[BLACNWYTE]

Ever since I chanced upon this wonderful forum and had the pleasure of reading all those official and personal ownership reviews, all I wanted to do was to get a membership and post my own ownership review. And now that I am doing it, I'm not sure how good it will be or how it will be accepted. I get this feeling when I am about to do anything important and as always, I'm keeping my apprehensions aside, and going ahead with,'Screw it, I'll do it anyway otherwise I won't have any peace of mind'. So here it is.

Disclaimer & Information: All opinions/views presented here are personal and/or from own experience and taste. No offense intended to anyone or any car. The images used are from my photo gallery and TBHP reviews and ownership threads. So credits to respective owners and TBHP. Also, this is going to be a very long post. Once I start writing, I just go with the flow and some irrelevant matter also may get included, so please bear with me.

I will try and piece this together as I go and hopefully it will be worthy of the standards of this forum. I'm dividing the ownership experience into parts so that I can recall stuff from around 3 years ago. And before I start writing, here is her photo, just because I can't resist posting it.



PART - I

Prologue: A bit of background.

I'm from a middle class family who never have owned a car before. Heck for that matter, not even a motorcycle/Scooter. Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by these machines. Not the technical part, but the fact that you can go anywhere in them at any time you wanted. In my early childhood we used to live in a joint family set up and one of my paternal uncle had a Premier Padmini. So my early car rides were in that or an Ambassador taxi. At the same time a family friend used to park his Matador Tempo in our yard and every day when the driver comes I also used to help him bring water to pour in the radiator and it was my duty to press the heater button before he cranked up the engine. I used to get a very short ride till the gate for all my troubles, and needless to be said, it made my day everyday. Then parent's job took us away and I slowly got distanced from the enthusiasm but the love for road journeys never subsided but kept on increasing year after year and I'm happy to say that it still does. Years passed by and I got my driving license at a late age of 19 (as per enthusiasts standards) and then again went off to college. It was about 6 years after getting my license that I got into a car by myself to drive and shamefully I'll admit that I couldn't drive it. I had lost the steering balance and was like a fish out of water. I went back to my driving instructor and he told me not to worry, it happens and a few brush up classes will put be right back in the driving seat (pun intended). I was skeptical but took his word for it, and by the third or fourth day I was confident enough to venture out on my own on our residential area roads. The first time I completed a solo run to my father's ancestral home, a humble round trip of 50 kms, I might have been as ecstatic as Sir. Edmund Hillary on the summit of Mt. Everest. The car in question is our family car, a humble i10, 2008 model, bought pre-owned by my maternal uncle for us kids to learn driving. This was around 2015 beginning, and over the course of next 2.5 years, I added about 10k kms of my own to the ODO.

Chapter 1 - The Beginning.

I was bit late to join the 'get a steady job' bandwagon and as soon as I landed one; around mid 2015, my parents started match making, because as per them I'm getting old and anymore time I'll be too old (?!). So finally after about 6 months of me making one or the other excuse I finally relented and met a potential match who later on became my better half. The only condition we asked our respective families were to give us enough time to know each other before we took the plunge or tied the knot or whatever is the equivalent for lifelong commitment. So got engaged in Feb 2016 and we were given 9 months to decide. We both were working in different states and with her work schedule and me being on probation (at work), we didn't have many chances to meet. So it was mostly Whatsapp, calls and Skype. I drove down in our family's i10 when she was visiting a nearby city for a function and that's when I realized I'll need my own car from now own, because taking the family car means checking with everybody and scheduling the day etc. No impromptu fun or romantic rides.

In the mean time I got myself a Honda Activa 125 STD (2016 model) for office commute as the public transport was becoming too crowded and slow. Since this was my first vehicle purchase with my own hard earned money, it deserves another ownership thread of its own and I will get to that in time.

Chapter 2 - The Hunt.

Well, since I started driving the i10, the enthusiast (not a hardcore one but a mellowed one) in me awoke from the deep slumber he was in. I began searching for cars that will fit my budget and not cost a bomb to maintain. But then, I first needed a budget right? During this time was when I first stumbled upon this magnificent forum and frankly, I have never looked anywhere else since. I poured over the threads of what car and financial thumb rules and fixed my budget around 5-6 lakhs with some help from my parents.

Since my yearly running was expected to be well below the 10k mark, only petrol cars were to be considered. Also I wanted a manual car as my first car, I'm no purist but I thought I'll drive a manual while I still can, so no automatics were considered at all. And the contenders were as follows;

1. MS Swift.(Lxi/Vxi) and MS Baleno (Delta)


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of 2nd gen MS Swift.


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of MS Baleno.

How can anyone on a budget not go for a Maruti. Also I have heard many great things about the handling and peppiness of the 1.2l VVT engine so it was the prime contender. Baleno was only briefly considered, since it was pricey.

Pros:

• Well, it is a Maruti.
• Easy access to service and spares.
• Fits the budget perfectly.
• Fuel efficient and low cost of maintenance. (perceived)
• Good resale value.
• Peppy engine and good handling. (once tyres are upgraded)
• Approved by the family.

Cons:

• Perceived build quality.
• Safety was a concern.
• Stories of car getting old quickly. (read rattles and parts breaking)

2. Ford Figo (Ambiente/Trend)


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Ford Figo.

The 2016 Ford Figo is definitely a looker and I was impressed by it. Then I read the TBHP review and found that if you are going for the Figo, better go for the diesel. And the 1.5L diesel with more than 200Nm torque had me second guessing for a moment. The 1.2l petrol was not bad on paper, so I kept is as my next choice.

Pros:

• Superior build quality.
• Service costs on the lower side. (from ads)
• Great styling. (personal opinion)
• Overall reliability.
• Safety.

Cons:

• In comparison to the 1.5 petrol which was out of my budget, the 1.2 looked weak.
• Not sure about spare costs and service.
• First gen Figo had lot of niggles. So kind of mental block.
• Not sure about the resale value.
• Not approved by the family.

