[Added_flavor]

Guys thanks a ton for all your inputs. Though I have been too busy to reply, I have gone through each post carefully!

I just did a TD of both the Eon and the Alto K10 today. Before I speak about that, let me tell you why/how I eliminated the others (Read Beat and Spark).

For my family (And I'm sure many other Indian families), the car should be cute or at least presentable to look at! No offense to any spark/Beat owners as this is purely subjective. But both these cars don't tick these boxes according to my family! Also, the good old Maruti wins easily because of the name itself, reliability and 'kitna deti hai' tags attached to it! The Hyundai is in consideration because we own one and it has proven to be reliable over the past 2 years! So out went the spark/Beat.

Now coming to the TD of the EON:

Likes:

1. The car looks very good the moment you see it. It looks proportionate in terms of the height and length. Even though it is one, it doesn't really give you a "tall boy" impression the moment you see it.

2. The interiors are simply amazing for this segment. The dash on the whole looks pleasing and the wonderful ICE is a boon at that price!

3. The AC is very effective and the perfomance drop with and without AC is minimal relatively.

4. The boot space is huge, though I don't quite understand the practicality. This is meant to be a city commuter and I think the boot space could have been sacrificed for leg room IMO.

Dislikes:

1. The front seat seems too low for comfort. This is not very convenient for a car which is supposed to ease it's way through city traffic. Keeping in mind my mom has to drive this, it's a bit of a negative for me.

2. The moment I started the car, the gear lever started hovering around and kept hovering till I switched the car off! This does not look good in a new car and the premiere feel in the car surely takes a hit because of this.

3. The engine sounds very rough and lack of refinement glares you in the face! My mom commented it feels like her colleague's Nano when revved! (No offense meant)

4. The car struggles to move and feels very sluggish and gives a lot of unwanted jerks!

5. The car definitely needs more gear changes than it's supposed to need in B to B traffic. I'm sure the FE takes a hit because of this!

On the whole, none of us were impressed by the sluggish car. Whether we would buy the alto or not, this will definitely not be the car!

We moved on, definitely disappointed, to the Alto k10:

The Alto Explore (Limited edition) was there for display in the showroom as soon as we entered. The rear spoiler, decent looking seat covers of Art leather were definitely pleasing on the eye! We soon got the TD of the car (Not the Explore, but the regular VXi) as I had booked it over phone.

Likes:

1. The moment I sat in the car, I felt very comfortable with the ergonomics and I felt I/mom can definitely take this car in those tight places in B to B traffic without the fear of scraping any corners.

2. The interiors, though bland and basic, are ok for this segment. This I perhaps felt because I'm not a first time buyer and fabulous interiors are the last in my list right now. The bluetooth integrated audio system and Art leather seats do add character though.

3. The engine, feels smooth, well refined and settles into a silent humm (Typical of a Maruti) the moment it's started. It is very rev happy and does not feel sluggish/jerky at any stage of acceleration/deceleration.

4. The AC is surprisingly good and cools within minutes. The performance drop is surprisingly low since I was expecting it to behave like my first generation Wagon R. My Wagon R practically became a scooty the moment AC was turned on. This is surely better. The sales guy credited the "advanced K series" engine for this.

5. The reduction in NVH is quite good in comparison with the Eon.

6. The ride, handling and suspension felt much better than the Eon.

Dislikes:

Not many, but a few dislikes right now.

1. The throttle pedal felt a little too hard on the TD car. I request the other K10 owners to throw some light on this.

2. Brakes are surely not as good as on the Eon. Or maybe the Eon I drove had only done 877 kms on the odo where as the Alto had done about 14k.

3. The design and looks are surely dated in comparison with the Fluidic Eon.


As you would have guessed by now, my tilt towards the Maruti just increased after the TD of both the cars. We are almost certain on the Alto K10 now.

My confusion now, lies between the regular VXi and the limited edition Alto Explore. I shall talk about that in the coming posts and try to take a decision based on your inputs!

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

...
As you would have guessed by now, my tilt towards the Maruti just increased after the TD of both the cars. We are almost certain on the Alto K10 now.

My confusion now, lies between the regular VXi and the limited edition Alto Explore. I shall talk about that in the coming posts and try to take a decision based on your inputs!

Before the TBHP official EON review comes out, your review is like a trailer. nice job with just words
I was eager to hear from somebody who has driven EON. It looks promising.

Keep us updated about the limited edition alto explore. All the best.

[manasmadaan]

A sensible decision, i must say. Alto k10 for sure ticks much more boxes than the eon, which IMHO only excels in looks department. In all others, K 10 feels better. According to me, you should probably go for K 10 explore edition. How much is the price difference in both?

[needforspeed88]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Dislikes:

2. The moment I started the car, the gear lever started hovering around and kept hovering till I switched the car off! This does not look good in a new car and the premiere feel in the car surely takes a hit because of this.

