[tortoiseNhare]

Originally Posted by misquitas

I currently own an ALTO LXI and it is way, way underpowered in comparison to the Ritz. but it has served me well simply because of one crucial factor -- economics.

Having seen the pros and cons of diesel vs petrol, it seems that petrol it is for you, as the economic factor is crucial for you. However, if you are fond of long trips (> 500 kms), the diesel has a better feel good factor. You can just -- to borrow and quote a Hero Honda ad -- feel, shut and forget about the fuel tank. Hence there is much less chance of filling with adulterated fuel in unknown fuel stations.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by tortoiseNhare

Having seen the pros and cons of diesel vs petrol, it seems that petrol it is for you, as the economic factor is crucial for you. However, if you are fond of long trips (> 500 kms), the diesel has a better feel good factor. You can just -- to borrow and quote a Hero Honda ad -- feel, shut and forget about the fuel tank. Hence there is much less chance of filling with adulterated fuel in unknown fuel stations.

Many thanks, tortoiseNhare, mjothi, nurni76, chncar, Gilead, srijit, for all the valuable inputs. I am more inclined towards the petrol edition of the Ritz, given the savings of Rs 76K over the LDI. Moreover, I have no urge for the 'surge' of a diesel engine.

Melvyn

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[king_julian]

Test drove the Zxi version yesterday. The engine seemed to have good low end torque - after braking for a scooter, I could pick up rather cleanly from about 10 kmph in 3rd (actually I accelerated thinking I was in 2nd - was pleasantly surprised that it was actually in 3rd). The engine revs nicely as the rpm climbs and doesn't sound strained- you can hear a booming sort of sound as the engine rpm climbs, which would have sounded sporty in a car like the Swift, but seems a bit out of place in the Ritz IMHO. I think the noise insulation is not as good as the Swift.

The steering wheel felt a bit small - slightly bigger would have suited me better. The weight of the steering seemed to be ok when changing lanes normally at highway speeds. Didn't try anything sudden. At close to a dead stop the steering is really light and the car is easily maneouverable.

Seeing it next to the A-star, the side profiles seemed very similar.

The suspension seemed good on bad roads. You don't need to slow down too much when encountering ditches as the suspension and ground clearance seem to be decent.

Thank you,
Amit.

[kums]

Pre-launch :
I purchased my i10 2 months back.At the time deciding on i10, i had a dilemma if i had to wait to for ritz. But as all know,we had been waiting for ages and from the pics which i saw from international websites i disliked the rear looks of ritz,even before the launch in india.But the thing which made me to consider ritz at that time was it was on swift platform and It will be direct competitor to i10! But weighing down options i went for the 10 sportz without waiting for this one.

Post TD:

I have test driven the ritz petrol today.Certain perceptions of mine about the car changed -
1.The car is not as ugly as it looks in pics though its back still is an eyesore.But it'l be another story like the 1st gen santro which had a ugly rear!

2.It looks slightly disproportionate than an i10 (my perception) from outside
-big wheels with 185/14 stock tyres! ( yes ,i drove a zxi)

3.Gear shift is really nice with short throws.Gear lever position is similar to i10 and i found this familiar.

4.Great low end torque: I made a u turn at 5-10kmph comfortably in 2nd gear without any issues! I really likes this driveability in city.I cant do this in my kappa motor though!

5. Acceleration is pretty good in 2nd gear compared to kappa motor whose USP is the awesome 3rd gear(from 20 to 110 kmph)!

6.Seats provide more side supports and are more soft than i10.

7.Rear legroom is more than i10.

WHERE THE I10 SCORES:

1.Looks - Its acceptable.Not an eyesore.Younger people will prefer an i10 or a swift not a ritz,mostly.

2.Quality: Both interior and exterior.Switches,glovebox,parcel tray ,dickey area,etc (parcel tray in ritz is like a trash lid)

3.Interiors - Are a class above in this segment

4.Its 20k cheaper (Ritz vxi vs i10 sportz) + Freebies offered by hyundai dealers.

5.Hyundai A.S.S.

I just tried to bring out what i felt about the ritz when compared to i10.Other points have been discussed in plenty before!

And now the QUESTION: Am i happy with my decision to go with the Hyundai i10 sportz - CERTAINLY YES!

[chetan]

Maruthi has the best A.S.S in the country .

[HappyWheels]

A 10 kms drive yesterday in Bangalore had me noticing 4 Ritz, 3 of then VDi's!

Seems like Ritz is selling like steaming hot pan cakes!

Would love to see the sales charts in the coming months.

[GTO]

@ Kums : That's an extremely unbiased post coming from a recent i10 owner. It's this attitude that makes for a great community.

[ms001]

Exterior

• The front is a refreshing new design looks sporty.

• Side profile is quite acceptable , nothing great here.

• Rear hmm, some say its downright ugly , some call it chop job blah blah.I think is not as bad as many have pointed out, it will just take a while to get used to.

• I like the blue color the most.

Interiors

• The ZXI comes in dual tone with a lot of blue, the color scheme is ok ,no extra points here.

• Plastics are not of good quality , a negative in my book.

• The large white speedo is a nice touch , but the fuel level indicator is too small not easily readable

• The tacho over the dash is not easily readable as well, will take some time getting used to it.