3. Hyundai Elite i20 (Era/Magna)


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Hyundai Elite i20.

Well we already had an i10 in the family and didn't want to add another i10. So the Elite i20 was considered. It had a lot of feature deletion compared to the older model so I was not that keen but my family swears by Hyundai so I had to include it in the list.

Pros:

• Decent build quality.
• Top notch quality of materials used. Feels built to last.
• Refinement and smoothness
• Spare and service availability.
• Decent resale value.
• Approved by the family.

Cons:

• Unimpressive 1.2l petrol engine. Even for a Hyundai.
• Service costs on the higher side. Have experienced with i10.
• Fuel efficiency of Hyundai cars are nothing to talk about.

4. Toyota Etios Liva (G/V)


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Toyota Etios Liva.

Pros:

• It's a Toyota.
• Reliability.
• Service costs and resale value.
• Safety. Actually I have heard it's safer that it looks or feels.
• Fuel efficiency.

Cons:

• That ugly dashboard.
• Tinny feeling had my parents doubt its safety.
• Car seemed bare bones. Very utilitarian.
• Not approved by family.

The cars from VAG group, Nissan, Renault were simply not considered. Why because even established players like Toyota was discarded by my family then how will I present to them the high maintenance, niggle prone Europeans and Nissan was not known to them. Mahindra and Tata had that taxi image and I honestly didn't want to try my luck with my first car then. For my family it was either a Maruti or Hyundai. All this time I haven't spoken about this huge financial commitment I was about to make to my would be wife. I was thinking about surprising her at our wedding. Big Mistake.

One night as I was chatting I accidentally mentioned this and found out that I cannot make decisions as per my whims and fancies anymore! To say she was pissed would be an understatement. Apparently middle class people don't do these kind of surprises. Well it too major part of the night to pacify her and make her understand that I haven't bought a car yet (she was under the impression that I already bought it) and that's when she let me in on her little surprise. She was eligible for a staff loan (vehicle) for 10 lakhs and the repayment policy was way too sweet.


Chapter 3 - Revised budget and the new hunt.

Now with this information I got busy with revising my budget. I discarded the earlier plan of dipping into my savings. My parents still insisted on contributing to the purchase, so that is additional funds over and above the loan amount. I didn't want to go overboard and purchase a car which I couldn't afford to maintain (read insurance, fuel and maintenance/repairs). As the budget fixing was progressing, my wedding date was drawing near and car purchase was put on hold. Fast forward 3 months, we were back at our jobs in separate states. After much discussions the final budget was fixed at 12 lakhs. This way, I would get to keep my now hugely depleted savings post wedding, for emergencies and get a better car than the ones we were looking at earlier.

Since I had a bit above a million rupees to shop with, I started to look at a segment above and at the top end trims. The cars considered were from all over the place Hatchbacks, Sedans, CSUVs and mid sized SUVs. My mind become a monkey and started jumping from one car to the other every alternate day. I had too many options and I was going nuts. Thankfully my wife got transferred to my hometown in the meantime and she eliminated a lot of choices just like that.

• No Hatchbacks. We are spending over a million for this, so we need to get real estate worth that. Don't want to get cramped for space for our weekend journeys with whole family.
  
• No low slung sedans. Bad roads here and worse roads where we want to go regularly. We don't have money for regular repairs. (The wife is not comfortable with sedans in general.)
  
• CSUVs are bigger hatches. May be we can look at them but no guarantees.

This left out only the mid sized SUVs for us to consider and maybe from the CSUV segment. SO the New options as I presented to my family were;

1. Mahindra Bolero


Picture Credits: The internet.

Why? Just because I had (still have) a major crush on this since I first saw one I guess.

Pros:

• Rugged and abuse friendly.
• High seating position. Inspires driving confidence.
• I want one.
• I want one.
• I want one.

Cons:

• Uncomfortable ride quality.
• Niggles and troubles will be non ending.
• It's a diesel.
• No creature comforts.
• Whole family vetoed it.

Once I have enough spare funds, I'm going to get one either new or from the used market and maybe use it as a project car. The dream is not lost, it's just shelved for now.

Final verdict- Dropped from consideration. (Still secretly on my list even at the time of writing this review)

2. MS Vitara Brezza & S-Cross.


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of MS Vitara Brezza.


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of MS S-Cross.

While considering any car purchase this will be the default suggestion from elder members of the family. My case is also not different. Had they designed the first gen S-Cross at least like the second gen one, I would have picked up one (of course 1.6) even though it is a diesel.

Pros:

• Its a Maruti, so everybody was OK with it.
• Reliability and Good FE.
• Comparatively lower cost of service and spares.
• Better safety ratings. One of the good few MS cars.
• Wide network.

Cons:

• That tinny feeling of Brezza.
• While the S-cross is a solid car. The styling (initial) was (still is) hard to digest for me also the better half.
• Less luggage space. (Only for Brezza)
• Both Diesel.

Final verdict - Dropped from consideration.

3. Ford EcoSport


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Ford Ecosport.

Solid car, solid safety and good engine. Family was not particularly fond of the design but what killed it for us was the cramped interiors.

Pros:

• Solid car.
• Top variant is feature loaded and safe too.
• Ford service has generally a good name.
• Reliable.

Cons:

• Cramped interior.
• Quirky design. Honestly I still think its a love it or hate it.
• Luggage space is also less.

Final verdict - Dropped from consideration.

4. Honda W-RV


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Honda W-RV.

Even though by now I was pretty sure that my family won't go for a compact SUV, I still pitched the W-RV. As expected they were not ready to go for it. Also they had the impression that it is going to be costly to maintain, as Honda meant premium car to them.

Pros:

• Honda reliability.
• New car exclusivity as long as it lasts.
• Availability of service and spares.
• Good FE.

