[rks]

Originally Posted by sushrutha

Hey watch out SEDAN's you got a competetion. Santro doing 160kmph , Quite strange.

In a ZipDrive (1 lit). In fact an Innova was racing me all the way from the beginning of the Expressway near Panvel. After a lot of to-and-fro overtakes, I finally sent the guy packing when I got to 160 kmph in 5th gear, on the long sloping stretch after the second Kamshet tunnel (Mumbai-Pune). To get to 160 kmph, you have to start accelerating before the first tunnel; by the time you exit the second tunnel (about 1 km later) you should be at about 145-150 kmph (full throttle). Then the Santro steadily picks up speed on the slope and reaches 155-160 (depending apparently on a number of factors, including wind). In fact this time I hit 160, stayed there for abt half a minute, and for a moment toyed with the idea of clicking my speedo. Hence I reached for my mobile in my back pocket and pulled it out with my right hand, while changing lanes simultaneously with my left hand. But then decided against it, and put back the mobile in my pocket. Next time I promise you a click of my speedo (will have to prepare in advance for it, with my mobile handy).
Regards, rks

[frankmehta]

ask my dad he'll tell you........the zen has an endearing effect on its owners....the beauty of the sound that emanates from the electronic starter is unique and the car itself is pretty quirky....small and perky revvy engine(and mind u the torque is laid accross the powerband making it a breeze in the city...couple it with light controls a gem of a light EPS(electronic power steering) and nice AIR CONDITIONER(one of its major strengths) and not to forget that bursting of jellybeans(pun intended!) engine that loves to be ripped coupled with the smooth gearshift......all this makes a recipe for a classy enthusiast car.....personally i feel it has lots of drawbacks........but ppl like my dad refresh my mind everytime that this one has more strengths than drawbacks......absolutely preferred compared to a lifeless listless dud of a car the santro and wagon r too.....the swift also doesnt cut too much ice with me....but then thats another story 'alto'gether..........

[rks]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

ask my dad he'll tell you........the zen has an endearing effect on its owners....the beauty of the sound that emanates from the electronic starter is unique and the car itself is pretty quirky....small and perky revvy engine(and mind u the torque is laid accross the powerband making it a breeze in the city...couple it with light controls a gem of a light EPS(electronic power steering) and nice AIR CONDITIONER(one of its major strengths) and not to forget that bursting of jellybeans(pun intended!) engine that loves to be ripped coupled with the smooth gearshift......all this makes a recipe for a classy enthusiast car.....personally i feel it has lots of drawbacks........but ppl like my dad refresh my mind everytime that this one has more strengths than drawbacks......absolutely preferred compared to a lifeless listless dud of a car the santro and wagon r too.....the swift also doesnt cut too much ice with me....but then thats another story 'alto'gether..........

Emotions apart, I personally don't think that the Zen clearly stands out in performance from its competitors, such as, the Santro, as I have explained earlier. But I have heard that the Alto Vxi (1.1 lit) does stand out, as far as performance is concerned. I have heard claims of people having done 170 kmph in this car, and its owners claim superior pick-up, maneuverability and high-speed stability as compared to the Zen. I don't know how far all this is true.
Regards, rks

[prakash2757]

I just love zen... Dont know why. may be the look & Style. Got many Santro For sale but I am just looking for Zen. Its been 3 months still looking for Zen to purachse (Used one), Will be looking for one until I get one

[sharu]

agree with u dude, same with me i dont know why but i love my zen so much, we also have a palio at home and ofcourse.....its way ahead than zen .....but whenever i sit in my zen...i love it....don't know why

[porsche_fan]

Accelaration, rev happy engine, nice sporty looks, great handling (esp. in the Vxi with the EPS) and decent FE when driven with a vengence with the AC on...the only complaint could be the brakes. the ones on my car are quite bad.......

[1100D]

Originally Posted by rks

In a ZipDrive (1 lit). In fact an Innova was racing me all the way from the beginning of the Expressway near Panvel. After a lot of to-and-fro overtakes, I finally sent the guy packing when I got to 160 kmph in 5th gear, on the long sloping stretch after the second Kamshet tunnel (Mumbai-Pune).

I think the Innova driver chose safety over trying to prove a point.