3. The engine sounds very rough and lack of refinement glares you in the face! My mom commented it feels like her colleague's Nano when revved! (No offense meant)

You know these two points sum it up for me.

Eon is for people wanting good looks , nice interiors and a fresh product. I know a lot of people who buy cars for these reasons alone so i am sure Eon will do well in the market.

But for anybody who is looking beyond the exterior looks ,interior and freshness its the K10 .

Vibrating gear lever can be the most irritating thing inside the city where you are constantly changing gears .Now as GTO has already mentioned in his review that you need to frequently change gears in the Eon cos of the low torque . Imagine the combination of a vibrating gear lever in a car which requires frequent gear-shifting .

Surprisingly a lot of common people give a lot of importance to the way a car sounds and feels in their own subjective way . Nano has been referred to as Rikshaw like sounding car. I think the premium feel ends with the exteriors and interiors and does not go beyond that .The engine sounds gruff according to GTO also . Put the 4 cylinder engine of the Santro and Eon will seriously dent Alto's sales , but till then it can only dream of that . No doubt it will be a hit but Alto beater it ain't , at-least not with this engine .

[Aroy]

1. The accelerator of K10 is tad to close to the right side panel, so that the shoes hits the panel. Even I had this problem initially and would find pressing the accelerator a pain. Then I moved my foot a bit to the left, and all became fine.

2. The OEM tyres of K10 should be changed immediately to Michelin, and the your brakes bite.

3. Get the Vxi and leave Explore alone. You can add all the accessories at a later stage.

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Before the TBHP official EON review comes out, your review is like a trailer. nice job with just words
I was eager to hear from somebody who has driven EON. It looks promising.

Keep us updated about the limited edition alto explore. All the best.

Thanks hemanth.anand. GTO's review is already out there

Originally Posted by Aroy

1. The accelerator of K10 is tad to close to the right side panel, so that the shoes hits the panel. Even I had this problem initially and would find pressing the accelerator a pain. Then I moved my foot a bit to the left, and all became fine.

2. The OEM tyres of K10 should be changed immediately to Michelin, and the your brakes bite.

3. Get the Vxi and leave Explore alone. You can add all the accessories at a later stage.

Thanks Aroy. Will surely think about changing the tyres off the shelf if I feel it's a must!

The explore is priced INR 23500 more than the VXi (After consumer discount). So I have a couple of options now.

1. Go for the explore only with the Bluetooth integrated double din Audio system but minus body graphics and Art leather upholstery. I can ask for cash discounts instead of these. (But I will still lose out on the consumer discount available on the VXi only)

2. Chuck the explore, go for the Alto VXi, get after market music system and upholstery worth INR 23500! But I won't get that cute looking Spoiler until I pay for it over and above the OTR price. Which do you guys feel is the better option?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

2. Chuck the explore, go for the Alto VXi, get after market music system and upholstery worth INR 23500! But I won't get that cute looking Spoiler until I pay for it over and above the OTR price. Which do you guys feel is the better option?

I am fine with an average music system, as I do want distraction while I drive, so my vote is still for the Vxi. You can add every accessory later on and to your taste.

Art leather in my opinion is not suitable for hot and humid climate. It is primarily fabric that is of any use. In case you want pure leather, you go for perforated seats with ventilation, else it will be extremely uncomfortable without an AC.

A spoiler should be available either from MUL or as third party add on.

I prefer the Vxi as it has a tachometer and the meter symbols are better than those in the Lxi, these cannot be added. The power windows and the rear parcel tray can be added later on.

[manasmadaan]

I think you should go for the explore. Nice accessories in the form of bluetooth integrated music system, art leather upholstery and body spoiler.... I think these are worth the extra penny spent.

[vivekgk]

Go for the Eon. The K10 is no doubt a great car, but it's a lower car. A taller car would mean easier ingress/exit for your mother. Plus it's a lot fresher than the Altos. You also know what to expect when it comes to A.S.S. If you're happy with Hyundai, why look anywhere else? The Eon would be the most practical choice.

[namit]

I would say go for the Alto K10, primarily bcoz although the Eon seems to have everything going for it in this segment but the engine vibration and the performance is pathetic.

But if u can ignore this aspect of motor refinement, then its Eon for sure.

Alto 800 should be left out.

Cheers either ways !!

[Cheiron]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Guys thanks a ton for all your inputs. Though I have been too busy to reply, I have gone through each post carefully!

I just did a TD of both the Eon and the Alto K10 today. Before I speak about that, let me tell you why/how I eliminated the others (Read Beat and Spark).

For my family (And I'm sure many other Indian families), the car should be cute or at least presentable to look at! No offense to any spark/Beat owners as this is purely subjective. But both these cars don't tick these boxes according to my family! Also, the good old Maruti wins easily because of the name itself, reliability and 'kitna deti hai' tags attached to it! The Hyundai is in consideration because we own one and it has proven to be reliable over the past 2 years! So out went the spark/Beat.

