1st November 2006, 12:01
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| Distinguished - BHPian   | I got my Accent Viva CRDI on Oct 1, 2006, I usually remember the dates of important purchases and this car being one of the most awaited and important one couldn’t just forget it Though I may be making a short story long, I just felt like sharing my thoughts and experience with existing and prospective buyers of future. So, here it goes:- How did I Decide:- When deciding on my upgrade (2003 Santro Zipplus) I had the following things on my mind in same sequential order:- 1. Power, 2. Economy 3. A.S.S 4. Little bit of more space and an enhanced cosmetic and sporty exterior 5. And, ofcourse a budget that could not stretch beyond a single rupee more than 8 Lakhs including important accessories like an ICE, Alloy Wheels but then eventually it did and I was not complaining. So considering the above, I short listed Fiesta TDCI and Viva CRDI as my next drive!!! Since power was on top of my list with economy as second most important priority, after test driving Fiesta for a few times, it just could not satisfy my urge for the power. Fiesta just develops 68PS and 16KGM torque whereas the horsepower is equivalent to indirect injection system that of a “Tata Indica” otherwise, Fiesta’s diesel power plant is silken smooth and good for steady phut phuting around town but not a scorcher for sure!!! Interiors are very contemporary and I didn’t like the exterior look at all, fat and bulbous with puny tyres. I drove the viva crdi and first impressions were that it was too noisy at idle, shudders itself awake but once the CRDI warms up you wouldn’t know if its diesel under the hood. And boy, when you floor the accelerator your bound to get whiplash injuries if you aren’t wearing your seatbelts, that’s the kind of acceleration this car can fling at you. Its superb 3 cylinder ‘not so refined” diesel power plant can easily leave many petrol powered cars in a whiff of smoke. Simply put, Viva CRDI is “Kick-***” Actual Viva CRDI Review I got the red one which so suits this car which is a notchback style and I got a great deal of offers from the dealer like Free Insurance, Mats, Teflon coat, keyless entry, body color trims for sides, mirrors and best part is that I got alloy wheels as part of my deal and I got a very custom In-Car-Entertainment (ICE) fitted that set me back a lump of money As people have already written so much about the CRDI, I will try to be short and concentrate more on the driving experience (of what little in the past few weeks), having driven 1500KM in one month including one 500KM highway driving experience, plus and minus points of this car. Positive Points (Performance):- 1.Viva CRDI has a phenomenal acceleration, the joy is more so since it being a diesel, floor the accelerator and you will know for sure that you will be the first off the traffic lights, overtaking is an absolute joy due to its torquey nature and most of it can be done without having to downshift too much 2.Apart from a thumping 82PS @ 4000RPM, it also develops a neck breaking torque of 19.1KGM at extremely low rpm’s. It comes into power band as low as 1900rpm and peaks at 2800rpm which is a boon in city driving conditions meaning less number of times to shift the gear. At one point, I loaded the car with around 7 people and was traveling a short distance (about 3-4KM) and I felt absolutely no difference from 3 people in the car to 7 people. That’s torque speaking for you! 3. Gear shift is slick and a pleasure to use and just for the fun of it, you may want to work your way up and down the gear box. However, it is not as sporty as probably a Ford Ikon 1.6 4. During this initial period, I am getting approximately 12.5KM in city driving conditions and I got 16KM during my highway trip which I am confident will improve after the first service 5.It’s a terrific highway cruising car and can gobble up kilometers effortlessly 6.Ride is extremely comfortable at all speeds and the handling it seems has gone up a huge notch with anti-roll bar added to its suspension system. Dive into corners at high speeds to see what I mean!!! 7.During the run-in period, I was careful to gradual climb up the tacho and currently holding it at 3000rpm, once the first service is completed, then will rev it up to the danger zone-6K Negative Points (Performance):- 1.Turn on the ignition, it practically shudders awake, diesel clatter is a bit too much for somebody graduating from a petrol car especially at idle. But, drive this car for a week or two and you won’t put this off-putting aspect on top of your negative points. In fact, after a point, you’ll start getting used to that diesel note. 2.Brakes are good but not adequate for high speed cruising. It makes a sad creaking sound when you stop the car on traffic signals on a gradient. At this price, an ABS should have been part of the package. Positive Points (Interiors):- 1.Interior looks and feels quite airy and you have enough shoulder and head room 2.The quality of the plastics is quite nice and also feels good to use and operate them 3.It comes with 2 drink holders in a parcel tray in the center console, removable ashtray, illuminated cigarette lighter, an extremely effective day and night mirror which are quite usable features 4.There are many cubby holes especially for front passengers to keep tickets, magazines and even a sizeable bottle 6.Instrument cluster is simple and minimalist and does it job quite nicely 7.Steering wheel feels big and provides beautiful feedback and with viva crdi you get the icing on the cake with its steering being leather wrapped 8.Driver seat is very comfortable and provides the adequate lumbar support 9.Air-Conditioning is extremely chilling and is the best in its class. However, I see that A/C vents are designed in such a way that front passenger gets the best/chilling treatment while air flow towards driver is not correctly directed. Negative Points (Interiors):- 1.Biggest complaint is that power windows are not illuminated and also the power windows performance is not the best, it makes a creaking sound when its operated 2..The rear leg room is pathetic to say the least, I am a tall person and when I move my seat back full up, people behind me have to tuck their feet under my seat or they need to grow “shorter” ha ha! And, the low seat provides very less support to under thighs and may prove little arduous for long journeys. 