even though the 1.5 TSI was out of production but the 1.0 TSI was also really good. The only downside to that car is the rear seat space, my parents immediately rejected it after sitting in it for the first minute. that car is an amazing beast but could not fit in our family requirement.

HONDA JAZZ
This indeed was a good and reliable product as it is from Honda. we took test drive of the petrol automatic and I quite frankly did not find it exciting. the power delivery was linear the space and comfort was also good but it could not seat 5 people comfortably. My family complained that their heads were really close to the edge of the roof and they kept hitting their heads on the grab handle so they had mixed opinions about the jazz.

Now coming to the Hyundai i20
We called the car home and they came as the promised time and did not fail us to deliver, we first took the test drive of the Turbo iMT and decided to take the test drive of the DCT the next day. I was keen on only buying the Turbo variant as it makes good power and I wanted good performance. So, we took test drive of the iMT and it was phenomenal. It was indeed a new technology to the market and it was very seamless to use. the gear changes were damn smooth and the car did not give us any jerk and it gave us a sense of control. I know it is never gonna come close to the manual gearbox but it was very convenient and comfortable. My dad loved the car's performance and smoothness and had a smile when driving it, the features were also great and it was overall a great package for the price and it fit into all our requirements, The rear seat space was phenomenal. In looks it feels like a small car but has a lot of space, Hyundai's have a reputation for giving a boat type of feel and being very unresponsive but we never felt that in our verna and I had a feeling that this is gonna do well as our verna, the day we took the test drive of the iMT was in heavy traffic and the next day we took test drive of the DCT variant in heavy traffic as well, DCT is known to heat in traffic and this DCT did too. It was jerky and too eager to go which my father found rather unpleasant. The response was very good but the car was giving a jerk whenever touched the accelerator. so we decided that its gonna be the iMT only. So we requested the showroom to give us a highway test drive and they were kind enough to arrange that. we 5 people went for the highway ride and it was super good, the car gave me good confidence on the highway and all were very comfortable, the back seat could seat 3 people comfortably. so we finalized the i20

After using the car for about 9 months and almost 9000 kms on the odometer, I can somewhat jot down my opinions of this car

THE NEGATIVES
1. This car is a little expensive than the competitors and it is kind of justified for the features offered but they could have priced it a little aggressively.
2. There is no Asta Optional variant which should have been offered in the iMT variants
3. Hyundai should have offered a rear armrest in the Asta variant as I am paying more than 11 Lacks onroad for the car and it is kind of expected.
4.Interior plastics could have been of better quality
5.They should have had a better way to integrate that hideous air purifier like they did in the sonet as it eats one of the cupholders and is just fixed there and cant be removed.
6.They should have given an Auto dimming IRVM. It is for sure needed in a car of this price.
7.Wireless android auto and car play. The lower sportz trim gets that feature and its a little irritating that i am paying more and not getting that feature.

THE POSITIVES
1.Space: The car has a lot of space for a hatchback is very comfortable too.
2.Sound system: The car gets a Bose system with an inbuilt subwoofer and it sound absolutely phenomenal. I love the audio quality and its super good to listen to when driving.
3. performance: The turbo variant gives out power when needed and is really engaging to drive.
4. features: This car has an array of features like connected car tech and what not. It is filled with bells and whistles and if you like a lot of features you will like this car.
5.Fuel efficiency: My main doubt with the petrol turbo was the fuel economy. but to my surprise in a recent trip to bangalore the car did not go below 18kmpl. the maximum i was able to achieve was 23kmpl. In the city too it gives me around 12 to 16 which is very good according to the power this car generates. but mileage ultimately depends on type of driving style
6.Gearbox: the iMT is amazing to drive and is very smooth as well.

