In between all this confusion of the road tax issues, and the RTO initially refusing to take the tax without producing NOC- we went to have a look at some of the
new cars in the market.
Here's how they stack up against each other, from a Punto owners perspective :- 1. FIAT Linea 2014- Natural upgrade for a Punto owner. I am one of those who loved the new facelift model, specially the changed interiors. Features like cruise control, arm rest, ambient lighting etc make it a very interesting proposition- I specially had an eye on that cruise control feature.
However no 1.6 MJD,
same 1.3L 90hp engine in a car that weighs significantly more- no way! As a new car, may be yes, but not as an upgrade from a Punto 90hp.
2. Honda City iDTec- Reigning king of its class. I was not a fan of all the chrome, but after seeing the car in black- started to admire the chiseled looks. Overloaded with features- the VX had everything you could think of - cruise control, sunroof, start stop and true keyless entry, plush leather seats, abs, airbags, climate control with touch screen, reverse camera, Bluetooth. Name anything you could think of and chances are that it will have it on the top end trim. Space was just incredible compared to the exterior dimensions and the back seat was a sofa IMO.
If you buy the car after checking it once in the showroom - no other car in its class will give a better impression than the City.
BUT, and that's a big BUT, first impressions are not always the best impressions and things start falling apart once the test drive starts. For starters- that's one
noisy diesel! The saving grace though - It feels just as good as the Renault 1.5 DCi inside the city- a delight to shoot from low rpms. Sadly though- it doesn't really feel like a 100hp engine when you really want to push it.
And then- there's the
ride quality. It is quite stiff and the rear is too squishy and jumps up and down quite a bit, and it's not even comparable to the FIATs/ VWs in terms of ride. Wife was sitting in the backseat for the test drive, and she felt uncomfortable with all the movement.
And then there is the
build quality! Close the door with a heavy hand, and you can feel it flex. Press the steering controls or dashboard plastics and you can hear them squeak. Everything felt light and tinny. To make matters worse- the car transmits a lot of road noise to the cabin. More insulation and less weight savings were the need of the hour IMO- considering its OTR price tag that's close to 1.4 million in Bangalore.
3. Renault Duster- One look at the price tag, and the interiors (Of the adventure edition that was on display) was reason enough for wifey to decline even a TD for the car. 14L OTR! Man, when did this car get so expensive!
4. VW Vento TDi - First of all- a big shout out to the guys at Apple Auto, Whitefield. It was a nice experience to walk in rather late and still be treated in the best way possible.
Coming to the car, SE explained the features. ABS- yes, Airbags- yes, a big boot- yes, music system- yes. Vanity mirror on the passenger sunvisor- yes. But what's additional in this car than a hatchback doesn't have?
All door power windows with auto up and down, anti- pinch, and can be controlled by remote while locking the car. And well, that's about it. Not even a big improvement in terms of space available.
Ok, not much of a first impression. But the day gets better when you take it for a test drive. For starters, unlike the paper figures suggest, the VW engine is an absolute gem compared to the Honda 1.5L. It would just suffice to say- I had a big grin on my face when we came back from the test drive!
Build quality and ride quality were at par with the Punto, with the ride feeling better and the build slightly lighter. Anyways, no complaints from wife who was sitting in the backseat (same route as the City TD).
But an additional 8L for a sweet engine + boot + anti- pinch windows compared to my good old Punto? My 90hp with RD box in P2 mode feels close. Have to think about it, but anyways- City was thrown out of the list - soon after the Vento TD.
Conclusion-
Duster was out, linea was out. Honda City promised so many things, but turned out an average performer in everything it did.
Vento promised less, but everything it had on offer brought a smile to the face- be it ride or build or quality.
But was it worth the huge premium I had to shell out over and above my Punto 90hp? Didn't feel so. Wifey who was maximum excited before this hunt began (She wanted a big black sedan) herself admitted that
our car held it's head high against the newer, bigger, more expensive competition. An additional 1L for road tax- and it looked all set to serve us good for another long innings.
Got to agree with FIAT when they say - 'If you still like driving, we are still ahead'.
And to think- I was a satisfied Maruti WagonR user 2 years ago!
PS-
Whats the fun with showroom visits without some dialogues by Sales Advisors. SA to wifey- Madam, this car has got vanity mirrors on the sun visor.
Her- Yes thanks, but our Punto has that.
SA- But madam, in this - you can see your reflection.
Her- I believe that's why it's called a MIRROR?
This guy slowly disappeared from the scene afterwards. And another guy did the rest of the explanation.