Like i stated in my earlier post, checked out the car on display in the showroom. It was a white in colour SX(O) AT.
Here are a few observations & do forgive the blurry phonecam pics:
STYLING:
Looks really good. The Fog lamps are the most eye-catching in terms of visual appeal. Personally, i also love the OVRM design.
The next are the meaty 16inch alloys which fill the wheel arches very well & are well designed as well. Someone even asked if it was an addon accessory!
Another point worth mentioning is the gap between the hood & the front bumper. As pointed out earlier, it does look kind of weird for it to be there. Though it isnt exactly a gap as it has been filled with a rubber lining so that there isnt actually any gap to speak off. But the black lining doesnt conceal the visual look of a gap. Again, darker colours will hide this very well but the white colour display car showed it in all its glory.
Again, when seen normally, this isnt such a big problem, but us BHPians tend to be ever so finicky
More on this finickiness in a bit!
Coming to the back, the dual barrel chrome exhaust tips are very neatly integrated & dont stick out. Subtle but look good at the same time.
INTERIOR:
The interiors are well appointed & fit & finish is really good.
LIKEABLE:
The adjustable front armrest (can be pulled forward for more support or pushed back if you think it's a hindrance). Guess Hyundai learnt this from certain cars offered by other companies wherein the armrest actually obstructs the arm while regular use.
I also quite liked the design of the front aircon vents. Notice the touch of chrome on the adjuster. Again, subtle, but adds to the appeal.
The dash has a nice texture to it & is pretty grippy. Looks sporty as well.
Love the instrument cluster, seems like its inspired from plane HUDs. Though being nitpicky, i would have loved the needles to be red.
The electro-chromic IRVM is fabulous along with the reverse camera & guidance lines embedded. At the same time, i must say that it is a necessity as the rear view is very limited when you try to look out the back. Probably why Hyundai is offering the camera in SX & SX(O) variants & atleast the parking sensors even in the base 1.6.
Another very interesting fact (and i do think Hyundai should harp about this everywhere) is that the elctro-chromic IVRM is auto-dimming. Meaning that in the nights when someone behind you is driving in high beam, you dont require to flip the mirror to dim it, it will do so automatically & instantly, thus saving you the eye-strain. Again, this is available in more expensive cars since a long time now, but its a segment first to be offered at this pricepoint.
Finally, the leather upholstery on the seats & the door trims (only in the SX(O) variant) are perforated like most luxury cars (they are there in my C Class). Brownie points for this.
NOT SO LIKABLE:
Absolutely hated the fake wood inserts. Look more like paint applied in a texture form on plastic. Ugh. My 1st gen Verna wood inserts are sooo much better & dont take away from the interior (if you have to have them at all).
The power window switches look & feel cheap & arent even illuminated! Keep searching for them in the night in those fake wood inserts. Ugh again. Check picture above.
My 1st gen Verna switches feel so much better & are illuminated as well.
Another alerting fact it that there is no place for the rear passengers to keep their drinks. No cupholders in the flatbed armrest & not even drink cubbyholes in the rear doors. Again, my 1st gen Verna has cup holders in the armrest as well as space for bottles in the rear doors as well.
Speaking of the rear, yes, the rear seats are actually very lacking in under thigh support. Very, very easily felt as soon as you sit.
Coming back to the finickness, another small thing i didnt like are the ugly welds in the door frames. Not very noticeable & hardly anyone will realise these but it didnt gel too well with me. It is possible that these are the pre-production display models & perhaps the actual production cars may not have these.
Do some other cars also have them? Yes. Does it make much of a difference? No. But does it bug me to see these minute details? Yes.
Finally, the last thing worthy of mention here is that the interiors didnt feel very sturdy. Dont get me wrong here, the fit & finish, quality of materials, etc were all top notch. Felt very korean (youll understand if you own a hyundai - excellent everything but still doesnt give the same solid feeling that certain cars do, albeit from segments above this pricepoint). Just that i think after seeing the muscular exterior gives you a sense of sturdiness & i guess thats what played in my mind. They dont have the same feeling of say, a Vento or a Skoda. At the same time, i repeat, this is just nitpicking & everything is great. But after seeing the exterior, youd like to actually feel the sturdiness when you get in as well.
Thats all for now. Test Drives begin next week & will post 1st impressions of the 1.6 Diesel when the test drive materialises as thats the variant im interested in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinu99@gmail.co While I was seated in the car with Smart Key inside and Engine OFF, music system refused to turn ON. It worked only when the car engine was running! |
The display car had the music system working & i can assure you that the engine wasnt running. It was inside the showroom & i doubt anyone would dare turn it on, specially since to show the rear view camera, the reverse gear had to be selected
PRICE:
Finally, to end this post, lets talk about price.
Those who think its exorbitantly priced:
- You do realise that the prices youll are noticing are of the top of the line Automatic.
- Further, you do realise that this is a 1.6 Diesel mill & are comparing it to the Honda's petrol for price wherein diesels are always much more expensive.
Personally, i think Hyundai have done very well. They have given every type of buyer a variant for them to buy.
On a budget? Buy the 1.4 which will still give you:
- Fog lamps,
- Chrome tipped dual mufflers,
- LED turn indicators on the OVRMS which are electrically adjustable,
- Chrome front grill,
- Keyless Entry with a foldable key fob,
- 2 DIN MP3 player with Aux & USB along with 4 speakers & tweeters AND a hand remote!!! Phew!!!
And this is the bare minimum base variant!!!!
Price - 7.33 ex-showroom Mumbai for the Petrol (1.4)
The cheapest Honda Petrol is 8.61 in comparison & wont have the amount of kit either. (and before anyone gets offended, it is purely a price comparison along with the amount of kit. It is regardless of brand value, driving dynamics, car build quality, etc,etc. Im trying to be as neutral as possible here)
And go on to the 1.6 if you can spend more. Again very well equipped.
And if you want more - 1.6 SX which also has many more goodies including 16 inch alloys & the rear view camera.
Finally, if you are the no compromise type of buyer, you can get the SX(O) with everything that cars segments above offer (and even dont offer) and still be priced along with the comparitively bare bones Honda.
Still want more? Buy the AT & enjoy the convenience of not requiring to shift gears either.
Add to the above the Hyundai service network, and its a fabulous deal.
Coming to the diesel pricing which most people are stuck at. Heres a comparison (and again, before anyone gets offended, the following is purely a price comparison along with the amount of kit. It is regardless of brand value, driving dynamics, car build quality, etc,etc.):
Linea 1.3 Mjet Diesel Emotion Pk - 9.01 ex-showroom Mumbai
Verna 1.6 Diesel SX (As it is comparable in spec) - 9.80 ex-showroom Mumbai
Couple that with the extra kit you get with the Verna (16inch alloys, 1.6 litre engine with more power & torque, rear view camera with auto dimming IVRM, etc.) & the Hyundai service network & i think the pricing is about right. Perhaps higher than competitors, but not overpriced by any means.
Hope this long post is useful & ill post the Mumbai Pricelist & the Tech Sheet soon.