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Originally Posted by sdmn Guys, I've heard this sailboat type comparisons earlier too. Although I do not agree with it, and have not found what really this crib about handling the Verna really is, trust me, you can use such comparisons for some or the other aspect of every car in India except perhaps the Mercedes Benzes and the BMW's of the world. |
Hey Sandeep,
In comparison to cars such as the fiesta which feel rock solid at speed, the Verna simply doesn't give such confidence and hence, in comparison to the fiesta, people have linked the Verna's handling to that of a sailboat. Of course, there are those who can handle a sailboat very well and may not even notice the handling of the Verna at speed.
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Originally Posted by sdmn Every car is a package guys. You pick your package. |
Couldn't have said it better myself buddy. At the end of the day, this thread will have no definite answer because everyone who has posted here has posted from their viewpoint. I find the Fiesta to be the best because it meets my requirements the best in spite of the fact that the engine runs out of breath at higher speeds and that it is cramped. Similarly, you enjoy your Verna the most because you like the performance and what not.
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Originally Posted by sdmn Like I said, granted that air bags in the Verna are a deficiency - no two views about that - however, for owners who are turned on by sheer power, and who handle it responsibly, there's nothing that can beat the Verna in that category. The Verna gives you this with features like automatic climate control and other features you expect in this category. |
See, once again it depends on person to person. The previous versions of the Verna didn't even come with wheelcaps! Given that the car has a higher price, I would expect it to come with alloys. I don't care about ACC. As far as I am concerned, either its on fully cold or the windows are down. In this category, it is now becoming the norm to offer variants with ABS and Airbags. A.C.C is not as important in this category, but given how the Verna is priced between the fiesta and cars such as the Optra and Civic, it becomes a necessity.
Also, the lack of Airbags in a car such as the Verna is a serious disappointment. Sure, you can argue that people should handle the power responsibly, but there are people who may lack that common sense and you can read about various accidents involving the Verna and high speed driving/chases that resulted in fatalties that could have been avoided.
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Originally Posted by sdmn Fiesta's cramped rear seating, it's power deficient TDCi engine, and a very poor service network in India will stop most from touching that car. |
As you said, it depends on what a customer wants from his car. I like the fiesta because the engine is tourqey and powerful in the city and given that most of the times, the car is used by 2 people, I don't care about the rear seat space. Also, I am quite happy with the reliability of Fords. Also, for me, visibility, quality, FE, ease of driving and good handling were important and that is why I prefer the fiesta.
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Originally Posted by sdmn The overall experience needs to be good. That's why sales volumes of the Verna, Fiesta and SX4, speak for themselves. You know which is the best package from the numbers. |
Not really. This is India, where people buy the car based on the brand rather than what they want from the car. Look around, you will see people being driven around in BMW's. Doesn't mean that the BMW is poor to drive and very comfortable to sit in does it?
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Originally Posted by sdmn Hyundai is the only car maker in India which treats Indian customers at par with global ones. Their Indian cars sell with the same specs everywhere including India. Hyundai is known for quality and reliability - globally, including in India. Look at Santro, i10, i20, Getz - all global cars. India was given the i10 before it was launched globally!
Verna airbag issue is one among the very very few differences / exceptions you will find. That too is because of the ridiculous excise and duty structure in India for big cars. |
I would like to agree as well as disagree with that fact. Till recently, Hyundai was known for making poor quality cheap cars, similar to Skoda, globally (hope they don't instigate me for this!). Things have changed due to their amazing warranties on offer in countries like USA. However, in those countries, one would rarely see a Hyundai + the resale values of those vehicles will be much lower than a similar Honda and Toyota.
However, I do agree that Hyundai is launching their entire lineup in India, and unlike other manufacturers, it does offer good customer service and reliability, with competitively priced spares.
I will still disagree with the equipment levels though. Please go to their international website and see what goodies we miss out on, but then again, the market isn't ready to pay for many of them. I do commend Hyundai for launching the i20 with 6 airbag option, the i10 with a good auto, the Verna with the beautiful 110 bhp engine, the Sonata Transform CRDi etc.
While my preferences on this thread are towards the Fiesta TDCi, it is because Ford met my requirements better than Hyundai. If I were looking for a city hatchback, I would definitely choose a Hyundai i10/Santro A/T, or a Getz CRDi too. Similarly, I am waiting for the new Elantra to come out as it could be a good step up from the fiesta, a few years down the line.
BTW, some of the criticism of Hyundai, would apply to Ford as well and I do not deny that. Hope you don't take anything personally.
Cheers!