Hyundai Accent Viva

I I got my Accent Viva CRDI on Oct 1, 2006, I may be making a short story long, I just felt like sharing my thoughts and experience. So, here it goes:-

I got the red one which so suits this car which is a notchback style and I got a great deal of offers from the dealer like Free Insurance, Mats, Teflon coat, keyless entry, body color trims for sides, mirrors and best part is that I got alloy wheels as part of my deal and I got a very custom In-Car-Entertainment (ICE) fitted that set me back around 40K. As people have already written so much about the CRDI, I will try to be short and concentrate more on the driving experience (of what little in the past few weeks), having driven 1500KM in one month including one 500KM highway driving experience, plus and minus points of this car.

Positive Points (Performance):-

1. Viva CRDI has a phenomenal acceleration, the joy is more so since it being a diesel, floor the accelerator and you will know for sure that you will be the first off the traffic lights, overtaking is an absolute joy due to its torquey nature and most of it can be done without having to downshift too much·       

2. Apart from a thumping 82PS @ 4000RPM, it also develops a neck breaking torque of 19.1KGM at extremely low rpm’s. It comes into power band as low as 1900rpm and peaks at 2800rpm which is a boon in city driving conditions meaning less number of times to shift the gear. At one point, I loaded the car with around 7 people and was traveling a short distance (about 3-4KM) and I felt absolutely no difference from 3 people in the car to 7 people. That’s torque speaking for you!

3.Turn on the ignition, it practically shudders awake, diesel clatter is a bit too much for somebody graduating from a petrol car especially at idle. But, drive this car for a week or two and you won’t put this off-putting aspect on top of your negative points. In fact, after a point, you’ll start getting used to that diesel note

4. Gear shift is slick and a pleasure to use and just for the fun of it, you may want to work your way up and down the gear box. However, it is not as sporty as probably a Ford Ikon 1.6

5. During this initial period, I am getting approximately 13KM in city driving conditions and I got 16KM during my highway trip which I am confident will improve after the first service

6. It’s a terrific highway cruising car and can gobble up kilometers effortlessly

7. Ride is extremely comfortable at all speeds and the handling it seems has gone up a huge notch with anti-roll bar added to its suspension system. Dive into corners at high speeds to see what I mean!!!

8. Brakes are good but not adequate for high speed cruising. It makes a sad creaking sound when you stop the car on traffic signals on a gradient. At this price, an ABS should have been part of the package.

9. During the run-in period, I was careful to gradual climb up the tacho and currently holding it at 3000rpm, once the first service is completed, then will rev it up to the danger zone-7K

1. Interior looks and feels quite airy and you have enough shoulder and head room

2.The quality of the plastics is quite nice and also feels good to use and operate them

3. It comes with 2 drink holders in a parcel tray in the center console, removable ashtray, illuminated cigarette lighter, an extremely effective day and night mirror which are quite usable features

4.There are many cubby holes especially for front passengers to keep tickets, magazines and even a sizeable bottle

5.The rear leg room is pathetic to say the least, I am a tall person and when I move my seat back full up, people behind me have to tuck their feet under my seat or they need to grow “shorter” ha ha! And, the low seat provides very less support to under thighs and may prove little arduous for long journeys.

6. Instrument cluster is simple and minimalist and does it job quite nicely

7. Steering wheel feels big and provides beautiful feedback and with viva crdi you get the icing on the cake with its steering being leather wrapped

8. Driver seat is very comfortable and provides the adequate lumbar support

9. Air-Conditioning is extremely chilling and is the best in its class. However, I see that A/C vents are designed in such a way that front passenger gets the best/chilling treatment while air flow towards driver is not correctly directed.

1. Exterior look of the viva is possibly the most appealing, sporty of all Indian cars, its got notch back look at the cost of some boot space but still can swallow a huge back or two

2.Its got an interesting ribbed effect on the rear bumpers that enhances its rear side visual appeal 3. Its got superb contours, long front hood, and sharp linings that overall gives it a racy sports car look

Negative Points (Interiors):-

1. Biggest complaint is that power windows are not illuminated and also the power windows performance is not the best, it makes a creaking sound when its operated

2. For a car of its class, it should have been provided with dimmer lights

3. Rear leg room is compromised a bit too much and should be addressed in near future along with the seating type which is low based

4.Tilt type steering is actually a non-usable feature, it should tilt upwards and not downwards

5. Low beam light adjustment is just a fancy gimmick feature and you can hardly see a difference when adjusted

6.The nice swooping dashboard has got a visual appeal but is practically not usable for keeping any items on them

7. Overall, the interiors are nice but not at all contemporary when compared to its competitor, Fiesta

8. Internal adjustable ORVM is ok but an electric one should have been provided for a car of this price; even the top-end Indigo has one

1. Build quality of the exterior is Ok but not that great, it is susceptible to dents quite easily. You don’t get a reassuring “thump” when you slam the door close

2. Paint is of top standard and has a nice glossy finish

3. Rear top stop light is really pathetic, hardly any brightness, best is to change to a better wattage

4. Same thing for front headlights, it’s adequate for city driving but not that great for highway driving. I am contemplating to change to 100W Phillips Halogens

5. Body color not provided to door handles, side trims, ORVM’s

Though I have a very short experience with this car, I have tried posting all good points and at the same time didn’t ignore the negative ones. To summarize, this car is only for somebody who is passionate about his driving and not for somebody who puts contemporary styling, new age electronics, market hype in front of the most crucial factor that being the performance of the car in making a choice. Viva CRDI is a car that packs a lot of diesel grunt without sacrificing on the fuel efficiency to provide you with a thrilling driving experience. My recommendation is “Don’t think twice” Just go for it!!!!