Now coming to the TD of the EON:

Likes:

1. The car looks very good the moment you see it. It looks proportionate in terms of the height and length. Even though it is one, it doesn't really give you a "tall boy" impression the moment you see it.

2. The interiors are simply amazing for this segment. The dash on the whole looks pleasing and the wonderful ICE is a boon at that price!

3. The AC is very effective and the perfomance drop with and without AC is minimal relatively.

4. The boot space is huge, though I don't quite understand the practicality. This is meant to be a city commuter and I think the boot space could have been sacrificed for leg room IMO.

Dislikes:

1. The front seat seems too low for comfort. This is not very convenient for a car which is supposed to ease it's way through city traffic. Keeping in mind my mom has to drive this, it's a bit of a negative for me.

2. The moment I started the car, the gear lever started hovering around and kept hovering till I switched the car off! This does not look good in a new car and the premiere feel in the car surely takes a hit because of this.

3. The engine sounds very rough and lack of refinement glares you in the face! My mom commented it feels like her colleague's Nano when revved! (No offense meant)

4. The car struggles to move and feels very sluggish and gives a lot of unwanted jerks!

5. The car definitely needs more gear changes than it's supposed to need in B to B traffic. I'm sure the FE takes a hit because of this!

On the whole, none of us were impressed by the sluggish car. Whether we would buy the alto or not, this will definitely not be the car!

We moved on, definitely disappointed, to the Alto k10:

The Alto Explore (Limited edition) was there for display in the showroom as soon as we entered. The rear spoiler, decent looking seat covers of Art leather were definitely pleasing on the eye! We soon got the TD of the car (Not the Explore, but the regular VXi) as I had booked it over phone.

Likes:

1. The moment I sat in the car, I felt very comfortable with the ergonomics and I felt I/mom can definitely take this car in those tight places in B to B traffic without the fear of scraping any corners.

2. The interiors, though bland and basic, are ok for this segment. This I perhaps felt because I'm not a first time buyer and fabulous interiors are the last in my list right now. The bluetooth integrated audio system and Art leather seats do add character though.

3. The engine, feels smooth, well refined and settles into a silent humm (Typical of a Maruti) the moment it's started. It is very rev happy and does not feel sluggish/jerky at any stage of acceleration/deceleration.

4. The AC is surprisingly good and cools within minutes. The performance drop is surprisingly low since I was expecting it to behave like my first generation Wagon R. My Wagon R practically became a scooty the moment AC was turned on. This is surely better. The sales guy credited the "advanced K series" engine for this.

5. The reduction in NVH is quite good in comparison with the Eon.

6. The ride, handling and suspension felt much better than the Eon.

Dislikes:

Not many, but a few dislikes right now.

1. The throttle pedal felt a little too hard on the TD car. I request the other K10 owners to throw some light on this.

2. Brakes are surely not as good as on the Eon. Or maybe the Eon I drove had only done 877 kms on the odo where as the Alto had done about 14k.

3. The design and looks are surely dated in comparison with the Fluidic Eon.


As you would have guessed by now, my tilt towards the Maruti just increased after the TD of both the cars. We are almost certain on the Alto K10 now.

My confusion now, lies between the regular VXi and the limited edition Alto Explore. I shall talk about that in the coming posts and try to take a decision based on your inputs!

You are right in preferring the Alto - better engine = easier in city driving. I would suggest the regular VXi as whatever you spend over and above the regular trim OTR cost will be lost to depreciation in a sub-compact class car. You probably won't notice the difference and you might save the money for other uses (like paying for fuel) .

[girishglg]

Lets face it, it would be best to compare the performance of an Alto 800 to the Eon as they have the same displacement and no of cylinders, the characteristics would be the similar even though the absolute power output is much higher in Eon. The K10 is a different animal alltogether and should be compared to the likes of Spark and Santro.

[simkuriakose]

I would pick alto k10 (I own one). Alto 800 well its a bit old and less mileage and power than K10. Eon is great for everything expect for massive vibrations and cost of ownership.
It doesn't mean K10 is vibration free. Because it has a 3 cylinder engine, it has vibrations that you will definitely feel but at least K10 engine is very much refined and vibrations wouldn't bother you that much.

[Added_flavor]

Thanks guys! yes I have decided on the Alto K10 for sure! I am postponing the final step because of parking issues at home. Will surely keep the thread updated once I buy the car!

[blackfire_9]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Choose K10 over EON
3) Low cost of ownership.

I would agree to all the points but one & it's the lower cost of ownership. And this comes from the experience of owning & maintaining an Alto & a Santro over the past 7 years now.

The Santro we have is a 2003 model whereas the Alto is 2004, & most times, we find that the bill for a similar job in the Alto costs a lot more than for the Santro.

Same goes for DZire & Accent as well. I often feel that it's a misconception about Maruti being cheap to maintain, because they are certainly not & a lot of other companies including Ford (at least with the Figo) are "almost" at par with Maruti.

Drive safe.