SAFETY
The main concern of the people now is safety of the car, though this car does not have a safety rating, i can say from my experience that this is a strong car. I have had 2 encounters till now and the car has held up pretty well. the first time i was rear ended by a Tempo at about 40 to 50 kmph and it did not do damage as I expected. it had scratches alone on the bumper but that also was saved as I had put a paint protection film on that so that was the first test of the safety of the car.
the second time i was hit on the rear left door by a full size truck whose brakes did not work at about 60 to 70 kmph. it was raining that day and he applied brakes but it did not stop the truck and he rammed into me on the right lane of the road. my car moved a bit due to impact but was still controllable to my surprise. the door had scratches and a small dent which was very easy to fix. I did have my doubts about the safety but after seeing the 2 accidents that i have had I am sure this car is built strongly. Although I am looking forward to the NCAP scores

FINAL VERDICT
If you are looking for a practical, fun to drive hatchback which does not make a hole in your pocket, then the i20 is the perfect car for that. And it serves all type of customers. it has 3 engines and 4 gearbox options which caters to everyone. Its a perfect Family Car.

Hope my review helped,.
 
Thread Starter #3
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A nice crisp review. Do add some pictures of your car. Did you add any accessories ?
I have not found any requirement for any accessories as this car come pretty well equipped, However I am thinking to install the new Nline iMT gear lever as it looks really amazing.
to think of any functional modifications, I'm planning to add cruise control to my asta variant. It doesnt come with cruise control from factory but i have heard that you can add it just by plugging in the wire as it is a coupler to coupler fit as the Asta(o) and the Asta share the same ECU and it just need the connection.. thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it.
 
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Congratulations on your new car and initial review. Do update us on your driving experience further. [:)]
Also looking for pics too [:D]
 
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I have not found any requirement for any accessories as this car come pretty well equipped, However I am thinking to install the new Nline iMT gear lever as it looks really amazing.
to think of any functional modifications, I'm planning to add cruise control to my asta variant. It doesnt come with cruise control from factory but i have heard that you can add it just by plugging in the wire as it is a coupler to coupler fit as the Asta(o) and the Asta share the same ECU and it just need the connection.. thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Dear Rishab Ramnath

First of let me be courteous enough with heartful congratulations for your new purchase and I admire & appreciate your taste in selection. Coming from Turbo Diesels, it seems you made a sensible choice to ensure you do not miss that turbo punch during acceleration that you had experienced in your previous diesel cars; at the same time, considering your comparatively low usage, you have selected Petrol, which is a greener fuel to drive.

I also admire the FE figures you have quoted, wherein achieving 12 - 16 kpl on a turbo petrol in city driving is next to impossible. But you rock. Also your highway mileage ranging from 18-23 kmpl feels like an icing on the cake.

Also happy that your choice has saved you from the couple of unfortunate incidents you had come across in these 9 months. i20 seems to have a great build quality, though not the best in segment level.

Please post your experiences, your on-road price (with the city you live in), handling & ride quality factors, braking efficiency and your other experiences with your new ride.

Thanks and Regards
Kumar S
Chennai

I have not found any requirement for any accessories as this car come pretty well equipped, However I am thinking to install the new Nline iMT gear lever as it looks really amazing.
to think of any functional modifications, I'm planning to add cruise control to my asta variant. It doesnt come with cruise control from factory but i have heard that you can add it just by plugging in the wire as it is a coupler to coupler fit as the Asta(o) and the Asta share the same ECU and it just need the connection.. thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Dear Rishab

As a brother and considering yours and your family's safety I would not-at-all recommend your plan of installing a Cruise Control in your car. Cruise Control installation done after market doesn't sound something wise to do in a brand new car. It requires a lot of skill sets and dedication to do things the right way. It's not as easy as you have stated, i.e., plug and play. It requires a lot of tweaks with your ECU / ECM, and other modules. Apparently, you will end up losing your manufacturer warranty (including the base 2 year warranty) when you get this installation done.

If you are not carried by my words, please google and get suggestions / recommendation on this plan, and I am sure you won't be recommended to make this installation / modification (adding cruise control) in your car, as this is a too complex task, and moreover why would you take a chance to lose your company warranty on a new car and that too a more complex small capacity displacing 1000 cc 3 cylinder Turbo Petrol.

Please re-think and let me know your opinion on this.

Once again let me highlight here, I never said or would say that installing after-market cruise control is not possible, yes, it is possible by all means, but no one can assure you on its reliability, durability and fuss-free experience in the long run.