Originally Posted by rks

To get to 160 kmph, you have to start accelerating before the first tunnel; by the time you exit the second tunnel (about 1 km later) you should be at about 145-150 kmph (full throttle). Then the Santro steadily picks up speed on the slope and reaches 155-160 (depending apparently on a number of factors, including wind). In fact this time I hit 160, stayed there for abt half a minute, and for a moment toyed with the idea of clicking my speedo. Hence I reached for my mobile in my back pocket and pulled it out with my right hand, while changing lanes simultaneously with my left hand. But then decided against it, and put back the mobile in my pocket. Next time I promise you a click of my speedo (will have to prepare in advance for it, with my mobile handy).
Regards, rks

Better wil be to jack the front wheels up and then get the speedo pic. Doing 140+ on a Santro for such long stretches? You are right, it certainly depends on wind factor, especially if it is blowing in direction. Consider yourself lucky that there was no crosswinds

Anyway Zen is here to stay.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/1648671.cms

[rks]

Originally Posted by 1100D

I think the Innova driver chose safety over trying to prove a point.

I was driving my normal style on the Expressway (130-150 kmph). I went past the Innova guy (like so many other Innova guys). This fellow apparently couldn't stomach the thought of being passed by a Santro and chose to come after me. What happened was that on the straight empty stretches, he caught up with me, as I always drive in fifth gear and don't whip my car into fourth gear when it slows down on upward stretches; so the Innova's superior power and torque ruled. But when there was traffic, I simply switched lanes (left, right or middle) and maintained my speed (like I always do). This guy used to get stuck behind other traffic and was reluctant to switch lanes at high speed (understandable, in an Innova). So the to-and-fro went on. I wasn't racing him -- he was the guy coming after me.

By the way, I don't recommend overspeeding on the Expressway. Especially to newbies, I would like to warn that there are many hidden dangers and you can come to grief by something unexpected happening. I do this route every week and now I am very familiar with it. Even on my last run, I saw at least two accidents -- one small car completely smashed up, and a van overturned on the sharp curve at the end of Expressway near Pune.

Better wil be to jack the front wheels up and then get the speedo pic. Doing 140+ on a Santro for such long stretches? You are right, it certainly depends on wind factor, especially if it is blowing in direction. Consider yourself lucky that there was no crosswinds

Anyway Zen is here to stay.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/1648671.cms

My dear friend, I do 150+ every week in my Santro on the Expressway --and I complete the 94 km stretch in 50-52 mins usually (avg. of 114 kmph). As I have said, you can do about 135-145 kmph on level road and 150-160 on sloping stretches. I have been warned by several people in this forum and I do agree with all of you that there are dangers in speeding in a car like Santro. But I must confess that it has become a difficult habit to shake off. Clicking the speedo seems to be slightly dangerous business, but will try it sooner or later. Today I am off for another run. Will start in about an hour or so.

Regarding the Zen -- I have never driven it myself, so I have no reason to doubt its enthusiastic supporters.
Regards, rks

[1100D]

To be Honest , get someone else to click the pic (if that doesn't slow your top speed). At that speed even in a bigger/faster car all you need to do is concentrate on the car and road only.

[rks]

Originally Posted by 1100D

To be Honest , get someone else to click the pic (if that doesn't slow your top speed). At that speed even in a bigger/faster car all you need to do is concentrate on the car and road only.

You are absolutely right. There is nobody with me on these runs, so it is better not to risk an accident for something as silly as clicking the speedo.
Regards, rks

[shibujp]

i see the argument is still live:-)...and at last Maruti has decided to shelf the Zen but the replacement is a big YUK!!

Rks,
I beg to differ to your point on handling. i have driven the Santro and the Zen and use a M800. Let me tell you that based on my experience the Santro simply just doesn't inspire the same confidence in me as my M800 when it comes to cornering.

The Santro is eager to corner, that I agree but it simply lacks on two counts
- it doesn't have that planted feel and this is agravated by a high centre of gravity which is not a problem with the Zen or 800.
- it tends to get more upset on bumpy corners than the Zen or the 800, which i think is due to the stiffer suspension set up which makes it eager to corner in the first place.

i drove a second hand Zen of 1999 vintage that had run just 34000 kms and to tell you the truth I just loved its power delivery. So refined and smooth..such a feel simply doesn't exist in the previous santro but the new ERLx is so much better. And new Zens don't seem to have quite the same feel.

Engine braking on sharp corners is so much better on the Zen and 800 but the Santro doesn't seem to take to it quite so fondly. So down shifting at the entry to a corner and powering out at the exit is something i do not enjoy in the Santro.

Top speeds ..ah well but they do not tell you the complete story and personally I feel they contribute zilch to the driving experience on regular roads.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[rks]

Originally Posted by shibujp

i see the argument is still live:-)...and at last Maruti has decided to shelf the Zen but the replacement is a big YUK!!