Cons:

• Small petrol engine. Hatchback standard.
• Somehow Honda quality is coming down. I have an Activa and in comparison to the 10 year old one my uncle has mine won't last that good that long.

Final Verdict - Dropped from consideration.

5. Renault Duster.


Picture Credits: TBHP official review of Renault Duster.

Now we come to the actual contenders. Even though I considered many cars from different segments, they were not actually 'considered' by my family. They were just giving me a patient ear. Now I have not driven the Duster till then but I have traveled in one and I can vouch for the ride quality and space for passengers inside. Since everyone in my family is under 5'10'', the restricted rear leg room was not a concern. Also, my brother had driven one and was OK with it. The Nissan Terrano was not considered because it was pricier than the Duster with almost the same feature list. Essentially I would be paying more for a Duster with a Nissan badge.

Pros:

• Proper size for our need.
• Decent petrol engine.
• Awesome ride quality.
• Good interior space and big boot.
• AWD option is there even though a diesel.

Cons:

• Renault brand.
• Service hit or miss and costs unknown.
• Reliability issues.
• Spartan interiors.

Final verdict - Dropped from consideration but still kept as reserve by me, just in case.

5. Hyundai Creta.



Ever since we saw the car in the ADs or on the road everyone in the family was fascinated by it. I have told it many times and I will tell it again, Hyundai had found the sweet spot of offend none design with the first gen Creta, especially for the ladies. Once my wife saw it properly, she wanted to book one even without a test drive. Similar opinion from the rest of the family.

Pros:

• Lovely design.
• Good petrol engine. Silent and smooth.
• Feature loaded .
• Comfortable. Very comfortable.
• Enough interior space. And decent enough boot space.
• Decent build quality and safety.

Cons:

• Overpriced.
• Missing features at this price point, especially, Auto IRVM, autolock, mirrors folding and opening on door lock/unlock, sunroof, cruise control, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob etc.
• No SX(O) in petrol top trim.
• Spare is steel wheel but thankfully its of same size as other tyres.
• Lethargic engine at low revs.

Final verdict - Approved by everyone.

Only one slight problem, the car's ex-showroom price is our budget that means on road it's going to overshoot our budget by a couple of lakhs at least. It was not discussed then and the typical Indian attitude of 'jo hoga dekha jaayega' was followed. Exactly the reason why I didn't eliminate the Duster. Lots of discounts on the Duster ever since Creta showed up.

All this time I have been following TBHP and reading up on these cars in my spare time. The exceptionally brilliant review of RavenAvi of his SX+ Creta Petrol (Lazarus) had me 90% convinced by this time. All I needed to do now was to take a test drive. My wife was into her second trimester at the time and with her work schedule, it was a challenge to find time for test drives. I had promised her that I will not test drive any car by myself so I was stuck. We wanted to take delivery of the car before she proceeded on maternity leave and we were told that there will be about a months waiting period for Creta SX+ Petrol Manual. So we decided to book one anyway, even though I was not very comfortable with this as I have not done any test drives of any car up until then.

Now, onto the next phase.

[BLACNWYTE]

PART _ II

Chapter 4 (a) - Colour and trim choices.

Me and my wife were both against getting a White car. I wanted a flashy colour and my wife was under the impression that white is for taxi. Apparently she had told her colleagues that she will never be getting a White car. Now, I know what you all be thinking. The opening picture showed a white Creta, isn't that yours? Well yes, I admit sheepishly. We got one in white and it will be duly explained later. Our initial colour choices were Red, Black and Gery. Regarding the trim, finally we agreed on the top trim since we were planning to hold on to it for as long as possible we may as well get the top of the line variant but in manual.

Chapter 4 (b) - Booking and Showroom experience.

So in September 2017, we started visiting Hyundai showrooms for booking our Creta. There are actually 3 Hyundai showrooms within 3km radius of our house along with their service centers.

First we went to Popular Hyundai, NH Bypass, Vyttila. We were promptly attended to and as soon as we told the requirement for SX+ petrol manual, they started pushing the SX or EX model saying that they can retrofit it with the features of SX+ for an additional cost but will be cheaper than the SX+ itself. My wife was interested but I just asked will they be able to do the same for rear wash and wipe and defogger, it was answered in the negative and that was the end of the sales pitch. I asked for a quotation with their best offer and I was told that they are not giving any discounts on the Creta as it was high in demand. Not even a corporate discount was offered. Also I was quoted 30-45 days waiting period for SX+ Manual. We collected the quotation and left. Follow up from the showroom was minimal.

Next we went to MGF Hyundai, Edappally and here too we were promptly attended to. Even though they were busy with the showroom launch of the new Verna, we were assigned an SA and she took our requirement. Since we wanted the top end petrol manual, we just asked for quotation of the same. I was glad that no sales pitch was made for the lower trims or diesel model. Since they were busy with the unveiling and my wife was feeling nauseous we quickly collected the quote and left even though we were invited to stay for the unveiling event. Here also the quote showed no offers as such. Decent follow up and once I told them I'm getting a car from different showroom of the same network they stopped.

It was almost the end of September now and one day my uncle connects me to the Service Manager at MGF Hyundai, Padivattom, who is a friend of his colleague. So I had nice chat with this gentleman and he too asked me whether I was sure to go for a petrol model and not a diesel one. He was saying so keeping in mind the resale value of the car. Well almost everybody told me to go for the diesel model because of the resale value. I would have gone for it because of the engine but my monthly use wouldn't justify a diesel and also at 17+ lakhs OTR for SX(O), it was way out of my budget. So told him that this is going to be our car for the foreseeable future and we are not looking at resale figures. He then put me in touch with an SA there and straightaway I was told that there is an SX+ petrol manual in stock, but in white. This car was booked by someone else but had to cancel so it was open and we were invited to check her out. So we went one day, I think it was the first week of October and we had the first glimpse of our Panda.