Thanks for the opportunity and thanks for reading this as well.

Wishing you lakhs of happy and safe kilometres on your turbo deer!!

Warm Regards
Kumar S
Chennai
 
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Hello, this is my first post on this forum and I am happy to share my 9 month review of my Hyundai i20 1.0 Turbo iMT.

I purchased the car in April of 2021 after my long research which lasted about 2 years.
we previously owned a 2007 Ford Fiesta diesel, 2014 Hyundai Verna 1.6 diesel automatic and using the Mahindra TUV300 for a brief period of time. it was finally time to get a new car.

WHY THE I20?
we looked at a lot of cars in the 10-15 lacks budget from hatchback, compact sedans, compact SUV and sedans

I had my eyes on the New Honda City and was keen on buying it but when taken test drive of the petrol automatic variant I did not like it as much I expected. The car was really comfortable but did not give me that wow factor as the previous generation city's gave me. Another downside to the city was that it cannot seat 3 people behind comfortably. me and my 4 friends went for the test drive and we could not sit comfortably, its good for a short city travel but in long tours it is not possible for 3 full grown adults to sit in, A kid might be comfortable in long trips but not adults, so city was out of the list.
.........
Dear Rishab

Your review was great, however, I felt some contradiction with regards to the rear seat space, when you tried and compared with Honda City (any generation for that matter).

I bought Honda Amaze after driving my erstwhile Santro Xing 42000 kms in exactly 100 months (8 years 4 months) only because I needed more comfortable rear seat space for three adults to sit and of course a bigger boot, which I have in and am satisfied with my current Honda Amaze SMT Petrol.

Before booking Amaze, I had also checked Ciaz and Honda City 5th Gen, and boy, I was amazed with the kind of rear seat space that was far much better and more comfortable than my Amaze. But in contradiction you say that you didn't find Honda City's rear seat space sufficient for 3 family members, which is astonishing to me.

I also checked Hyundai i20 3rd generation, and we found the rear seat space not to be greater than my erstwhile Santro Xing 2013 in any way. Forget test driving i20.... as rear seat space for 3 and a massive bigger boot were my primary requirements after safety ratings.

I apologize in advance if my narrated experience makes you unhappy, but this was quite puzzling me a lot. That's why couldn't stop asking you on this.

Below is the very long process of my selection of my second car after selling out my erstwhile 2013 Santro Xing Petrol.

I know this is a long story, but if you read fully, you can understand the reason behind my contradiction.

Longer Version of my Car Selection (Please read only if you are interested and motivated)

Let me tell you that we were four in family when I purchased my first new car in my family - Hyundai Santro Xing 2013, when I had myself, my then 60 year old father, my wife and my 3.5 year old daughter and my wife was carrying my second daughter back then in March 2013.

Trust me, the car was really spacious then, that in our very first highway trip to Bangalore, we brought back my mother-in-law [cry]; my 15 year old cousin, and a 2 year old son of my brother in law in the same car from Bangalore to Chennai, with no fuss.

Days and years passed, my second daughter also grew up and we gradually started facing congestion in my Santro Xing especially during our extreme long distance (Chennai to Tuticorin, Kanyakumari, etc 600-700 kms one way), wherein I hardly take two breaks during the entire journey. My elder daughter had also grown stout and it was very congested in the rear due to less shoulder room and almost non-existent leg room for rear seaters during highway journeys. Next concern was the 218 litre boot space, which was no more sufficient to carry our 4-7 days luggage, which also includes a 25 litre water can as my kids are allergic to drinking water outdoors. We had to accommodate one or two bags in the rear leg room or the front passenger's (normally my dad there) leg room, which became cumbersome from trip to trip.

The last looong highway trip we had in our erstwhile Santro Xing was in December 2020, wherein we covered Chennai - Karaikudi - Rameswaram - Tuticorin - Tiruchendur - Tuticorin - Chennai, which munched around 1800 odd kms. Trust me the day we came back to Chennai after the trip, my wife and two daughters literally ran to the bed and lied for the whole evening and next day, as they were damn tired.

