[raj_k]

Dear Team-BHPians,

First of all please accept my apologies for writing my initial ownership experience so late as I was extremely busy for last few months. I purchased ANHC 1.5VAT, (Titanium color) on 26 Nov. 2010
I am a physically challenged person and I can’t apply proper pressure from my left leg so I drive automatic transmission cars, which I can drive using my right leg alone.

Earlier cars:
Maruti 800 AT from 1995 to 2000
Zen AX from 2000 to till date

For quite some time I was interested in buying a new car as the Zen AX (1998 model) though a good car but featureless as compare to today’s cars. Moreover a FE of 7.5/8 Km/Ltr without AC and 6.5/7 with AC is also proving to be a burden.

Search for the new car was based on the requirements like bigger size, good AC, good interiors.

One thing was good for me (though a limitation) that there are very few AT models available. The search started with Maruti’s A Star but was rejected on the basis of its size. i10 was also eliminated as I wanted a bigger car for sure. The choice then shifted to i20. I infact took TD of the car but it was not as per my satisfaction. Moreover the complaints on Team-BHP regarding steering rattle, ineffective AC etc. also weighed on my mind.

The budget was also a limitation but the final choice was between AT models of Verna, SX4, Vento and ANHC. Verna was eliminated due to lack of air bags in that price bracket (which are now available in fluidic). My wife did’nt like the shape of SX4 and I was also not comfortable with its FE. Vento was a tough choice but was finally eliminated as being a new entrant. Finally I decided to buy my ANHC VAT. The selection was also based on the Honda’s reputation for providing good AT cars for quite some time in India.

The choice of color was not very difficult as the latest one i.e Titanium matches perfectly with beige interior.

Now coming to the cost, which I would like to specially describe as I availed certain concessions, which are available to physically challenged and this may help others also. Some of these benefits (only for physically challenged peoples) are given below:

The AT cars are provided at 4% excise duty which is a clear benefit of around 19% considering the rate of 23% on cars above 1200 cc. The benefit would obviously be less for smaller cars as the rate of duty is less.

The process:

• There is a format provided by Department of Heavy Industry as per which a govt. panel of doctor has to certify that one can’t drive manual car and is fit to drive an AT car.
• The copy of this cert is given to car manufacturer, who then certify that the said car, chosen by the customer suits him as per his requirement (as certified by govt. panel)
• The car manufacturer’s certificate, doctor’s certificate alongwith an affidavit that the excise duty concession has not been availed in last 5 yrs and the car will not be sold for next 5 yrs is submitted to D/o Heavy industry.
• D/o Heavy Industry than issues an order for providing excise concession to manufacturer, based on which it gives the reduced price.

In my case the invoice of 8,38,671 for City VAT was given as compare to original invoice of around 9.78 lakh.

The insurance company also gives a 50% concession on basic price.

Finally even to my surprise the roadtax is completely exempted on such cars(atleast in Delhi this is the rule, it depends on state but I think most of the states follow it)

So, overall Bharat Sarkar took care of my budget concern and I am really thankful to them for the same. There are very few good steps taken by our govt. and this is one of them. I hope this would be useful to others and would be happy to help anybody interested in knowing about the concessions and the process involved.

Ownership experience:

As regard ownership experience this is a lovely car and is a pure bliss to drive. Although automatics are not new to me but the ANHC VAT with 5 gears is the smoothest one I have driven. The paddle shift is a wonderful experience especially when you need power.

I have not yet taken the car out of Delhi but on ring road (in the morning hours when the usual rush is not there) it has given the FE of 17. On an average it gives around 10 to 10.5 in the city with full AC. Though I have noticed that there is not much difference without AC also.

I use the car for driving to office, which is not far away from my home so on an average I drive it for 25-30 kms every day. Till date it is just 3500 km and my third servive is already overdue, which I would be taking this weekend. In the first servive it was just washed and in the second oil was changed. I was asked for synthetic one but when I explained them about very low usage they changed it with ordinary one. However this time I would be going for synthetic one as the next service would be after 5000 km. only.

As regard the comfort I am finding it very good. The seats are at proper height which was missing in i20 when I tested that. The inerior space seems to be best in class. The dash with centrally placed ICE has good quality finish. The control buttons on steering are easy to use.

The driver seat is height adjustable. Considering my small height the tilt steering is not very helpful as I can only put it in highest position so as to keep the seat forward to reach the paddles. It may be taken as a positive also.

The airconditioner is quite good but the ACC is missed. The keyless entry and blutooth options are also missed in this price range car.