The SA brought her around and we had a nice long look at her. Exterior, interior, engine bay and boot. The ODO was disconnected and upon request he got it connected and it showed 15 kms. It seemed Ok and I don't think the car was used more than that since all plastic wrappings were in place even the ones which takes signs of wear. So while I was OK with the car, my wife was blown away. She liked the design, comfort of the front seat and also the back, the SUV look, boot space etc and coming to think of it, had we had the money then my wife would have actually bought it!

I didn't have the PDI check list then but got a good look and took photos and everything seemed fine. I wanted a test drive but was informed that test drive vehicle was not available that day and they will inform me when it is available. So with wife pestering me to book it, I finally relented and paid 10k towards booking with a verbal confirmation that it will be fully refunded if I decide to cancel. You see, I still hadn't arranged the dough yet!. Got the receipt, brochure and quote and left. No discounts whatsoever, no freebies either but they offered a vinyl floor covering, floormats, mudflaps and 3M underbody coating with 5 yr warranty for about Rs.7800/-.

Chapter 5 - Test drive, Finalisation and Delivery.

So family discussion time. This is roughly how it went;

Me and wife: We booked the Creta in white colour.

Parents: Finally. We thought you were never going to decide. White is a good colour (parents like white coloured cars).

Brother: You never wanted white what happened?

Wife: She looked so beautiful that I forgot I didn't want one in white. (Every time we take the car with her friends, she gets reminded that she used to ridicule white cars.)

Me: White looks good on Creta, also its easier to maintain, spot it in the dark and so on. (I was just finding reasons because I didn't want to get mocked. Honestly we both were smitten by the looks of the car in white with that black cladding on wheels and doors. My handle was also inspired by the colour combo. We has to swallow a lot of our words).

Wife: Also we already have a red car at home (her home) and Black will be a pain to maintain. (Uncle has a black Chevy Beat, I have seen first hand how simple scrapes stand out).

*long discussion regarding our choice, the car in general and that is when my father asked the most relevant question as to how much its going to cost*

Me: It will be about 1.5 -2 lakhs over our current budget. But I'm still looking at other options.

Parents: What other options? How long you are planning to drag this out? Don't worry about the budget, we will handle the excess amount. Just buy the car already.

Wife: Didn't we already decide. I thought that's why we booked it.

I didn't want to argue with a pregnant lady, especially to save myself from wrath so I closed the conversation by just saying at least lets take a test drive.

So two thing done, we almost have fixed on the Creta and budget issues also got sorted out. Whenever I see that meme of a car with rear windshield showing 'Down payment by mother, EMI by wife, and enjoyed by me', I think of myself

In about a couple of days time we get a call from the SA that test drive car is available and I ask him to bring it on a Sunday so that I can take a longish one. So we do it and I immediately notice that even though a mini SUV this handles like a car. I am used to Hyundai steering and dynamics so no surprises there. What surprised me was that the car masked its bulk, it was my first time driving anything over 4m long. Turning radius was tight for the car of the size. The ride was bumpy on bad roads at low speeds but got better with speed but this was no Duster. On the highway it picked up speed much faster when kept above 2500-3000 rpm. NVH levels felt awesome coming from the i10. Car felt solid and for a 10k run test car it was rattle free. I was sold and so was my wife. I wanted to test the duster too but the wife was fixated on the Creta and so was my family. Can't blame them, the car felt very comfortable and was good looking to match it.

Went back to the showroom and gave the go ahead for registration. Visited our Panda yet again and saw that she has been moved to a covered parking rather than the open yard. Registration took some time since my wife's address proofs were from another city had to get additional documents from the local body so the car got registered on the first week of November only. So our Panda stood one month waiting for us and we for her. Money was transferred and registration (temp) was done.

Price Breakup:

Ex-Showroom cost - 11,94,xxx/-
Tax and Registration charges - 1,3x,xxx/-
(Incl TCS)
Insurance - 38,xxx/-
Accessories - 7,800/-
(Mudflaps and others as mentioned)
Discounts and Promotions - None.

TOTAL - 13,72,xxx/-

I have to admit that I took the in house insurance for the first time since this was our first car and I was worried of insurance denial if taken from outside. Silly I know, but in the excitement and my apprehension I took it from the dealer. Also I didn't take the EW (4th and 5th year) then an there, another mistake, and I purchased it 2 years down the line for additional 3k over the initial quote.

All paperwork was done and we just has to take delivery, which was fixed for 8th November, 2017 at 8:30 AM. We planned an early delivery so that we can attend office afterwards since we were saving up our leaves for when our little one comes. Since the delivery was planned so early it was a very low key affair, only our family and SA was present. Some ribbons on the car and oh boy, she was gleaming from the fresh wash and polish. Checked the car all around once again and all was well. A few pictures taken on mobile cameras and nothing else. I was a little sad later when I found out that it could have been a better one if we took delivery during office hours but what to do, we have priorities. Also I lost my old phone in which a lot of initial photos were stored and which I had stupidly enough not uploaded into my google drive. Most of the photos uploaded here will be recent ones i.e., post Nov 2018 after I got my new phone.

One good thing that came out of this was that they have forgotten to put the dealership stickers on the car, and I like it this way. So after the SA explained the basic features once again, I jumped behind the wheel and started her up. She purred into life and was thrumming at at about 1100 rpms. The engine sounded super smooth and there was minimal vibration in the cabin with doors closed, windows up and with the ACC at speed 2. After everyone got in, I gingerly eased the car out of the delivery bay and onto the road. We had received a coupon for 5 ltrs of fuel from the dealership and the reserve light was lit up on the dash so we quickly went to the nearest pump for fueling up. It took me more than 5 minutes to get her on the road and into the pump nearly a kilometre from the showroom. I was getting used to the dimensions of the car and didn't want to nick it somewhere being too excited. After I reached the fuel pump, I noticed that the idle rpm has settled down to just over 700 rpms, Along with the coupon, I had asked to fill only 30 ltrs of fuel, as I knew that its not going to run much till the first service which is in two months and didn't want to give it with too much fuel left. This was the first and last time till now that I have partially filled her.