It was then, when I started hunting for a bigger car (big in the sense - a spacious rear seat which could accommodate 3 people with comfort during long journeys, and a bigger boot. We came across various new examples like Jazz Automatic CVT petrol 2016, Sunny Diesel 2012, Ciaz and many more. But I had some other plans too and had a second mind of renting bigger cars in our highway trips alone and to use Santro Xing in city usages.

Days and months passed, and our plan to upgrade was also in slow progress. In the mean time, we test drove a Maruti Suzuki Brezza, which fitted all our requirements - a rear seat which could accommodate me, my wife and elder daughter with comfort and a 340 L boot (far better than the 218L boot in my erstwhile Santro). LXI was quoted some 8.7L on road. We also visited Kia showroom in Chennai and test drove the Kia Sonet Diesel (we wanted petrol, but Kia wouldn't get us a TD on petrol cars - strange). Diesel Sonet was nice to drive, but not getting hands on a TD petrol Sonet was pull-back from Kia. Moreover, the evaluation team quoted only 2L INR for my 2013 Santro Xing Petrol, in December of 2020. I bid adieu to Kia team and off we drove.

Around May 2021, I was infected with severe Covid and it was my re-birth after lot struggles.

Again the itching for my new car started / rather a bigger car for family, though I loved my Santro like my own flesh and blood for its reliability and fuss-free ownership all these years.

My Search List was as below in June and July 2021
1). BREZZA LXI - OTR 8.88L in Chennai - Final Discounted Price - 8.53L on road from ABT MARUTI, Ambattur and 8.58L from Cresso Maruti, Ambattur - Tirumullaivoil.
Pros
Rear seat space - 4/5 - sufficient for the combination of me, my wife, elder daughter / my wife, my brother in law (healthy guy) and my elder daughter.
Boot Space - 3.5/5 - 336 L - far superior to my erstwhile Santro Xing which had 218L
Ride Quality - 8/10. Suspension was to my liking. Absorbed potholes and undulations at moderate city speeds. Didn't try high speed though.
Drivability and Handling - 8/10 - Good enough for my sedate driving
Power and Performance - Good enough at city, though the 100 BHP - 1500 cc engine was not the best in segment. Seems like will start breathing on highways post 110 kmph with full load (5 pax with full boot).
4 star GNCAP safety rating - my primary priority

Cons
Boot space could have been better (Amaze has 420L)
Interior didn't give a plush or premium feeling.
Inferior plastic quality (6 lakh Swift had better plastics and interiors)

Car was liked by wife and brother in law, as SUVs have become a trend nowadays. I didn't have much to complain about Brezza either. Was a contender in my purchase list.

2). NISSAN MAGNITE - a/k/a - My "Love at First Sight"
I visited NISSAN to check on the current vehicles on sale with no technical knowledge about their cars at all.
Entering LAKSHMI NISSAN at Wavin - Ambattur, I was stunned and sold on the Silver colour Nissan Magnite standing in the display. It was so sexy and gorgeous at my first look. Trust me I didn't even have an idea what engines used to power these eye-catching SUV's. Yes, I mean it.

The MAGNITE silver colour I saw was explained to be powered by a 1000 cc three cylinder Naturally Aspirated Engine (non-turbo) and the base variant cost me 6.95L on road including 5 year free-service pack and overall 5 year warranty (including the additional 3 year extended warranty). But the salesman said the base variant which I preferred in the Naturally Aspirated engine would take 8 months to come in, and he pushed for the base + 1 variant, but I didn't feel any Value-for-Money t to pay some 90,000 for things and features I would rarely use. All I missed in the base variant were the music system and the central locking, which I can get done in the showroom on the base model by paying extra. I never longed for any other bells and whistles.

Test drove Magnite Naturally Aspirated, which seems to produce 72 hp which was close to adequate in city. However, my wife sitting in the rear seat, found me and Magnite struggling for power when I upshifted form 1 - 2 and from 2-3, and she said the lag was pronounced when only I, she and the sales rep (average buily) were there in the car.

Rear seat space was sufficient for three people, and boot was around 386L (not sure on the exact number, but was bigger than that in Brezza) - so the primary criteria / requirement to upgrade from my erstwhile Santro Xing was satisfied here.

