[Vid6639]

For sedan theres the baleno and the Lancer Cedia.

For the hatch currently it has to be the swift. Great Handling car and an absolute hoot around corners.

[zenx]

I don't think just the 0-100 specs and the bhp define a driver's/enthusiast's car. Look at go-carts! My list of driver's car features would be

* handling or just throw-around-corner-ability
* rev-friendliness - all the low-end torque stuff is good ease of city driving but not much else
* "involvement" with the tach/gearing. This is clearly where the old zen - anemic beyond 90/100 - was sooo much fun to drive. (Tho it did not even have a tach)
* feedback (so the soft plush rides usually discount that - unless is high end suspension setups which I have zilch experience of)- steering feel. I call this "point and shoot" ability which my City1.3Exi has, and, at higher speeds, so does the Pulsar.
* Predictable braking.
* Decently responsive gearshifts - basically no "hunting" during a planned manouvre. The City's good in this dept - but the Zen was way more fun except the 3rd-2nd shifts.
* personal pref : no "high seating" - i love the low slung racecar mimicking configurations of the City, Zen etc - being able to see the bonnet does not matter to me - i usually push the seats back and have my legs almost completely stretched out anyhow.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by Dippy

The Cedia hasnt been marketted properly else I dont see any reason why it cant sell. Its a good car for modifications as well.

I remember Autopsyche saying he is just waiting to get his hands on one.


OHC vtec, Lancer Sfxi, Astra club were never 8lacs AFAIK. The price was more like 10lacs back then.

Now while the c segment has moved upwards between 6-8 lacs. The gap between C and D segment has been covered by C+.

Yes those cars were more driver oriented back then, but things have changed since. prices of petrol, the need for interiors and comfort and space have compensated power in return. Look at Fiest from Ikon, NHC from OHC,.

For somebody looking for a performance oriented car today Only 3 names come to mind.

1. Palio 1.6
2. lancer cedia.
3. Honda City Vtec.

maruti esteem is old, Invecs gearbox is slow, SRV is worthless and fiesta is not as much fun as Ikon.

For an enthusiast a palio and cedia fit the best today.

[Boom Shiva]

Couldn't agree more with this thread...hopefully the next few years will be brighter for us drivers.

[GTO]

Many have pointed to fuel efficiency as the reason behind the death of driver-oriented cars. But the OHC 1.5 / Vtec, Lancer and Baleno were as FE as any other.

[carfreak]

ok,perhaps the fuel-efficiency part is not applicable to all the cars.i was referring to the palio 1.6,ikon 1.6 etc.these cars ultimately lost out due to these reasons but that cannot be applied to the balenos,lancers,OHCs' etc.
another thing that now comes to mind-isnt driver oriented cars all about the chassis?i mean is it the power or the chassis that is more important for a good driving experience?of course both are,but i feel the latter is more important.if that is so,why are there very few driver oriented cars now??
sorry guys,i know i am confusing things here.actually i myself am confused a bit!!!

[balenopower]

I was just thinkin about this sometime back..and voila..heres the thread reading my mind....very rightly put by gto....The cars mentioned(lancer-baleno-ohc vtec) were on the fore front of everything...handling,performance,looks,fuel efficiency....tht was teh golden period i think...hope it makes a return

[goldie_malhotra]

Originally Posted by GTO

Many have pointed to fuel efficiency as the reason behind the death of driver-oriented cars. But the OHC 1.5 / Vtec, Lancer and Baleno were as FE as any other.

Yes, but that FE was mostly due to their light weight, which could be an issue with safety norms nowadays. Heavier cars like Palio 1.6 had lower FE.

With cars in the same segment as much as 20% heavier than before, it would be tough for an engine to deliver both on the performance and FE counts, and at the same time be refined and reliable as well.

Perhaps, that should be the design challenge for car-makers instead of overdoing each other with 'beiger' interiors.