We went back home then and I parked her and left for office. There she remained till the weekend with me visiting her every morning and evening. I read the owners manual, online PDF, since I was told that the printed book has now been discontinued, but I got a CD and also the service manual which thankfully is a printed book. Saturday early morning I took her to the temple for puja, named her 'The Big Fat Panda' and then took her back in the garage. I was having trouble with car since I was stalling her on inclines and a couple of times switched her off because I thought I have stalled the engine. I was very used to the i10 and was driving the Creta like it. Since this was a bigger car with more weight, I cannot simply rely on the half clutch maneuver alone to get it over the threshold at times and I have adjusted since then. Since the engine is smooth and silent that even without engine cover and bonnet insulation, very little sound seeps into the cabin. This was the main reason for me to switch it off at times, thinking that I have stalled it. Now I have made a habit of glancing at the tacho before I reach for the button.

Chapter 6 - Initial impressions and Driving experience.

I'm not going to list out all the features as it is fairly well known to all and being an older model it may be irrelevant also. What I will do is, give my account of features and experience. Also, please bear in mind that this comes from a guy who has upgraded from an i10.

Initially, I was planning to call her just 'Shadowfax', inspired from LOTR, but then decided against it as it would be wrong on two counts, first she is a she but Shadowfax is not and secondly, this is not an energetic horse ready to gallop but a lazy bum who is way too relaxed just like it's owner. I have always felt that a Panda is my spirit animal and now this car comes along with much similar characteristics. She is big, well, bigger than the i10 by a lot and hence the name, 'The Big Fat Panda'. It takes some time to get some speed on this thing. Till the 2k rpm the engine is lethargic, post which it quickly gathers pace and after about 6k rpms the power tapers off. I have red-lined her only a handful of times, and she is rev happy. I have a very sedate driving style and I live in the 60-90kmph/ 1500-2500 rpm zone.



The steering is light as typical of any Hyundai car and I was fairly surprised that I can turn it from lock to lock with a one finger. It does weigh up with speed but still vague at centre. My car doesn't have the leather wrap but the wheel is quite meaty and is nice to hold. No reach adjustment just rake.Steering mounted controls are solid and has a good tactile feeling.





Very light clutch with decent travel. Can do 60 in 6th gear at 1500 rpm. 3rd pulls from 20 to 60 without lugging or revving too much. I use the 3rd as automatic mode in city traffic. Look at that plastic gear knob, what were they thinking!. At least they could have given the one with piano black finish like the one in the diesel SX(O), considering this one is the top end manual petrol available. Gear shifts have medium throw and gates are well defined, so fuss free shifting. The ABC pedals are well spaced and it has a good dead pedal too. After I started using it, then only I started missing one in the i10.





Front seats are very comfortable and are firm, which is good for long drives. It has good under thigh support (I'm 5"6') and decent side bolstering which gives good support. Rear seats are very comfortable and have enough leg room (testimonials from wife and parents). The fixed driver armrest is useless for my driving position, but good for storage. Height adjustable driver seat helped me to find my driving sweet spot easily. The fact that I can see the bonnet while driving gives me great confidence while driving.





The ergonomics is spot on, I have to say, every button is well laid out and within reach. All the buttons and stalks are of great quality and is built to last. The door, window and ORVM controls are located on the driver side door handle. Only one touch up/down on driver side window and also its the only window switch which is back-lit. The driver door handle creaks on applying pressure or when squeezed tightly.





The doors opens with triple stage action and allow easy ingress, since its an SUVish vehicle and I'm short, I have to climb inside. The rear door ingress is a little difficult since the space provided is a bit cramped. Coupled with the higher ground clearance, my aged mother finds it difficult to get in the back. Passenger door pad also gets decent storage space and 1ltr bottle holder. No padding only a bit of soft touch plastic ion the door pad. The windows roll all the way down. I would have liked a rear quarter glass like the one in Duster as I feel it will increase the airiness inside the cabin.





The rear seat belts are also retractable type and is provided with a guide channel and space/ hole to slot the buckle (nice). The middle seat belt is a lap belt. The rear AC vents eats a little into the leg space but helps in cooling the cabin well. Could have given the seat belt height adjuster for front seats. I have to use seat height adjustment to align the seatbelt height. Better they could have provided the SX(O) manual in petrol.



The rear has a thick armrest which can easily be used by two people. Also it has adjustable head rests. I was particular about this since we were used to it in our i10.



The IRVM is decent but is of little use with the thick C pillars and small rear windshield. It only has a manual D/N function. The same as that of our 10 year old i10 Sportz! (I got the soft toy to complement her name).





The head unit is a 7 inch touch screen with minimal lag. It has both Android Auto and Mirror link and I have not used both till now. Response to touch input is crisp and I have not found it laggy. It had problem with my earlier phone as the connection was glitchy and with my new phone I haven't tried it yet. The blue-tooth connectivity is also good but it gets glitchy (at times) with Coolpad-Vivo phones. Honor- Motorola connects seamlessly. Muting the song doesn't pause the song which irks me. Inbuilt maps has only once been updated and its pretty much useless. I anyway use google maps. The 4 speaker 2 tweeter system is a decent setup for a non audiophile like me. I have activated the Arkamys sound mood but I honestly don't know what it does. The rear camera display is shown in this and the clarity is good under sunlight but strictly average at night. The rear camera is tucked away under the chrome strip above the number plate. The only problem is that when it rains the water drips in front of the camera and obstructs view.The ACC is a great feature, as its the first time I'm using one. No more adjusting the dials midway through the journey. Most of the time it is set to 24 deg., and I drive 100% with ACC on. The unit cools down the car easily and the rear vents aid the cooling on humid Kerala summers too. On start up, the blowers first activate in the foot-well in auto mode and then switches to the dash vents.(I like this ACC controls better than the one on new gen Creta).