But I was little worried about upgrading my car in all ways - space, size, segment, grounc clearance, hatchback - SUV, however I would end up downgrading my engine from my 4 cylinder 1086cc SOHC to this 3 cylinder 1000cc engine in Magnite. Even wife wasn't comfortable with this engine downgrade during the car-upgrade.

A few days later, we test drove the Magnite Turbo Petrol which produces around 101 hp and quite decent torque figures for turbo petrol, and boy-oh-boy, the car was just flying in the air. I found it propelling to 80 kph speed in second gear itself. I was beyond my boundary of joy and my wife also enjoyed this turbo petrol avataar of Magnite. I very quickly reached 120+ kph on the Maduravayal by-pass road in Chennai (old ring road) and it was a breeze on the Turbo petrol Magnite. But the OTR cost was a non-negotiable 9.13 lakhs on road, including 5 year extended warranty and 5 year free service package.

The 9.13 lakhs price bracket was far beyond my 7 to 7.5L budget and hence I had to hold on there. But if I had to zero on the Turbo Petrol, I was ready to break a few more deposits to own this horse.

Pros - Nissan Magnite
Rear seat space - 4/5 - sufficient for the combination of me, my wife, elder daughter
Boot Space - 3.5/5 - 370+ L - far superior to my erstwhile Santro Xing which had 218L
Ride Quality - 8/10. Suspension was to my liking. Absorbed potholes and undulations at moderate city speeds. (Non Turbo petrol)
Ride Quality - 9/10 - Suspension felt better in Turboo variant. High speed stability was fine and phenomenal (Turbo Petrol)
Drivability and Handling - 8/10 - Good enough for my sedate driving (Non Turbo Petrol)
Drivability and Handling - 8.5/10 - Excellent handling at high speeds (Turbo Petrol)
Power and Performance - With 72 bhp Naturally Aspirated Engine, there's nothing to talk about power and performance. You will feel the lag in low speeds and eventually car would start breathing after 80-90 kph on highways with load.(Non Turbo Petrol)
Power and Performance -
it's a breeze and rocket when it is powered with turbo petrol 101 bhp motor.
4 star GNCAP safety rating - my primary priority

Cons
Boot space could have been better (Amaze has 420L)
Would be a straight engine-downgrade from my erstwhile 4 cylinder 1086cc motor to a weaker and lame 3 cylinder 1000 cc motor.
Turbo Petrol engines with smaller displacements have very high internal stress and heat, and they are very complex in nature, and hence the durability and reliability of such engines post warranty period is un-proved. Haven't heard small displacement turbo petrols (1L, 3 cyl) lasting for lakhs and lakhs of kilometres as the Naturally Aspirated used to last.
Turbo Petrol variant was damn costly to 9.13 lakhs on road. Dealer was not ready to offer any discount.
Non Turbo petrol felt weaker in city traffic. Wife seated at rear was able to feel the car struggling for power when I was up-shifing lower gears.

3). Hyundai Aura Petrol 1.2 S (base + 1) - OTR - 7.55L after all discounts

Pros
Rear seat space - 4/5 - sufficient for the combination of me, my wife, elder daughter
Boot Space - 3.5/5 - 405 L - far superior to my erstwhile Santro Xing which had 218L.
Was 30 to 40k cheaper than Honda Amaze S MT (base +1)
Wifey fell in love with the brown colour display car in the showroom. [clap]


Cons
Ride Quality & Drivability and Handling - No test drive was offered. But salesman convinced me for my signatures in the test-drive feedback form. It was totally unethical.
Boot space could have been better (Amaze has 420L)
Interior didn't give a plush or premium feeling.
Inferior plastic quality (6 lakh Swift had better plastics and interiors)
No safety ratings for Aura. Grand i10 NIOS on the same platform scores only 2 stars, so Aura too would get 2 stars.
No point in paying seven and half big ones for a 2 star safe car, when my primary usage would be on highways, where I actually need my family to be safe. I can't be cursing myself for having purchased an unsafe vehicles after paying three-quarter million bucks.

