2nd November 2004, 17:19
| #1 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Report Hyundai Accent CRDi 2004  The Accent was bought as an upgrade to our 2 year old Indica V2 Petrol LXi on March 8th 2004 from Jayabharat Hyundai, Prabhadevi. The staff at the dealership were helpful, but they did mess up the delivery dates and we had to keep calling them to get the car delivered on time…it was my parents anniversary so it was important that the car be delivered on that day. Finally at 6:30 pm, we were told the car is ready, and we could take the delivery. Interestingly we still hadn’t received our registration number; the car came with MH 04 BW 9440 on the plates, which wasn’t our number as we had asked for a custom number 86. We took the car home anyways and received our own number within 3 days. The Engine  The Accent CRDi comes with a 1500cc 3 cylinder 12 valves diesel engine which produces a max power output of 82 bhp@4000rpm which might not seem like much for a car weighing 1235kgs, but the talking point of this engine is the torque – 19.1kgm at a lowly 2000rpm. This gives the CRDi devastating overtaking ability out on the highways, the engine is incredibly responsive and you can stay in 3rd gear for most of the day. There are vibrations below 1500rpm and its best to keep the engine above that speed. Once you cross 1500rpm, you can’t tell if there is a diesel under the hood that too a direct injection. There is almost no turbo lag which makes this car a delight to drive in city traffic. Fuel Economy I was pleasantly surprised when the car returned 11.2kmpl on the first tank full. After the running in period was completed I was getting 14kmpl in city with AC regularly and I couldn’t be happier. The highway figure was even more surprising, the CRDi managing a 20.2kmpl on the Pune expressway, and I had carried out the top speed test on this run, results of which you all must know by now, anyway for those who don’t, I managed 190kmph (Speedo reading) with engine screaming at the 4500rpm redline in 5th gear.  At 5000kms, I upgraded my tyres from the regulars Bridgestones 175/70R13 to Falkens Ziex 185/60R14 on alloy wheels. The fuel economy has expectedly dropped a little after that, now the car returns 11-12kmpl in city and 18-19kmpl on the highway.  Ride & Handling  The CRDi is more stiffly sprung than its petrol sibling which makes it handling better than the petrol Accents. The ride is smooth at sedate speeds and I haven’t found much reason to complain at expressway speeds either. The handling could do with a little improvement – there is body roll despite the stiffer setup. And there is a certain limit after which the tail steps out when taking high speed corners. Try taking the long left hand curve which leads to the sea link from S.V road above 70kmph and you’ll know what I’m talking about. One thing good about it though is that the tail doesn’t loose it suddenly and you have time to control it in case it goes. In other words, the car is great for sedate driving and if you drive aggressively you better be good at it. Interiors  The interiors have a nice airy feel to them, the quality of plastics used is good, the quality of the control stalks is pretty good too, the switches and dials fall easily to hand. The steering wheel is a bit large but it has tilt adjustment. This along with the height adjustable seat makes it easy to find the perfect driving position. The airconditoner is excellent, it cools very fast even on hot summer days in Bombay, it comes with a 4 speed blower, while the blower works quietly until speed 3, at 4 it becomes a bit loud. But that’s ok as I haven’t ever felt the need to use it above speed 2. However there is one problem the accelerator pedal has a bit of an awkward position and my right ankle sometimes hurts after long drives. The gear shift is a delight to use that is if you are driving in cruise mode, but in fast shifts I tend to miss the third gear regularly. There is also a certain whine but I’m not sure whether it’s coming from the engine or the gearbox. The car is short geared which makes it a delight on take off at traffic lights. In this car, even if you are not trying you always come off first at the traffic light. The car hits the revlimiter in 5th gear so I guess Hyundai should make that gear a bit taller… The seats are a little on the harder side but comfortable nevertheless and I have found no reason to complain even on long drives. The original seat fabric looks a bit dull but seat covers can change all that. The backseat is a little cramped for space especially if a tall person is sitting upfront. Hehehe reminds me of the people at the back when ‘Power Freak’ takes up the front passenger seat. Although Autocar India says that the rear seat is set too low, neither I nor any member of my family has found any reason to complain. One more thing I really like is the hydraulic action of the front cup holders – very smooth…my mom first thought it was a CD tray of the music system!!! Ownership Experience  The car is now 7 months old done 19000kms and not a spot of trouble till now. The third and final free service is coming up in the next month in which I plan to fill Mobil 1. Anyone who is familiar with Hyundai’s service must know that customer is not even charged for the oil changes carried out. I have not spent a single rupee up till now on the services. After hitting a pothole at high speed there was some noise coming from the front right suspension which was taken care of promptly by ABC Hyundai, Churchgate. Apart from this the car hasn’t ever required any special attention. The roads of Bombay have thrown everything at this car, but it has come through without any hiccup. Heck I’ve even driven this car in grille deep water in mazgaon during the rains, nothing happened to it…only the horn and the autocop went on the blink but the very next day started working again as the car dried out. The potholes are a major pain and my new alloys have taken quiet a beating with both the front wheels having been bent out of shape.  Just about 2 weeks back I went to Automech, Lower Parel and had the muffler and the end-can changed, the sound has become a bit heavy but nothing like I wanted it to be. The guys at Automech have asked me to get the car to work upon it this week. After fitting the new muffler, the car seems to have become more driveable in the lower rev range and the vibration levels below 1500rpm have come down. Summation  The car is by far the best combination of power and economy this side of the Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi. Here’s a list of my likes and dislikes about this car:- Likes 1. Performace 2. Economy 3. Interiors 4. Tail happy nature Dislike 1. No option of ABS 2. Price – would have liked more features for what I paid. Drifter |
|
| |
|
2nd November 2004, 17:30
| #2 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India
Posts: 7,561
Thanked: 2,467 Times
| |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 17:51
| #3 |
| Team-BHP Support   | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 17:52
| #4 | |
| Senior - BHPian  | Quote:
 drifter amazing car ggreat review. cheers | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 17:53
| #5 |
| Senior - BHPian | Hey Rtech wanna xchange cars for 6 months ? cheers |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 18:33
| #6 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 19:06
| #7 | |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay
Posts: 1,140
Thanked: 701 Times
| Quote:
 | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 19:07
| #8 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay
Posts: 1,140
Thanked: 701 Times
| |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 19:36
| #9 | |
| Team-BHP Support | Quote:
 Its just that I use my bike everyday. How much do you have on your car NC? Rt | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 19:56
| #10 |
| BANNED  | dude nice nice for a diesel 190 eh. i went 185 in my petrol where did u get the alloys from and the price plz ? |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 20:35
| #11 |
| Senior - BHPian | |
|
|
| |
|
2nd November 2004, 20:45
| #12 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai/USA
Posts: 1,707
Thanked: 103 Times
| Hey nice review Drifter and with pictures it looks so neat ... Keep it up  |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 21:22
| #13 |
| BHPian  | |
|
|
|
2nd November 2004, 23:08
| #14 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | |
|
|
2nd November 2004, 23:23
| #15 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,029
Thanked: 9 Times
| |
|
|
 |
Most Viewed