[GTO]

Never thought about that, goldie. And I guess the OHC and Baleno didnt really win any safety contests! Good point also on the "beiger" interiors.

Butttttttttttt why cant we have driver oriented cars that are also safe? The Fiesta 1.6 is the only one modern recently launched car that comes to mind.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thats a diesel. And even if its fast...just simply doesnt compare to high-revving petrols. However, it would certainly be a strong contender if I was looking for an 8 lac sedan.

Does it matter if its a diesel? Diesels are actually winning Le Mans races now.
Citreon(or is it Peugot) is planning a 700bhp diesel sedan.

A diesel which has a 0-100 timing similar to OHC, fiesta 1.6 etc., beats them in 20-80 gear type roll ons will definately be fun to drive, esp around twisties where you dont need to shift down.
High revvs kind of performance is kind of stereotype. A high revving engine is supposed to be more fun as it was like that historically. With current crop of engines which high low end torque and lots of power, you dont need the revs to adrelanin.

[esteem_lover]

doesn't the verna come in petrol too ?

[MaserQ]

Horsepower for sub-9 lac cars has not gone up either. We are still stuck at 100BHP. The only good news for enthusiasts has been the Balenos repositioning at 6.xx lacs. And the Ford Fiesta 1.6.

You got it spot-on GTO. There is some hope for the future of this segment though, with the Suzuki SX4 saloon due with an updated 1.6 petrol which promises to be a worthy baleno replacement. Another mention in the sub-9 lakh category could be the Skoda Fabia with a VW FSI-engine or even in RS guise, if priced right. Are the car makers reading this..?

[devarshi84]

Even though Veyrons, Koenigseggs, Saleens are out, many people still consider the Mclaren F1 the best supercar ever made.

when it comes to performance City vtec still rules the chart even after Skoda RS.

When it comes to handling lancer is still sworn by and used in rallies, even though similar handling cars with more power or better handling abilities are available.

palio 1.6 is still considered hot hatch. After swift, getz, Fusion, SRV etc arrived, palio 1.6 still rules the hot hatch crown. (this may not be the best eg though)

case in point being that some cars make a mark in the Automobile industry. Even though other cars imrovise it, they never reach that cult status. Even if the car is better there will always be something wrong to find.

Skoda is expensive, cedia is not as quick, Corolla doesnt handle well are all excuses. OHC interiors sucked and lancer's engine certainly needed more horses. A new generation honda city vtec or the new generation lancer cedia sports may whet some buyer's appetite but most of them will always compare it with the old product. Abhishek Bachhan will always be compared to Amitabh bachhan.

8/10 people will say that Munnabhai part-2 was never as good as part-1. if you know what I mean.

[CaliforniaKnight]

The last time I droe the CEDIA was at the T-BHP meet a t cochin and was not impressd, it did not have the sudden surge of power which you get in the OHC or MB... Sad to know the car is not doing great there.
MB and Esteem are great , okay forget its old, but for the money you pay, its fast , slick, and crisp...you guys know what I mean..

[maxbhp]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaKnight

The last time I droe the CEDIA was at the T-BHP meet a t cochin and was not impressd, it did not have the sudden surge of power which you get in the OHC or MB... Sad to know the car is not doing great there.
MB and Esteem are great , okay forget its old, but for the money you pay, its fast , slick, and crisp...you guys know what I mean..

I dont think the present baleno is that powerful , I'd prefer 1.6 Palio/Petra or a1.6 Fiesta . Its sad to notice that Mitsubishi has been bringing boring engines one after the other right from the begining , I guess its time they have atleast one RalliArt division atleast in Bombay/Delhi/Bangalore/Chennai. One more thing Baleno's suspension not the best suited for spirited driving...its just a personal opinion .

I vote for Ford Mondeo 2.0 Duratec. ..If only had they released with the 2.5 V6 for around 17 lacs...hmm...It would have ruled the country for sometime.....