Only for the 2 star safety rating factor, I had to sack Aura out of my purchase selection list with a sad face.

4). Renault Triber
Pros
Price - base model started from 6.5L, quite affordable (3.5 / 5)
Space - 7 seater with very small boot. (3.5/5)
Boot - Smallest boot, however decent enough after folding rear seats (3/5)
Safety - 4 star safety rated car (4/5) - the most primary factor before rear seat space or boot space

Cons
Engine - a numb 3 cylinder 990 / 999 cc engine (2/5)
Drivability - Not bad 3/5
Performance - Not great (2.5 /5)
Handling - Not bad (3 / 5)
Ride Quality - Not bad (3/5)

I personally loved Triber to be a VFM vehicle. Can be used as a 7 seater or 4/5 seater as per requirement. However, the middle row would accommodate only 2 in comfort on my required long journeys of one way 600 kms, and not 3 for sure. So, the fifth person practically has to occupy either of the two rear seats, and the other 3rd row seat has to be folded, even when the 4-7 days luggage we carry can hardly fit. Moreover, the 5th passenger in the last row wouldn't have peace of mind or a safe feeling as she can expect the luggage in the 7th seat to fall on her any moment considering the highway speeds the car would be in.

Initially I couldn't picturize this much, however after test driving, I didn't find it wise to buy a van for 6.5L (base variant) and then struggle for boot space. So, sadly, Triber was out of our list in no time.

But I would recommend Triber to anyone who needs a part-time 7 seater and a full time 4 seater with one additional child occasionally. It's a great VFM car.

5). Honda Amaze Petrol 1.2L SMT /EMT
I had Honda City in my mind for ages / decades as my dream car. We walked into the Honda showroom and my wife liked Jazz. We sat inside Jazz and the base variant was quoted 8.92L on road, with no or hardly any discount. Way expensive with my budget standard, as I would have lifted a 8.5L Brezza LXI for this kind of money. Moreover Jazz had a smaller boot than Amaze.

HONDA AMAZE
Pros
Rear seat space - 4/5 - sufficient for the combination of me, my wife, elder daughter (primary requirement)
Boot Space - 3.5/5 - 420L - far superior to my erstwhile Santro Xing which had 218L. (primary requirement)
Safety Rating - 4/5 - 4 stars (primary requirement)

Looks / Styling - 4/5 - Sedan, though a compact Sedan (say C1/ B2 segment)
Brand value - 4.5/5 - HONDA, the brand. HONDA, the reliability.
Social Image - 4.75/5
Build Quality - 4.25/ 5


Cons
> Front boxy design / looks were an eye sore.
> Wife didn't like Amaze. Touchwood (The biggest con in life [sad]). She tried her best to convince me for Brezza, but in vain this time. So soothed her with buying White as per her wish, instead of the silver colour I had booked, even though White was 6000 INR dearer than any other colour.
> Earlier / known issues of rattling and vibrating globe box - now resolved as per sales team - even now I could feel the rattle in the glove box over bad roads if the content in the box are not arranged properly or the arrangement of things in the box is slightly tampered with.
> Earlier / known issues of power lag in initial speed or lower gears - I feel it in second gear the highest, and next bad in first gear. However, for my sedate driving, I am managing with the power lag. Once the engine hits 2k rpm, then it becomes rocket.
> Known issue of low ground clearance (170mm), added with the long wheel base (2470 mm) and small wheels (R14 - 14 inchers), where I have managed to scrape my underbelly multiple times on breakers and village bad roads while giving way to opposing vehicles.
> Speedometer has speed indications only till 180 kph (My erstwhile Santro Xing had till the same 180 kph), gives an image of cheap car.
> S variant in manual comes with only one remote key and the other key is manual. Why Honda Why?? My erstwhile Santro Xing 2013 (costing me 4.17 lakhs on road then) gave me two remote keys in stock. Why can't you?
> S variant doesn't come with the lock on the left side passenger door which can be opened with the manual key, unlike in my .... you know what I mean..[frustration]. Even though old school M 800s and Padmini's had left door openable lock with key. The only concern is in the event of having parked my car towards extreme right in an emergency situation and coming out through left door, and locking the car, just imagine if my key battery fails, then I can't enter the car by opening the left door lock as I used to do in my erstwhile ......... YKWIM.....This is perhaps the silliest and cheapest cost cutting a manufacturer like HONDA can do. HONDA - please work on yourself.
 
