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Originally Posted by KVNair I am contemplating on buying a Nano XTA because I think its small dimensions and auto shift will enable my wife to drive easily in Bangalore traffic. My wife is new to driving and Nano seems to fit her requirements well. But, one question that comes up in mind is about the car rolling back on an inclined traffic stop (BTW there are many inclines around the place where I stay).
Can any of the Nano AMT owners here let me know how easy or hard it is to drive in stop and go traffic on an inclined road? Does it require frequent use of hand brake or can it be maneuvered with just the foot brake?
Concorde Motors in Bangalore is quoting INR 3.67 lakhs on road price and a waiting period of 6 to 8 weeks for the red color Nano. Is that a fair deal to accept? |
I have completed close to 500 kms with the XTA and have tried experimenting with the car in different scenarios. I will share an impartial view on the ease of driving. The 'ease' actually depends on the particular situation you are in.
1. The 'creep' function works only if the handbrake is disengaged, the doors are properly closed and FOOT BRAKE released in 'A', 'M' or 'R' mode. If you apply the handbrake and release it in any of these 3 modes the car will not creep. To reengage the creep you have to press and release the foot brake once after releasing the handbrake. Similarly with the door. If any door is open the creep will not work. Shut the door properly then press and release the foot brake once to start the 'creep'.
2. The 'creep' function is altogether a different functionality from the usual movement you get on pressing the throttle. They have programmed it such that the handbrake and door safety override does not interfere with the movement using throttle input. Simply put the vehicle will (try to) move even if the handbrake is engaged or the door is open and you press the throttle but it will not 'creep' if handbrake is engaged or door is open.
3. Another point about the creep function is that it is linked to the foot brake switch. The creep is disengaged the moment you touch your foot on the brake without actually pressing it. So if its on an incline the car will roll back if you touch the brake. So controlling using the brake only is left to your skills. Not feasible IMO.
4. The creep function is good in stop go traffic but not so good in bumper to bumper traffic. Reason being that it is slightly unpredictable and might jerk forward slightly which is not good if there is no space in front of you. Also at this point the brakes are weak because the vacuum assist from the engine is less. You would have to stand on the brakes to make it stop.
5. Coming to inclines. It is a straightforward application. If you have some rolling space behind you then there is no need to use the handbrake. If too tight then apply the handbrake, press the throttle and release the handbrake. So no rolling back. Simple enough. Refer Point No 2.
6. Parking in a tight space on inclines is a chore though! Because there is no clutch control, it will either jump forward or roll back! A newbie can never handle this situation. For example I had a hard time trying to adjust the car on a ramp when I took it to check the alignment. The alignment guys were looking at me strangely as if they thought I did not know driving because it kept jerking forward and rolling back on the incline. I also had to be careful not to drop into the gutter in the centre. The solution that I have found for this is to pull the handbrake up by one notch and then press the accelerator to make the car move in a controlled way. Refer Point No 2.
I don't know if this can be handled with left leg on the brake and right leg on the throttle. Need to check and see even though that is not the right way of doing it. But I feel this may not work because they would have disabled movement using throttle also if the foot brake is pressed. Creep can't be used here because such maneuvers require fine movements. Refer Point No 3.
7. So what happens if a wheel is in a pothole or there is an obstruction in front and you press the throttle to move forward? Nothing.. for the first few seconds at least. You can feel the car straining to come out but cannot. Keep the throttle nailed and then the revs start increasing automatically and with a sudden jerk and a small wheelspin it comes shooting out of the pothole (not good for the clutch IMO). I think it releases the clutch to get the revvs built up and then suddenly engages the clutch to come out. So the best way to drive this is to use a little bit of momentum and break free whether it be a pothole or an incline.
All said it is very easy to get used to the behaviour of the car. Rather than expecting the car to behave as we like, we can modify the driving style to suit the behaviour of the car. If this can be learnt, then it's a very good proposition. Price for me was approx 3.62 OTR from KHT Motors including 2 year AMC. I have not opted for any accessory whatsoever. I have noticed that Concorde has a different marketing strategy where they quote a higher OTR price and include a lot of accessories like seat covers and so on. This will immediately make people run away because other dealers quote lower.
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Originally Posted by avingodb Have you changed to all tyres of same size or kept with the front, rear different size?
Any difference noted in braking, noise etc? |
I had used the same size tyres for all tyres on my twist XT 2014. Changed all tyres to B290 155/65 R12 which is the same as the usual rear size. Not recommended because the front wheels will touch the wheel arches very lightly under extreme conditions like full lock turns on an uneven road. I used to hear the scraping sound. But no other issues were felt.