• The interior is roomy typical tall boy design .

• Seats give good support.

• Rear is roomier than the swift and not claustrophobic.

• Leg room at the front is enough.

• Dash design is good.

• Boot is small , a negative here, wont be able to fit in luggage for two people, so no picking up relatives from the airport.

• The integrated music system is BAD .

• the A.C. is OK not great and no climate control as well, the AC dosent put noticable stress on the engine.

The Drive

• The engine is very refined and peppy.
• Has good low end torque , adequate for the second third gear city traffic
• Did not get a chance to drive it on high speed.But it feels stable and body roll is less.
• The steering is well sorted.
• Turning radius is small, just as it should be.

So thats about it,I feel it is a very good car for everyday city drive as well as occasional weekend outings , the problem is the small boot.

I like the design more than than the i10 , swift.
If the sales man has to be believed, they are already selling 5-6 cars a day, 25 cars a day all dealers combined.
Anyone looking at a car in this segment please dont go by the looks or what people say ,TAKE A TEST DRIVE.

P.S. Sorry for the long post this is my first attempt at a drive report.Thanks

[mnhegde]

@ ms001 : Nice report. I felt the plastics were better than the wagonR. I couldnt get the petrol vehicle for test drive. Where did you do the TD ?

@ Kums: Nice report .

[ms001]

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@ ms001 : Nice report. I felt the plastics were better than the wagonR. I couldnt get the petrol vehicle for test drive. Where did you do the TD ?

thanks , it was at sagar auto bannergatta road

[kums]

Originally Posted by mnhegde

@ Kums: Nice report .

Originally Posted by GTO

@ Kums : That's an extremely unbiased post coming from a recent i10 owner. It's this attitude that makes for a great community.

Thanks!
Ritz is good practical car.But I love my i10

[lancersfx]

My honest opinion...
No major investment.. but just a clean cut at the Indian Auto Market...

[McLaren Rulez]

I think the blue on the seats are fine but the blue dash was too much :(
Is it available with standard swift-like dark interiors?

[gitartha]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Thanks, SLK, for your quick response. Now, I am not one of those esteemed drivers (on this forum) who would dissect an engine the way a surgeon dissects the human body. As such, I would not bother about the difference between a diesel or a petrol engine, nor would I understand the difference between a "Torquey diesel" or a "free revving petrol" engine in any case. Hence, a test drive with both engines would be, at best, an academic exercise.

I currently own an ALTO LXI and it is way, way underpowered in comparison to the Ritz. but it has served me well simply because of one crucial factor -- economics.

I am also given to understand that the new KB engines on the Ritz are good, may be better than the older petrol engines that grace the Swift LXI (that could probably explain why the diesel engines on the Swift have been far more popular than the petrol engines on the Swift). My dilemma, hence, is in choosing between a new/refined petrol KB engine and a diesel engine that is Rs 76K costlier.

Thanks,
Melvyn

@ misquitas, I would like to add a new dimension to this topic, I whole-heartedly agree that economics is a vital issue. But I hardly take out my calculator each time I visit a petrol pump, to see how much I saved because I am a driving a diesel and not a petrol. What actually matters to me is -

• the amount I shell out each time to fully tank up my car (~1k only)
• the comparatively lack of irritation in a traffic jam in a hot june afternoon because I have my windows rolled up and the AC running full blast
• the frequency of my visits to the fuel pump (wasting a significant part of my already non-existant free time)

I guess a regular smile (low money outflow/less mental stress) is much more worth than a one time frown (76K extra). Calculations on rupee savings and time bound break-even analysis is just an "academic exercise". You cannot take into account the intangible emotional benefits. The extra 76K will anyways amount to much less after 4-5 years of inflation & depreciation of the rupee.

3rd DiMeNsIoN -> you can later on fit a CNG kit only to a SI engine (petrol) car , not a CI engine (diesel) car

[subbusos]

Originally Posted by gitartha

@ misquitas, I would like to add a new dimension to this topic, I whole-heartedly agree that economics is a vital issue. But I hardly take out my calculator each time I visit a petrol pump, to see how much I saved because I am a driving a diesel and not a petrol. What actually matters to me is -

• the amount I shell out each time to fully tank up my car (~1k only)
• the comparatively lack of irritation in a traffic jam in a hot june afternoon because I have my windows rolled up and the AC running full blast
• the frequency of my visits to the fuel pump (wasting a significant part of my already non-existant free time)

I guess a regular smile (low money outflow/less mental stress) is much more worth than a one time frown (76K extra). Calculations on rupee savings and time bound break-even analysis is just an "academic exercise". You cannot take into account the intangible emotional benefits. The extra 76K will anyways amount to much less after 4-5 years of inflation & depreciation of the rupee.

3rd DiMeNsIoN -> you can later on fit a CNG kit only to a SI engine (petrol) car , not a CI engine (diesel) car

OT: Just keep that extra 76k in your cup board and pay your petrol bills. In that case you dont need to shell out any thing from your packet. Going for diesel, though the usage is less, may give the imaginary belief of savings, its actually not. Infact one can invest the extra bit of money in a good MF or shares and fill petrol with the profit. Event after 5 years, the principal will remain intact. Better to go for diesel, if the driving is atleast 2k per month. Otherwise its waste of money.