Another feature I really like about the car is a utility tray hidden under the front passenger’s seat, though I wish it were bigger in size. Front seats are very comfortable and supportive, however I am still to use the rear seats, which are 60:40 split foldable – making them very practical for loading long luggage. The driver’s seat is height adjustable. The boot size is a bit of a disappointment as it looks smaller than a WagonR’s but the saving grace here is the parcel shelf which covers the boot and anything in it from public view.
Some other features that appeal to me are the shiny alloy wheels, front & back fog lamps, the rear window defogger and wiper, the body coloured door handles and the body coloured side rear view mirrors that are internally adjustable.
Storage spaces are just about adequate. There is a smart covered bin on top of the dashboard, good for putting knick-knacks; an open recess running above the glove compartment that is quite useless actually as it is too wide, not deep enough to hold anything and the hard plastic surface also doesn’t grip on to the items, making them fly around in turns. The glove compartment is reasonably big. There is a recess under the handbrake for keeping a phone/MP3 player, but the best place to probably put the iPod/MP3 player is right under the music system in a small slot provided for just that! Both the front doors have magazine & bottle holders but the bottle holders only accommodate bottles with circular bases and not rectangular like the ones I have at home. The rear doors are without magazine and bottle holders altogether. Fortunately both the front seatbacks have magazine holders built-in.
Overall the interior of the car is a pleasant place to be in, with splashes of blue colour on the seats and the dashboard and the quality of fabrics is also respectable. I am however not happy with the transparent plastic foot mats that I received with the car. Since they have no grooves, they don’t hold on to the dirt and muck and all that slides on to the fabric carpet underneath. Another omission which is sorely missed is a boot light.
Too much is said about the car’s design, but I am very happy with it. I even like the rear end styling and the way it looks like nothing else on the road. The front is definitely the best part of the design however, with the smart looking headlights and the Audi-like front grill & bumper combination. At the rear the high mounted brake light is nicely incorporated into the boot lid. The side profile looks athletic with the upswept window line and neat crease line on the doors.
The Swift’s platform which forms the under pinning of this car, gives it generous width and the 185/70 R14 tyres give the car a big footprint and surefooted grip. The ride quality is excellent and road noise doesn’t permeate into the cabin much. The 1.2 litre K-series engine is very smooth, free revving and quite fuel economical – quite similar to the WagonR I feel. The gearbox has very short and precise throws and changing gears is a joy in this car.
I paid Rs. 5,26,000 (approx.), including extended warrantee, for this car and I am very happy with it. After using the car for 4 months, I still feel that this is one of the best cars in its category and definitely very good value for money. I recommend this car to anyone who is looking for practicality, quality, comfort and reasonable fuel economy in his car and has a budget of around 5 lacs. I hope this review is helpful. Thank you.
MODs' Remark: Post/s edited to change font & its size for better readability (please use font: Verdana, size: 9, style: Normal).
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