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Other cars considered: (these are classified in teh second list as these couldn't come close to our expectations - the primary ones)

The above four - Brezza, Magnite, Aura and Amaze were the top contenders.

The other cars considered were:

1). Maruti Ciaz (base Sigma model OTR 10.08 lakhs on road without discount) - Roomy car, excellent rear seat shoulder space for 3 and a longue-like spacious leg room too. Car was longer than Honda City. Everyone in family liked it. My younger daughter forced me to pay the sales rep right there and drive home the Ciaz [angel].

2). Honda City SV 4th generation Manual Petrol (10.7L on road, and with discount - 10.5L on road) - My dream car for ages, wifey liked it, brother in law loved it, dad was sold for it, even though he hardly knows anything about cars.

Then why didn't I purchase either Ciaz or City

Ciaz - was skeptical about Maruti's build quality. Rep said 5 star for Ciaz, but I didn't see it officially anywhere. Too long, would be tight on my private parking in Chennai, and will be next to impossible to park in the places I visit (Tuticorin and Bangalore).

City - was confident on the build quality though there were no official safety ratings for fourth gen car. Too long, would be tight on my private parking in Chennai, and will be next to impossible to park in the places I visit (Tuticorin and Bangalore). Further fourth gen H.City was not available for TD. We could TD only the 5th gen City.

Apart from its length and parking issues, for my very meager and low usage (hardly 5000- 6000 kms per year), why would I invest 3 extra lakhs on cars that are anyway going to see steep depreciation after 6-7 years, when EV's would be ruling the country. Rather invested the 3+ lakhs somewhere else...

Other cars considered - continued:

3). Renault Kiger - almost the counterpart of Nissan Magnite.

Only differences between Magnite and Kiger were:
(i) Magnite had comfortable rear seat for 3, whereas Kiger didn't impress us with its rear seat space for 3.
(ii) Magnite had a 370+L boot whereas Kiger has a bigger boot of around 400+L.

Both offered same capacity Non Turbo as well as Turbo petrol motors. We TD-ed the Turbo petrol Kiger and we liked it for its performance, but not for its rear seat space.

4). Tata Altroz
The worst experience we had with LAKSHMI TATA - Wavin Mugappair Showroom, Chennai. We were made to sit in one corner of the showroom without ventilation or even fan, sweating. I was embarrassed in front of my wife, for having brought her to a place, where they saw us as inferior to animals. We had 13+ lakhs in our banks with cheque books and Google Pays handy to pay the booking amount or even pay in full.

Why I preferred Altroz - Obviously, as it was a five-star safe car, from Tata, our Indian manufacturer, and I being a part of TATA Group, and also for its looks and design. I was mentally prepared to live with its unrefined 3 cylinder petrol motor as well, for the kind of safety it offers. I had almost decided to sacrifice Honda's refinement if I found Altroz to be my right car.

But alas, we were treated like fools by Tata dealerships and then I understood why Tata has its name defamed, it's not because Tata's cars are bad (Tata in fact now produces excellent cars including Tiago, Tigor, Nexon, Altrox), but these TATA dealers are not trained enough to respect and fair-treat their customers.
I actually had Nexon also in mind (with some budget extension for a better 1.2L turbo petrol motor though 3 cylinder).


Nothing much to talk more about Tata. Tata are always Tata and so I had to say Tata to Tata from my life, even though I work for Tata Group. Extremely sad.

Later, had an opportunity to sit in my friend's Altrox, and just by sitting with my family in the back seat, we couldn't find it comfortable and spacious for three. So, not much to repent on my decision to abandon TATA Car in my life, but if LAKSHMI TATA had been more courteous with me and my wife, I would have checked Nexon and stepped-up my budget. Nothing wrong in spending two three big ones more on the cars you like more.. I am not a feature guy, but I need what I need from the car I buy, period.
 

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