Recently I had to go to town for attending a religious ceremony. After the ceremony, I was offered a ride home. Rather than walk back to the station and endure a train journey, I said to myself, this car lift should be a pleasant journey. Later I was asked if I would like to do the driving myself.(Rush hour makes the best drivers want to take a back seat)
Just one look at the spanking new silver car – An I-10 with Automatic transmission and it was an offer which I found too difficult to refuse. After all I am a car & bike aficionado at heart! Well… friends after my ride back home, I decided to share my experience; so here goes!
A cute and compact overall shape, hides comfortable and clever interiors which are cozy and comfortable for 5 adults. Preferably 3 thin ones in the rear. Otherwise it is best for 4 people overall. The car does manage to exude an air of quality from the way the switches work, to the way the doors shut, so we can say that it is a well put together car.
A rather impressive looking central column housing the automatic shift stick takes the pride of place between the two front seats. A jewel in the crown is the chunky knob with the chrome release button on the side. Most automatics have a zig zag pattern through which the lever is to be negotiated. Not in this one. Here it is simplicity itself. The movements here are just a simple two notches up or one notch down to complete the job.
All the alphabets starting from “P” for parking right down to “L” for low gear are clearly and prominently displayed in capital.
A soft squeeze of the release button on the right of the gear shift knob and little nudge into “D” for drive is all it takes to begin your smooth journey into the world of automatic cars. As soon as you release the button on the right of the knob, it locks into place thereby preventing any unintended movement. As soon as the knob is released, the car starts creeping forward very gently. A movement which will greatly encourage the new rider to take the first baby steps into our traffic circus.
As soon as the road up front begins to clear, just a light touch on the accelerator pedal is all that is needed to signal to the car that forward motion is welcomed. As you hold the pedal, the car starts to gain speed and moves effortlessly to second gear with just a gently change of engine note alongwith gentle nudge to inform you that you are indeed making brisk progress. The remaining shifts are less obvious but the effortless way in which the car picks up speed informs us that the transmission is indeed doing its job very effectively.
Braking appears to be a little soft and spongy. However when pressed with a more firm action, it does manage to bring the car to a halt in an effective manner.
The steering is electronically controlled, yet it manages to give the driver some amount of feedback. In some instances, I felt the steering wheel has to held quite firmly otherwise the road surface had the tendency to twist the steering wheel out of my hand on a number of occasions. Luckily the steering wheel itself is quite chunky and affords a good grip.
Bumps and other undulations on the road surface can be felt and the ride can be described as firm but compliant.
The 4 speaker music system is quite good and manages to make the journey into a musical experience. It comes well equipped with the prominent display for FM channels as well as a front mounted USB port too for your pen drive having all your favorite music play lists.
The power from the engine is not stunning but manages to get the job done in an efficient and silent manner. In fact it does make the job of moving through our traffic a reasonably straightforward affair. With left foot made to rest permanently on a dead pedal on the extreme left of the pedal array, the usual clutching and de-clutching action has been totally eliminated. So has the need to shift frequently from one gear to the next.
If you need to move to “N” for Neutral or “P” for parking where all the 4 wheels are under the influence of the brake is something that is totally optional and at the discretion of the driver. The short throw action between each function really is the essence of this car with auto transmission. It is the way the car communicates with the rider, that I am going to do all the work, you just give me a little hint, here and there, that is all. Fine, very fine indeed.
I always had some preconceived notions about how a driver who is used to manual transmission would not be able to enjoy the auto stick or how he would miss his gear shifting. Well…. to be perfectly honest, after the first few minutes, I totally adapted to this new and easy style of driving and did not miss my gear shifts at all. In fact, my entire attention could now be concentrated on the road, so that I could make better use of the gaps which I found in traffic. The effortless steering also helped a lot in moving the wheel a little more when moving in and out of stationery traffic. The elbow pain which I sometimes experience with the manual shift was a thing of the past.
Well so far so good but what are down sides! There are just a few small ones actually.
I felt that the horn centre padding on the steering wheel was a little too hard for my taste. Playing the horn required a small effort. It could have been a little easier. Then the right side mirror gave me a feeling that I was looking through someone else’s glasses. It was clear and had the required information but somehow managed to give me a kind of tunnel vision. Last but not the least, is the mileage. The owner says that the car gives 8 km to a liter of petrol and the claims of the manufacturer need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
So dear friends you have seen now what it is like to drive an automatic car from the no.2 car manufacturer in our country. It is certainly a fine product for the gent or lady who wants an attractive run about and who does not wish to be bothered with the chores of everyday gear changing. Of course he / she should have deep pockets to be able to keep up with fuel bills. Otherwise a perky and delightful city car.