The map lights and rear cabin lamp are yellowish bulbs but with decent lighting. The front map light cluster also houses the sun-glass holder with felt lining. The opening has a damped function.



The grab handles are fixed type and rear ones get coat hooks. I personally like fixed type grab handles. Also the roof liner feels nice to touch woven type.



The engine bay is pretty big and looks like it can easily accommodate a 2 ltr engine. The engine does not have a cover but the mounts are there it seems. Also the bonnet doesn't have a cladding for sound dampening, not that it needs one. I wish I could get one of each, just for aesthetics. The prop for the heavy hood is manual and I might go for the pneumatic ones as an upgrade later.







The 400 ltr boot is good enough for weekend journeys of a family of five. The spare tyre and tools in styrofoam case are below the floorboard of the boot. The floor board is a two pieced unit which is quite heavy. the parcel tray has contours for preventing items from sliding off. also it gets two tethers for the rear hatch. Boot light illumination is decent.



The car came shod with Goodyear Assurance 205/65-R16 tyres and silver alloys. This tyres had a lot of complaints and I too had my fair share which I will share later. They have decent grip and less road noise. Spare wheel is a steel wheel but of the same size. The bigger profile means the ride is pliant and comfortable. The suspension is a bit firm but not uncomfortable. Even though its a bit stiff, the ride do get a little bouncy on undulation in high speed. Being an SUVish vehicle it is not corner craving and the body roll is decent for a monocoque.





The head lamps are projector halogen units for high and low beams. The headlamps can be termed as adequate and coming from an i10 this is a huge improvement. The throw and spread is good enough. I like the vertical fog lamps and their throw and spread is effective. The headlamps have decent throw and sharp cutoff. The unit also houses a cornering lamp which activates on steering input when headlamps are on. This is a novel feature for me and is quite helpful on village roads. The turn indicators are halogen lamps on the innermost part of the headlamp unit towards the grill. LED turn indicators are on the wing mirrors. The car has LED position lamps in the headlamp unit. I use them as parking lights and when travelling in rains or low light. Good thing is that the tail lamps also get switched on with this.



The tail lamps are split units and both are functional. Two reflectors are given at the bumper.Thankfully they have given two reversing lamps. The rear wash integrated into the HMSL is neat. Rear wash and wipe with defogger is a feature I wanted ever since using it in the i10. It is very much required in the highway runs during monsoons where the rear gets dirty and obstructs view.



The car has vanity mirrors only on passenger side, that too without cover or lamp and the driver side gets a cheap ticket holder. In comparison our 2008 i10 sportz has vanity mirrors on both sun visors.



Now comes the important part of engine performance. I saved this for the last. As I said earlier the engine is quite lethargic. 80 comes at 2k rpm and I feel this is the sweet spot for this car. At this speed, you will only hear the nice low thrum of the engine with music off and ACC in 2nd speed. Since its a 1.2 tonne car with only about 150 Nm torque, the low end performance is quite average. It won't/struggles to pull on inclines with no accelerator input but on flat surface its not a problem. Once it gets moving, some time is required for it to develop power, and from about 1750 rpm it starts to pull and it will pull all the way up to about 6000 rpms. Very short first gear, third can be used as automatic in city traffic and sixth is for cruising on highways. Sixth pulls cleanly from 50 kmph till whatever speed you want but I limit myself to a maximum of 90 kmph. Didn't I already tell that the engine is super silent, it needs to be said again. I haven't taken her to the ghats yet so don't know about the performance on twists, but the mall ramps can be taken with ease.Whatever full load runs I have done are on flat roads and the performance is more than what is required for a sedate driver like me. Overtaking have to be planned and it should be done on 2nd or 3rd gears and at max on 4th not above (read rpms above 2500). The car is at home at any speed from 60-80 (1500-2000 rpms), you will feel that you can drive it till the end of time, silent, smooth and soft. Above 80 we start to hear the engine but it does not sound bad at all. I'm not a person who redline cars but I have done it a few times but found that I quickly exceed the speed limits in third gear itself and had to cut back. My driving is 60-40 city- highway and I'm getting an average of almost 13kmpl (fuelio app), with the best of 16kmpl (Tankful to tankful method).

Conclusion: The Perfect Car.

Please don't misunderstand, I just meant the perfect car for me. I surely knows that she has her shortcomings but hey, which car doesn't. Here at the end of my review, I would like to say that I am very happy owning her but also have my fair share of grouses too. Firstly, at this price point I would have definitely liked the features like electronic IRVM, speed sensing auto lock, hill hold control, TPMS, reach adjustable steering, sliding armrest, all auto up/down windows, rear sunshade and height adjustable seat belts. I can live without cruise control and sunroof. The rear leg space could have been better, 4.3 mtrs and you get legroom that is only slightly better than i10. Brakes are spongy, for sedate driving its OK, but it needs more bite to inspire confidence. Suspension could have been tuned better. Well apart from this I cannot recall if I'm missing anything. Engine performance wise I knew exactly what I was getting onto, so no complaints there.

The build quality is great and so is the fit and finish. The materials used inside seems to be of top quality and built to last. At the time of writing this the car has completed 22k kms and is as good as new. No rattles, nothing (touchwood). Now on to the next section for niggles (yes I have had some and a new one recently) and service experience.

P.S.- Hopefully I have done this review with the standard worthy of this forum and hope to continue adding to this in the coming years. Most of the pictures taken are from mobile camera so the quality and angles are so-so. If I have digressed too much or missed out on anything important please excuse.

A Parting Shot.

[BLACNWYTE]

Part III

Niggles and Issues

1. Rattling of parcel tray.

This was sorted out by sticking two strips of foam stickers on the rear parcel tray mounts at the time of first service.