Rks,
I beg to differ to your point on handling. i have driven the Santro and the Zen and use a M800. Let me tell you that based on my experience the Santro simply just doesn't inspire the same confidence in me as my M800 when it comes to cornering.

The Santro is eager to corner, that I agree but it simply lacks on two counts
- it doesn't have that planted feel and this is agravated by a high centre of gravity which is not a problem with the Zen or 800.

I have driven the 1995 model of M800, with crossply tyres. It corners very poorly as compared to Santro -- no comparison at all. M800's real wheels will go into a slide when road is bumpy or while taking sharp corners. But I don't know about the newer models with radials. But I haven't heard good opinions on this either. Note that the Santro does have a wider wheel base and bigger tyres. This does compensate to some extent for the tall-boy design. I don't know how well the Zen corners on stock tyres -- the people who praise Zen's cornering in this forum usually have upgraded their tyres. But you may be right about the handling of Zen.

- it tends to get more upset on bumpy corners than the Zen or the 800, which i think is due to the stiffer suspension set up which makes it eager to corner in the first place.

Yes, this I agree with. On the small series of bumps (speed-breakers) that were placed just before a sharp corner, I found my Sanrto losing grip on the rear wheels when approaching the corner at 90 kmph (slightly too fast, so braked exactly when on the bumps). Rear wheels went into a slide towards right and car tugged to left. Became OK when I released brakes and made the right turn.

i drove a second hand Zen of 1999 vintage that had run just 34000 kms and to tell you the truth I just loved its power delivery. So refined and smooth..such a feel simply doesn't exist in the previous santro but the new ERLx is so much better. And new Zens don't seem to have quite the same feel.

Engine braking on sharp corners is so much better on the Zen and 800 but the Santro doesn't seem to take to it quite so fondly. So down shifting at the entry to a corner and powering out at the exit is something i do not enjoy in the Santro.

Top speeds ..ah well but they do not tell you the complete story and personally I feel they contribute zilch to the driving experience on regular roads.

Well, Zen seems to have a marginally higher top speed and better performance at speeds in excess of 100 kmph. But not too much in it. Again I don't know much about the later versions of M800.
Regards,rks

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by shibujp

Whoa..dciete the when I saw the subject of your thread I thought that on opening the thread I would find ZEN owners up in arms about the vilification of their cars cos most Zen owners are passionate about these cars.

Well I drove a Zen for around 250kms and to tell you the truth I simply loved it!! But didn't consider it as an option when choosing a car for my father. You see theres no way he's gonna settle for a superb drivers car that scapes on our speed breakers (mods definitely not an option), that barely has enough luggage space for a couple of bags, entry postures where he has to contort his frame (when u r old all joints don't cooperate) and a back seat that's slightly better than the 800 and a build quality that ain't all that great. I think the sales of the Zen reflect this too..last month the figure was around 3000 compared to 7000+ for the Wagon R 8000 for the Santro and close to 10,000 for the Alto. I read it as 3000 people preferring a great drivers car with a smooth engine, great FE over an all - round performer.

You see the Zen's great but is seriously compromised on the practicality front. Thats my take on the Zen!!

Drive on,
Shibu.

last week we were out hunting for another car adn we also looked at the Zen / Alto / Wagon R and Santro. We loved driving the Zen the most..amog all of these...my wife told me that she felt like driving a small version of the Baleno that we own..
Now the bad part...much as she liked driving it...she wants to purchase teh Santro as the overall image and space of Zen is a bot on the lower side compared to the Santro....and the Santro felt more solid too!!

[200mph]

hey guys if any of u picked up the auto car might have seen the new zen with its look... well on paper did not sound that exciting to mee .. looked like mix of the alto n wagon r ... even the review said the same.. anyways from what i a have been told by people i think that the zen is a great car . i have spent a lot of time on its rear seats when a kid . as far as this argument seems to go about santro n zen ... i think i am an HYUNDAI ANTI.... when it comes to its petrol engines. i find its diesel far more better .

[rks]

Originally Posted by 1100D

To be Honest , get someone else to click the pic (if that doesn't slow your top speed). At that speed even in a bigger/faster car all you need to do is concentrate on the car and road only.

Well, as you can see from my avatar, I succumbed to the temptation of clicking my speedo at 160 kmph in the stretch after the Kamshet tunnels on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway today, on the way to Pune. The road was empty, and the car was going dead straight, had my mobile in my hands ...