3.For a car of its class, it should have been provided with dimmer lights 4.Rear leg room is compromised a bit too much and should be addressed in near future along with the seating type which is low based 5.A/C vents are not designed for best possible air flow direction 6.Tilt type steering is actually a non-usable feature, it should tilt upwards and not downwards 7.Low beam light adjustment is just a fancy gimmick feature and you can hardly see a difference when adjusted 8.The nice swooping dashboard has got a visual appeal but is practically not usable for keeping any items on them 9.Even the dashboard shelve is too small and can hardly accommodate anything 10.Overall, the interiors are nice but not at all contemporary when compared to its competitor, Fiesta 11.Internal adjustable ORVM is ok but an electric one should have been provided for a car of this price; even the top-end Indigo has one. Positive Points (Exteriors):- 1.Exterior look of the viva is possibly the most appealing, sporty of all Indian cars, its got notch back look at the cost of some boot space but still can swallow a huge back or two 2.Its got an interesting ribbed effect on the rear bumpers that enhances its rear side visual appeal 3.Its got superb contours, long front hood, and sharp linings that overall gives it a racy sports car look 4.Paint is of top standard and has a nice glossy finish Negative Points (Exteriors):- 1.Build quality of the exterior is Ok but not that great, it is susceptible to dents quite easily. You don’t get a reassuring “thump” when you slam the door close 3.Rear top stop light is really pathetic, hardly any brightness, best is to change to a better wattage 4.Same thing for front headlights, it’s adequate for city driving but not that great for highway driving. I am contemplating to change to 100W Phillips Halogens 5.Front grille is too old fashioned and needs to be upgraded pretty soon 6.Door latches too are quite old fashioned and need to replace them with grip-type rather than latch type 7.Body color not provided to door handles, side trims, ORVM’s 8.Finally, the tyres from Bridgestone (175/70 R13) are really sub-standard and too thin for a car of this size and power. It should have had at least a 185/65 R 13 or a 195/60 R 14 Though I have a very short experience with this car, I have tried posting all good points and at the same time didn’t ignore the negative ones. I will update this review as my experience grows with my red beast. To summarize, this car is only for somebody who is passionate about his driving and not for somebody who puts contemporary styling, new age electronics, market hype in front of the most crucial factor that being the performance of the car in making a choice. Viva CRDI is a car that packs a lot of diesel grunt without sacrificing on the fuel efficiency to provide you with a thrilling driving experience. My recommendation is “Don’t think twice” Just go for it!!!!  |
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1st November 2006, 13:55
| #2 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India
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1st November 2006, 14:22
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| Distinguished - BHPian | |
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2nd November 2006, 15:34
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| Distinguished - BHPian | |
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2nd November 2006, 16:02
| #5 |
| BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras
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16th January 2007, 14:56
| #6 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hyderabad
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16th January 2007, 15:36
| #7 |
| Distinguished - BHPian | Thanks Midlife I too drove down to Goa for christmas and did the same number of Kms ( 2300) and it was a fantastic experience and on the Pune-Bangalore highway, touched my top speed of 175KMPH and even at this speed it was steady as a rock, this just inspired me way too much and intend to floor her beyond that speed sometime in future. I returned last evening from a short trip to Basar ( In Nizambad) and set-up one more record with my viva, covered 59 Kms in 30 mins flat  I agree the light setting are a very useful feature, didnt knew it when the car was new. However, i have changed my bulbs to 90/100 Phillips Blue vision and the difference is mind-blowing |
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16th January 2007, 15:39
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16th January 2007, 15:55
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| Distinguished - BHPian | Quote:
City FE too has improved over the period. Now i am getting approximately 15kmpl with ac mostly off as its winters. I have done 6K kms in 3.5 months. I will update my review very soon in detail. | |
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9th July 2008, 12:31
| #10 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Accent Viva CRDI was one of the nice looking car in Indian Road. During my college days, I was dreaming to own Accent Viva one day. Its production is stopped and only Accent GLE are on sale now by Hyundai. However, Verna give some look of Accent Viva CRDI but Verna's exterior design is not appealing like Viva. I have also read this review, quite old but worth to read. Nice written by mobike.  |
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15th July 2008, 13:37
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| Distinguished - BHPian | Quote:
Yes, i agree with you and still feel viva's exterior appeal is better than Verna. when i bought the car, i too dreamt of a red viva and just went ahead and got myself one Since that decision, no regrets till date having completed 26K kms. | |
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15th July 2008, 14:55
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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