NHC vtec TD

[wheelsNsqueals]

I did a TD on NHC vtec last Sunday. Though my choice in the NHC range has narrowed down to Gxi, Arya Honda did not have a Gxi available with them, so I decided to drive the vtec anyways for the heck of it.

I won’t talk about exterior since we all know how NHC looks, and have diverse opinions on it.

What I liked:

*Comfortable interiors

*Smooth ride
*Comfortable seating with height adjustable driver’s seat
*Handling in city traffic. Also took sharp turns on Worli seaface stretch at about 70kph, the car handled pretty well.
*Nice turning radius as I manoeuvre the car in a U turn.
*Powerful engine
*Good A/C
*Nice ICE. It had the stock Alpine 3CD changer
*I had two rather hefty friends of mine at the back. Going over some potholes wasn’t a problem and they didn’t complain.
*Tilt steering wheel is convenient
*Pinch guard windows though it does push against your hand hard before rolling back

What I did not like:

*Steering wheel felt very light, which is okay for city driving
*Cockpit looks. I somehow can’t get used to the looks of the NHC instrument panel
*Very hard clutch. After the test drive I had a calf ache on my left leg.
*14” Alloys with 175/65 R14 tyres look rather puny. One can’t even get to a 15” since the wheel wells did not look like to be able to accommodate that.
*Gearshift could have been better with a better looking gear knob. Looks rather tacky.
*Rear center armrest tended to fall down when extended.

Overall verdict is good for its FE, comfort and ride. Pricey choice with no frills like ABS. Airbags etc. Waiting to TD the Gxi, unless of course Arya Honda can give me the vtec at 9L OTR

[akshay1234]

3cd changer? i think you mean single cd.

[bhp]

Originally Posted by wheelsNsqueals

*Nice ICE. It had the stock Alpine 3CD changer


*Very hard clutch. After the test drive I had a calf ache on my left leg.

*Gearshift could have been better with a better looking gear knob. Looks rather tacky.
*Rear center armrest tended to fall down when extended.

I own a 07 vtec

The HU is not 3 cd changer rather it is a double din cassete cum single cd/mp3 player..

the clutch is not hard and the gearshift is also vry good compared to cars in its class (u feeling it may be bcoz it is a abused test drive car)

the rear center armrest is that way itself....

why dont u wait as a upgraded version of the city with abs and airbags will be launched soon..

[srishiva]

I think wheelsNsqueals was referring to the look of the gear shift. Isn't the clutch hydraulic ?

[samirsarkar]

I test drove the NHC Vtec too last year. Good points were excellent seating comfort & position for driver as well as rear passengers, smooth gear shift, good AC, nice instrument panel, good handling and of course the excellent and refined VTEC engine.

On the flip side :

1. The instrument doesn't have a separate indicator for engine temperature which was was inconvenient. How do we know if the engine has really heated up beyond permissible levels for any reason ??
2. Sound system was strictly okay....the Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI sound system (6 CD changer) sounded much better though it didnt have MP3 support.
3. Brakes were not reassuring.
4. No value added features like ABS (even as an option), EBD and airbags.
5. The electric power steering was very light, lacks sufficient feedback and doesn't give the confidence at high speeds.

On whole I found it a little overpriced. Btw, I thought it was available within 9 lacs OTR ????

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by wheelsNsqueals

Overall verdict is good for its FE, comfort and ride. Pricey choice with no frills like ABS. Airbags etc. Waiting to TD the Gxi, unless of course Arya Honda can give me the vtec at 9L OTR

Good, but make sure you have a TD of the Cedia also.

[suman]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Good, but make sure you have a TD of the Cedia also.

Oh, I think he's done that already - its just that he's not being able to squeeze the Cedia into his Budget. So that's why he's back to Square one - the NHC GXI

[akshay1234]

Originally Posted by samirsarkar

On the flip side :

1. The instrument doesn't have a separate indicator for engine temperature which was was inconvenient. How do we know if the engine has really heated up beyond permissible levels for any reason ??

there is a light which comes on when the engine is heated too much.

[wheelsNsqueals]

-It indeed is an Alpine 2DIN system. Apologise for the typo. I think the Gxi has a Blau. Couldn't check as the car wasn't there for TD.

-I was referring to the thin stickshift with a small knob. I personally prefer a gearshift knob with better grip and looks.

- I did have a aching calf even for the short 30 min drive due to the clutch pedal being very hard to push all the way down. It could be because of the abuse a TD car undergoes, though the odo showed about 7k.

- The centre armrest did not look nice when extended. Sort of looks like it has fallen of the hinge, though I understand that's the design.

- I have already TDed the Cedia and loved it.

- Yeah I can't fit the Cedia into my budget and being a company registered car, it doesn't make sense to invest personal money. I would have bought the Cedia with my eyes closed if it were my car. I was telling the local sales manager of Metro motors that HM's positioning of Cedia is wrong. They need to hire some better marketing people to position it right. I can offer my services

- AFAIK NHC with ABS is not happening any time soon, and I was told that it may cost upto 50k more when they come out with it.

- In fact I test drove the Verna XI too. Found the car very responsive and fun to drive, though the interiors could have been much better for a car of its class. As usual Modi Hyundai did not have the right car to TD as I wanted to check the XXI. I will put up a separate TD report for that.

As you can see, I am in a typical buyer's dilemma. Once I found that Cedia is out of my range, now I am a little confused with the options.

[suman]

Originally Posted by wheelsNsqueals

As you can see, I am in a typical buyer's dilemma. Once I found that Cedia is out of my range, now I am a little confused with the options.

Lemme add to that - what about the Optra Magnum Petrol, doesn't that fit into your Budget? Again, way ahead of the NHC GXI on every front except, perhaps, FE

[JayD]

Originally Posted by wheelsNsqueals

-It indeed is an Alpine 2DIN system. Apologise for the typo. I think the Gxi has a Blau.

Nope! The gxi has a single din alpine cd/mp3 player. And i think that the hard clutch was a one off problem oz my car has a very light clutch! Maybe as mentioned earlier, it is a badly abused TD car. And isnt the vtec 9l OTR???

[alabjarus]

If this would help in making up your mind.....

I never bothered about FE in my NHC VTEC after my very first fill (when it showed an FE of 12.5kms/L) I took stock of that recently @ 4500 kms. For a fill of 10 liters, I clocked 152 kms....an avg of 15.2kms/L in Bangalore.

[alabjarus]

NHC VTEC is approx 9.40 lacs in Blr. You might get the Cedia Select or Optra 1.6 at a price less than that.

[vkochar]

Thats a very good average of 15 kpl !! That too in a city like Bangalore, Impressive. No surprise that Honda continues to sell in huge numbers as ther cars FE gives them a edge over the others

[wheelsNsqueals]

@ Alab - That's a great FE figure. Having driven in Bangalore myself I know the chaos there.

@ Suman - Laughing at my predicament, eh? I will do the same when you are buying your next . I haven't checked Optra petrol. Thought that would be higher than 9L OTR my compnay has budgeted for.

One good thing that is coming out of my indecision is that I think I will become a BHPian from a Newbie by the time I finalise.