I bought this car if Feb05 after a long wait since I wrote my first review on Palio 1.2 in Nov 04. As per my long drawn assessment and the choices available then, had to settle for the more expensive Getz GL due to issues with Fiat India. I replaced the regular rims & tyres for a Magalloy rim & tubeless tyres for better safety on long drives.
The car has so far lived up to its expectation as this has been my first buy. The engine performance, economy, ride quality, space & aesthetic interiors & servicing is great!
What I still feel is that Hyundai could have launched this car with a 1.6 lit engine to improve the kerb weight to bhp ratio. Only area where the car gets a tad behind is the pick up in general. Pick up is pretty bad with 5 seated adults. A pillar is too thick and makes you crane your neck during right turns as visibility toward right of the wind shield is literally blocked.
I do not know if I could have waited for a better deal with the stylish Swift to save a couple of thousands.....they say it is a good car (though it has the same old Esteem engine, Getz has the Accent engine with narrower bore cylinder) minus the poor quality of interiors...Mind you, the European Swift has for safety a slightly better NCAP crash test rating than Getz (pedestrian safety). Both Getz & Swift have earned NCAP rating of 4/5.
Those of you who now want to buy a car in this segment may use this experience to make your choice.....
Cheers & happy motoring!!!
19/8/05
Well this is something I wanted to share about my experience with this car. I planned a Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai trip on 21-7-05 on the express way. I could not believe that on entering the express way I had already touched 140kmph. On an average, I did 140-160kmph (except ghat section) without a car overtaking me in heavy rain and gusty wind condition. The car stuck to the road with no vibrations, no swaying and precise steering control. It appeared that I was slicing through the wind! This exercise was to test the extreme limits the car could go to.
Caution: This high speed maneuvering is not advisable for the weak hearted and new or reckless drivers. Extreme care must be exercised when the car is in motion at high speeds on steering controls and speed modulation while negotiating sharp road bends.
Cheers!
Dwight