One major negative is the low ground clearance. I think I would need some time to adjust to it. It scraps the speed brakers invariably when driving with 4-5 paxs. It is advised that one should go cross on big brakers but in city driving it is not possible all the time. Can anyone give me tips on it.

Overall it is a wonderul experience driving this car in the city of Delhi. I have not gone on a long journey till date.

The experience at Ring Road Honda is satisfactory till date. I would be using there pick drop service this time for third servicing of car. I hope this a safe option. Is anything need to be taken care in this process of handing the car to their driver.

[libranof1987]

Congratulations on your ANHC!

I remember your queries about an AT car long time back. Glad you finally got the ANHC VAT.

FE of 17 for an AT is mighty impressive!

What accessories have you fitted?

No review is complete without pictures so please indulge us in some

Wish you many happy and safe miles with your car!

[FireBug]

Hey Raj, Congratulations on making your dream a reality in the form of ANHC. I too own an ANHC (SMT though) and its definitely a car worth reviewing and blabbering about ! Please publish some photos so we can also have a look at your dream !.

Excise duty of just 4%, 50% insurance concession and No road tax !!..The government is definitely doing amazing things and I am glad you could use the provision for your benefit.

Fuel economy of 17 is mind blowing even on highways considering its an AT. Taking into account it was purchased around the time I got my car, you would have already completed the third service by now, so looking forward to your experiences in this regard.

Have great fun enjoying this truly fabulous car !!

[dot]

Congratulations. It was nice to know what facilities are possible for someone like you. I had no clue, so thanks for posting.

Quite a few ANHC ownership reviews in quicktime. Who says ANHC's days are over? And I can vouch that another ANHC AT review will come up soon from a fellow BHPian.

[bluevolt]

Congratulations Raj on your all new Honda City. That was a short and sweet review. You have bought the best petrol C segment car. In Delhi city traffic you can easily get 10-12 KMPL with A/C on and 12-14 KMPL without A/C. Please do add some pictures of your beauty ASAP.

@dot, completely agree with you. I am feeling very good to see many new ownership threads of ANHC recently. The car still has its own charm and favorite among people and after the price cut I expect many takers for this bullet proof reliable car.

I am wishing you many years of happy and safe driving.

Keep Revving!

[mayankk]

boy o' boy!!
its raining ANHCs here!!
congratulations!
17 kmpl is a big big jump from 7-8 avg, i s'pose.
your rear right pocket must be cursing you, for all the additional weight youre gonna be putting from now on...


PS:Zen AX, 98?i had a VX, 97.
Another AWESOME feature on tha car was the TURBO/NoS button handily disguised as as the aircon switch!No car before, or since, can beat the %age boost that gave!


happy miles, and happy banking!!

[charthom]

Originally Posted by raj_k

Dear Team-BHPians,
I am a physically challenged person and I can’t apply proper pressure from my left leg so I drive automatic transmission cars, which I can drive using my right leg alone.


I hope this would be useful to others and would be happy to help anybody interested in knowing about the concessions and the process involved.

@raj_k,

I can't congratulate you enough,mate. You are one person who overcame the physical restrictions and decided to live the life King Size.I welcome to you the party whole heaterdly and am proud of your company here.

I am a person who fought a temporary loss of sight- from someone who had to be assisted by hand to cross the road, I made a total come back(almighty's grace), am a proud owner of ANHC VAT too.Even though I have to use a polarised glass and anti glare film on my wind shield, my driving capabilities have been fully regained.

My decision to go for the ANHC too was under some circumstances-you may read it on my thread.

Nice to note that you are enjoying your ANHC VAT thoroughly. Congratulations again for you esteemed possession.

And thanks for explaining the concessions and processes involved.It will definitely help the needful.

Please keep your thread alive with nice posts-for now,can we have some snaps-inside outside?

@dot,yes-waiting for mdsaab's Bold Biege ANHC AVT Exclusive review.

[raghu230506]

Congratulations Raj and welcome to ANHC club.

Drive safe and have fun with IVTEC.

FE of ANHC is purely dependent on driving style,

Pics please.

[HappyRoadie]

COngratulations raj. It is really a very good car. The colour is looking good. What are the accessories you have planned? Wish you many happy and safe miles.



Thanks

[CRtorquefan]

Congratulations alot on your purchase raj.
Your buying experience is really great & infact I just liked the way the Car manufacturer & Indian Govt. helped you at each & every step.
Do post some of the pics of your Titanium coloured ANHC V-AT.

[raj_k]

Thanks everybody for all your encouragement. I am a post polio (paralysis of lower limbs) patient but I never took it as a limitation and have lived an absolutely normal life.

