Hatchback choice- UVA, my experiece after 9000 KMs Dear Friends,
All of you have given very positive and useful comments on these cars. Ram is right when about resale of Getz better as Hyundai has been around longer than younger GM. It is actually tough for GM to prove its cars with veterans like Hyundai, Tata, Maruti and Ford.
Last August, after 3 month of survey i chose UVA and have now driven close to 9000 kms. I guess a buyer's choice finally boils down between some bit of logic, some bit of taste & preference and last & important concern of budget. First & foremost i did not buy the car with resale in my mind. Come on,when i am buying a vehicle that probably will stay with me for at least 3-4 years(which is rather too early for a middle & salaried guy like me- my maruti is 10 year old and running perfectly) should resale really be a point to consider? I might as well buy a couple of gold biscuits; but can't help it, we conservative Indians generally have this outlook and also we follow the most selling & visible brands only, after all its a safer choice.
I had tried Punto (my first choice) but the TD and attitude of Tata guys put me off plus it is not a performance car for city it is the slowest hatchback, interior are cheap.
In my case, sales staff of hyundai and GM behaved opposite to what Shuvadips felt. Hyundai did not have an i20 for TD, no Getz (i was told it is being phased out) but all the GM guys were more cheerful,decent and lot more patient with me (Autovikas, Dwarka).
Among the contenders that time, Hyundai i20, Getz, Punto, Swift was the next close but waiting time of 5 weeks put me off (don't mention the sales staff at Marutis, they behave exactly like a Govt dept.) plus when i stepped inside, Swift is less spacious than UVA though it appears broader from outside, plus its funky shape may suit a youngster better than a family guy. It does have the best of engines and indeed is Swift (had it come in my younger days surely i would have bought it. But, Finally for Rs.4 lac base version having AC Heater and front power windows and power of 76 HP, i found UVA a better deal than all others with a larger cabin space, 3 yr maintenance pack, besides IT DOES HAVE LOOKS, they are few yes, but every time i drive by, people do give a glance to this car. Performance: As i said, being a family man, i do not zip around at 100+ but once in a while on highways i have driven at 100 which is a high speed for Indian roads (mind you, anyway, it is above the speed limits of our road) and at this speed i have full confidence with my family in the back, 1100 kg of car solidly grounded to the road without any noise in the cabin; you hardly feel the engine or even AC sound inside! Power: What more can i say than the fact that i have come back from Manali after driving up the 13000 ft Rohtang Pass few days ago without any slightest hint of a problem with a FE of 12 in hills, and 15 on highway! believe me. The experts will tell you the path to Rohtang pass has not improved, most of it is still stone and slush paved. With my family (wife and two children) i have climbed the steep angles and managed through the crowd of taxis, sumos, innovas trying to overtake but not once my car stopped. I have plans to drive to Leh as & when time and my employer permits.
This is the picture of my UVA at Rohtang Pass and near Manali, tell me, is it not looking smart!
Last edited by pradeep-ivon : 7th July 2010 at 17:58.
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