Cost incurred - Rs. 0/-

2. Tyre sidewall bulge.

This was in 2018, when the car was 5k kms old. I had a puncture due to an aluminium piece piercing the left rear tyre. I took her to DBS Automotive, Edappally to get it fixed and also get the rotation done. After fixing the puncture which required a mushroom plug, while they were about to start on the tyre rotation, it was pointed out to me that one of the tyre has developed a sidewall bulge. Common problem with Goodyear tyres of 2017 batch I guess, which was also documented here in our forum. I get the tyre put on the spare wheel and took the vehicle to ASS right-away. They kept the wheel with them and informed me that the technician from the tyre company will come and assess it then I will be told about the next process. As usual the technician tried to blame the customer of improper use and parking too long and rubbing the sidewall against curbs while driving etc. I plainly told the ASS guys that, if I had parked it for long then other tyres should also get the damage and if it has scraped a curb it should at least have marks on it. The tyre was clean of any marks or scrapes. In the next call I received, they told me that the company is replacing the tyre under warranty. I got a February 2017 manufactured tyre which I'm using as a spare.

Cost incurred - Rs. 0/-

3. Rattling from rear roofliner trim/C pillar.

This became prominent after second service and I had it sorted out at ASS soon after under warranty. (ODO- 8k kms)

Cost incurred - Rs. 0/-

4. Engine overheating/ Radiator fan motor failure.

In September 2019 I along with my family were returning to Kochi from Trivandrum. We started at around 5 AM after me doing a cursory check off pressures and temps as usual. Around 9:30 we reached the Kundanoor, i.e., outer limits of Kochi city and there is a flyover construction going on here and hence there was a traffic jam. After some time I started to notice the car was getting a little warm inside and I checked the ACC it was showing 24 deg but the AC light was off. Upon checking the MID I was horrified to see the temp meter was only two bars from the top and that too the red ones. I was in the middle of a snail paced traffic jam and couldn't move the car sideways to the shoulder. I quickly told my wife who was in the rear passenger seat with our baby about this and then downed all windows, switched the ACC to max heat and put the blowers at full speed.(Thanks to TBHP for this, as I think this is what I have read here somewhere) As soon as I could I parked the car on the shoulder/ where I got a convenient spot and called my SA. By the time I got through, I had already popped the hood and checked for any fluid leakage. I couldn't find one it was all clean but for the heat. I apprised the SA about the situation and he informed that the towing vehicle might take about 3 hours to reach my location and since there is no fluid leakage, I can drive in higher gears with ACC in heater mode and windows down till the ASS. He also advised to take a 10-15 min break before I cranked her up again.

I cranked her up again after some time and found that the temp is still one bar over the halfway mark. I decided to move on and by the time I negotiated the traffic jam and came on to the highway i had already maxed out the temp gauge and the last red bar was blinking. Again stopped for 10 mins and resumed . The temp has gone down to just above the half way mark again. There was one more flyover construction site at Vyttila Junction before we get home and I was apprehensive about it as there also we might get caught in traffic. By God's grace the traffic was not much and I could pass the place with the temp gauge showing 3/4 of all bars. I reached home, dropped off wife and kid, who by the way was very scared that the car might catch fire en-route. Proceeded straight to ASS which is only about a couple of Kms from my residence. The problem was easy to replicate since I had to idle for only two mins for the temp to go from half to full. They took the car, generated a job card and I left for office as I had some important meetings after asking my SA to call me at-once the problem was diagnosed. I got the call about a couple of hours later that my radiator fan motor has gone kaput and they are replacing the same under warranty but the process will take some time because they were swamped with prior commitments. I was OK with this since I had no trips planned till weekend and also it was a big relief knowing the issue was minor and engine is fine (I had asked specifically). My car was ready the next day morning and I collected it in the evening after office. They kept the old fan motor, I was not bothered since it was changed under warranty.I drove around a little bit just to make sure and returned home. Engine was as smooth as I got it and there was no unnatural vibrations or noise, ACC was back again performing its duties as usual. After this incident, I keep checking the temp gauge fairly regularly, esp in traffic and always when I cross the location at which it happened. No problems till now. (touchwood)

Cost incurred - Rs. 0/-

5. Tyre sidewall bulge.

The sidewall bulge of Goodyear tyres are back with a vengeance. Recently I was checking the pressure on the front tyre when I noticed a slight bump in the sidewall. I would have missed it but for running a hand across it. The bulge was not more than a millimetre in CS height and could have been easily missed on quick visual inspection. I checked the other tyres and found a depression on the left front tyre, actually two of them side by side.(is sidewall depression a thing?). Both my front tyres are gone it seems. They have seen 22k kms and has about that much life still left. Covid times, need the vehicle regularly as my job is in essential services sector and also lots of financial constraints. Anyway, I took her to the ASS, and they found that the third wheel on the left rear also had a bulge. Wonderful!. My initial plan of swapping the front tyres with the back ones and continuing till its resolved went out of the window. I was told that they will register a complaint with the manufacturer and when the technician from the manufacturer comes for inspection I have to bring the vehicle. I am now being very careful while taking her out, pot holes and bumps are taken under 20 kmph and max speed on smooth highways is limited to 60 kmph on 6th. As on date I have not received any calls from the ASS.

Issue status - Unresolved.

Service History

First Service. (Free - 1500 km/2 months)

First service was done in January 2018 at 2 months and 800 kms. Gave it to HASS of the dealership from which I bought the car (MGF Hyundai, Padivattom). The service was for just checks and inspections but I insisted on an oil change. Got the car back in the evening itself, washed and cleaned along with that God awful, slippery interior polish included. Apart from that 10/10 service.

Bill amount - Rs. 1267/-

Second Service. (Free - 1 year/10000 kms)

Second service was done from the same place at 1 year/7000 kms in Nov 2018. Routine service with wheel balancing and alignment done. Regretted it later as it would have costed lesser outside. Had specifically asked them to not use the interior polish but the car was returned in the evening with the same done. Gave a piece of my mind to the SA and they had it quickly wiped down but still the slipperiness was there. Mildly irritating experience.