1. I would post pictures shortly.

2. The car under this category are billed directly by the manufacturer. Though the delivery was taken through a dealer only, Ring Road Honda (Peeragarhi, Delhi). I have taken paint protection @7600/- and backup sensor @4500/- from them.

2. I have not yet added any accessory on it but plan to add few things
- sun film (actually the weather in Delhi has been so good this year that I did'nt feel the urgency of it). Moreover the traffic police restriction in Delhi are also a deterrent, though the rules are specified but they still harass people.
- A good reasonable security/GPS system. Need advice on it.


3. I know FE is dependent on driving style but the display of FE average really helps in understanding finer points of driving style. My Zen AX has a three gear automatic transmission so I can't blame it.

Thanks again!

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by raj_k

1. I would post pictures shortly.

Waiting eagerly for pictures.

Originally Posted by raj_k

2. The car under this category are billed directly by the manufacturer. Though the delivery was taken through a dealer only, Ring Road Honda (Peeragarhi, Delhi). I have taken paint protection @7600/- and backup sensor @4500/- from them.

I too bought my car from Ring Road Honda, Peeragarhi. It was a hassle free experience dealing with them.

Originally Posted by raj_k

2. I have not yet added any accessory on it but plan to add few things
- sun film (actually the weather in Delhi has been so good this year that I did'nt feel the urgency of it). Moreover the traffic police restriction in Delhi are also a deterrent, though the rules are specified but they still harass people.
- A good reasonable security/GPS system. Need advice on it.

In Delhi, the permissible limit for sun films is 50% visibility. To avoid problems you can get 70% visibility films. Cops will not bother you for that. Regarding the security system, you will have to disable the stock key-less entry system permanently for other system to work. I will suggest you to keep the factory system intact, this system is enough for car protection.

Originally Posted by raj_k

3. I know FE is dependent on driving style but the display of FE average really helps in understanding finer points of driving style. My Zen AX has a three gear automatic transmission so I can't blame it.

The key to good mileage is to drive with a light foot and you will get incredible mileage figures even with automatic car.

[Sanyd1711]

"Now coming to the cost, which I would like to specially describe as I availed certain concessions, which are available to physically challenged and this may help others also. Some of these benefits (only for physically challenged peoples) are given below:

The AT cars are provided at 4% excise duty which is a clear benefit of around 19% considering the rate of 23% on cars above 1200 cc. The benefit would obviously be less for smaller cars as the rate of duty is less.

The process:

• There is a format provided by Department of Heavy Industry as per which a govt. panel of doctor has to certify that one can’t drive manual car and is fit to drive an AT car.
• The copy of this cert is given to car manufacturer, who then certify that the said car, chosen by the customer suits him as per his requirement (as certified by govt. panel)
• The car manufacturer’s certificate, doctor’s certificate alongwith an affidavit that the excise duty concession has not been availed in last 5 yrs and the car will not be sold for next 5 yrs is submitted to D/o Heavy industry.
• D/o Heavy Industry than issues an order for providing excise concession to manufacturer, based on which it gives the reduced price.

In my case the invoice of 8,38,671 for City VAT was given as compare to original invoice of around 9.78 lakh.

The insurance company also gives a 50% concession on basic price.

Finally even to my surprise the roadtax is completely exempted on such cars(atleast in Delhi this is the rule, it depends on state but I think most of the states follow it)"


Raj Sir,

Congrats for ANHC,

I am physically challenged too, right now i am using Honda Activa (Purchased - June'11) with 2 extra wheels. I was very happy to know that you have used concessions given by Indian Govt. But my experience was not very good with this. As you have rightly mentioned...every state gives exemption in Raod Tax for vehicles used by physically challenged persons.

When i went to register my vehicle with local RTO, to my shock i was said that there is one person in Pune who is approved by Maha Govt to carry out modification for Honda Activa. If and ONLY IF the my vehicle is modified by him I can avail ROAD TAX exemption..otherwise i cannot. Is it by any chance logical to get any vehicle to Pune frm Mumbai and other parts of Maha for modification. The expenses to get vehicle to Pune would easily be same as ROAD TAX exemption. Then why should we get our vehicles to Pune...??????

At last I registered my vehicle normally and sent it for modification. Left with NO OPTION other than that. Could not save a penny though Govt has widely provided for it ???

I would like to knw from you whether your Registration papers (RC book) reflects something to suggest that ROAD TAX exemption is exercised ....do let me knw. I am going to provide actual Govt notification (seprate post) for excise DUTY exemption.