Bill amount - Rs. 2762/-

Third Service. (Free - 2 years/20000 kms)

Once again went with MGF Hyundai, Padivattom since the SA was super helpful with all my requests in between with the niggles. Third service was done at 2 years and 14k kms in Nov 2019. Again only routine service and I specifically told no wheel alignment and balancing and no interior polish. Guess what?, evening when I went to pick her up, she was standing there all washed and gleaming with he same interior polish on every bit of plastic inside. There is a definite lack of communication between the service guys and washbay boys. I knew it was pointless to shout or argue. I informed them of my displeasure and gave them 8/10 rating (later). [I got calls soon after for rectifying the mistake but I was over it. Anyway, the polish is still there even after 9 months.]

This time around I got the EW for 4th and 5th year/100000 kms done. A bit late but not too late and it cost me an extra 3.5k over the initial quote.

Bill amount - Rs. 1318/-
EW cost - 15,435/-

That's it for now. I'll be updating this thread as things progress and hope to continue the journey with our lovely Panda for a long time to come.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[naveen.raju]

Pretty detailed report. Was a good read.

Surprised with recurring tyre issue. Suggest you to switch to another brand. Keep the new one as spare.

Do keep the thread updated. Would be nice to hear the updates of someone from Kochi.

[a4anurag]

Congratulations and please do keep updating the thread as you clock miles on it.

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

Tyre sidewall bulge.

As suggested by Naveen, please do get a different brand of tyre like Yokohama or Michelin.

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Pretty detailed report. Was a good read.
Surprised with recurring tyre issue. Suggest you to switch to another brand. Keep the new one as spare.
Do keep the thread updated. Would be nice to hear the updates of someone from Kochi.

Thank you. Switching to other brand was on the cards after the first incident but then I never faced any issues until now. if they ask to pay for the replacement I was thinking about switching to Yoko Blu earth AE50 or Michelin PS4 . And yes, I had read your review of SX(O) before my purchase, it is wonderful.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Congratulations and please do keep updating the thread as you clock miles on it.
As suggested by Naveen, please do get a different brand of tyre like Yokohama or Michelin.

Thank you and surely will update this thread as I go.

[RavenAvi]

Excellent narrative - nice, crisp and to the point. Congratulations on your Panda. I am glad my report could contribute to your final decision in some way.

As regards the tyres, I would suggest Bridgestone for longevity and Michelin for comfort. Usually, stock ones are usually finalised under the cost-cutting knife so a tyre upgrade after delivery is recommended. (Seen the JKs on my new Creta?)

It's a wonder the Goodyears lasted this long. Most of my cars came shod with them and I have always been disappointed by their performance and NVH levels.

Wishing you plenty of happy miles ahead. Do keep the thread updated.

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Excellent narrative - nice, crisp and to the point. Congratulations on your Panda. I am glad my report could contribute to your final decision in some way.
As regards the tyres, I would suggest Bridgestone for longevity and Michelin for comfort. Usually, stock ones are usually finalised under the cost-cutting knife so a tyre upgrade after delivery is recommended. (Seen the JKs on my new Creta?)
It's a wonder the Goodyears lasted this long. Most of my cars came shod with them and I have always been disappointed by their performance and NVH levels.
Wishing you plenty of happy miles ahead. Do keep the thread updated.

Thank you. With my running I think even the Michelin will last 5-6 years which will be the natural life of a tyre. Also the tyre noise of Goodyears' was not much, it might have to do something with the fact that I seldom crosses the 80 kmph mark.Anyway I'm waiting for what the manufacturer has to tell. Even if they are replacing them free of cost, which I highly doubt, I am taking them straight for exchange. Have to value peace of mind more than a couple of thousand bucks. I have already read your new ownership review and have to tell that its as good as the old one

[MUJ]

Wonderful and crisp narrative. I felt like watching a movie while reading this. Many more happy miles to you.

[Amsdoc]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

Anyway I'm waiting for what the manufacturer has to tell. Even if they are replacing them free of cost, which I highly doubt, I am taking them straight for exchange. Have to value peace of mind more than a couple of thousand bucks.

Some Cretas came with Bridgestone Duellers as standard...some unlucky ones like yours and mine came with Goodyear assurance.

I am going to change my tyres as well. I have narrowed it down to Bridgestone Duellers(I do travel on unpaved roads) or Yokohama blueearth. On paved roads, Michelins would be fine

See if you can get them to change you to the bridgestones as they do come as standard on some.

[ashvek3141]

Very honest and crisp writing there. Enjoyed reading your review!

Do keep the thread updated and wish you many peaceful miles ahead with your PANDA.

[BLACNWYTE]

Update on the tyre issue:

Got a call from the ASS requesting me to bring the vehicle for tyre inspection again. Seems like they contacted the manufacturer and got some pointers /checklist and they want to do that assessment first. They wanted to keep the car overnight which I denied and I'm taking the car to them this afternoon so that they can finish up by evening. By the sound of it I don't think this looks promising.

[sabujsen]

Great Review. i Have a 3 year old Creta SX+ AT. Must say, had a niggle free ownership. It's a great city car (not SUV)

[Futurestan]

Excellent ownership report on your Hyundai Creta SX+ Petrol.
We bought our Creta SX+ Petrol in August of 2016 and finished 23000 kilometres so far. It has been an issue free ownership experience so far. Haven't faced any incidents of tyre bulging with the Goodyear tyres till now that you are facing.
I sorely miss the Android Auto feature on our Creta. Unfortunately, the 2016 Creta misses out on Android Auto and Screen Mirroring Features which I guess is not the case from the 2017 onwards.
I would also like to know what is the fuel efficiency you are getting in the city and on the highway.
Wishing you many more happy miles in the future ahead!