GENERAL CIRCULAR NO : 25/2002 Dated : 16.07.2002

Sub: Central Excise duty concession on cars for physically handicapped persons – clarification – regarding.

Copy of Board's Circular No. 640/31/2002 - CX dated 24.06.2002 (issued from file F.No.156/11/2001 - CX 4) on the above subject is communicated herewith for information and necessary action.
(Issued from file C.No.IV/16/02/2002 CX . POL)

Sd/-
(T.K.VIJAYAVELAN)
SUPERINTENDENT (TECH)

Circular No. 640/31/2002-CX

F.No.156/11/2001-CX.4
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Excise & Customs

New Delhi, the 24th June,2002

To

All Chief Commissioners of Central Excise & Customs
All Director Generals
All Commissioners of Central Excise
All Commissioners of Central Excise (Appeals)
All Commissioners of Central Excise (Judicial)
Subject: Central Excise duty concession on cars for physically handicapped persons – clarification – regarding.
Sir,
Doubts have been raised regarding the scope of exemption Notification No. 6/2002 dated 01.03.2002 (S.No.216) and its predecessor notifications as amended (which provides concessional rate of duty to cars for physically handicapped persons) as to whether the concession could be extended to any car so long as it is capable of being user by a physically handicapped person and so certified by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, even if the car was not specifically designed or manufactured for a physically handicapped person. Special devices or gadgets for handicapped person may be like auto transmission, grip assembly, accelerator pedals, hand control, etc. fitted in the car depending upon whether the disability is in right/left arm or in right/left leg or in both legs in combination thereof.
2. A vehicle manufacturer have represented that they are manufacturing cars with ‘Automatic Transmission’ which are suitable for persons having left leg disability. Some customers had approached Ministry of Industry after medical examination etc. and got required certificate issued. Accordingly, they sought permission from Central Excise Department to clear these vehicles at concessional duty or in a few cases sought refund. However, local Excise department has rejected all such cases on the ground that this exemption is available only for those cars which have been manufactured for handicapped persons. As per the views of local Excise authorities, cars with automatic transmission are used by normal persons also & hence are not eligible for excise concession even though Ministry of Industry has issued prescribed certificate.
3. The matter has been examined. The description of the goods which is allowed concessional rate of duty as per Sl.No.216 of notification No.6/2002 dated 01.03.2002 (and its predecessor notifications) is ‘cars for physically handicapped persons’ subject to condition ‘54’ of the notification. The condition No. 54 attached against this entry merely required that an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Industry certifies that the said goods are capable of being used by the physically handicapped persons. This condition does not require or state that the particular car should be specially designed or manufactured for use by the physically handicapped persons. In fact, the whole emphasis appears to be more on the end-use rather than the nature of the product itself. Therefore, so long as the car has some special features and an officer, not below the rank of Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, clarifies that the particular car is capable of being used by a handicapped person, concession can not be denied. Just because normal persons can also drive these vehicles there is no ground for denying the concession. In fact, every vehicle which can be used by a handicapped person can also be used by a normal person.
4. Since auto-transmission is one of the special devices required by person, with left leg disability, the Ministry of Industry has been issuing appropriate Certificates in respect of auto-transmission motor vehicles for extending concessional rate of duty to such handicapped persons. The concession will obviously not be available to all automatic transmission vehicles, but in respect of those vehicles which are bought by physically handicapped persons and who produce necessary certificate from Ministry of Industry.
5. In view of the above, it is clarified that the concession should not be denied in respect of any motor vehicle with special features (like auto transmission) which is capable of being used by a handicapped person and for which necessary certificate from the Ministry of Industry is produced in this regard.
6. The field formations may be suitably informed.
7. Receipt of this Circular may please be acknowledged.
8. Hindi version will follow.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-
(Suraksha Katiyar)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Tel No. 3016829

Back

[selfdrive]

Congratulations raj_k for the new addition to your garage, I wish you many a safe mile together!

My $0.02:
- If you keep the stock security system, see if you would like to buy a steering lock. If not, try the security system from Autocop
- GPS system: if you already have a smartphone you could consider enabling it with GPS and buying the maps. If not, have a look here for navigation systems according to your requirements:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...blets-etc.html
- Mileage: In my experience my mileage has been better when I brake/ accelerate less frequently. Of course, with an auto tranny this effect should be multiplied in terms of benefits!

Where are the mandatory pictures?!

[volkman10]

Congratulations on your new buy!

It is really a very good car, but for the pricing which Honda has acknowledged now.
Wish you many happy and safe miles.

Cheers!