When I first saw Getz it seemed to me like just another car, I test drove this car as one of my friend got it recently and I not found much difference in make of Santro Xing and getz its only noticabe from within, The Hyundai Getz opens up a new segment in the market, somewhere between small hatches like the Santro and Zen, and the C-segment sedans like the Ikon and Accent. Priced from Rs 4.7 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), it aims to draw people away from both the small hatches and midsize sedans by being more practical and modern than either, if we go ahead and talk about the design of the car it has being designed as a modern European super-mini, which means maximum usage of space and clean, sharp styling.
Design
The Getz is fairly wide (wider than an Ikon) and tall, with a long wheelbase, and pushes the wheels and roof pillars outwards to increase space. It has cleaner styling than most Hyundai’s, and many styling cues seem to have been taken from European cars, such as the C-pillar, which resembles the Volkswagen Golf, and the tail-lamp, which resembles that of the Italian-styled Daewoo Matiz.
The Getz has been engineered to meet most European safety norms and popular requirements, which means a safe, sturdy chassis and a conventional layout with a transverse engine driving the front wheels. The suspension is conventional independent MacPherson struts in front, and a semi-independent torsion bar at the rear; the car’s ride height has been raised by 15mm for India, to improve ground clearance, getting stiffer in the process. ABS and alloys are available as an option, but sadly, airbags or other safety equipment are not on offer.
Interiors
Now when we talk about the interiors of getz, The interior is the best bit about the Getz — it is larger than that of most C-segment sedans. There is ample space for five people, with everyone having plenty of leg-, shoulder- and headroom. Getting in and out is easy, and you sit tall on comfortable, supportive seats. Visibility is good, except for the thick C-pillar; the large, chunky mirrors help greatly in the city.
The cabin is also flexible and practical, with many cleverly designed cubby holes. The rear seats can recline at three different angles, and will split-fold and tumble to increase luggage space. The cabin has a distinctly European flavour, with subtle, square styling; however, the plastics look quite downmarket, and reflect sunlight badly. There are some nice design cues like the Accent-sourced steering wheel, which adjusts for height, and the bottle-cap-shaped gearknob.
The boot is a good size bigger than in most hatches; it isn’t as large as a sedan’s, but tumbling the seats forward increases it dramatically.
Performance
on the performance front getz is not that exciting performer, Getz currently has only a 1.3 engine, a scaled-down version of the Accent’s motor, with 82.9bhp on tap, but it is more than adequately peppy, and very flexible, especially in town. The gearbox is light and precise, and the gear ratios well spaced, making for a very relaxing ride around town, third gear is possible at 20kph and fourth at 30, which means you can stick it in a high gear all day, However, the engine is not as responsive, and can be a tad frustrating on the highway, where you need to downshift to overtake. To compensate, it’s quite refined, getting hoarse only at the top of the rev-band, and manages 0-60 in 5.61sec and 0-100 in 14.47sec, which is not bad at all.
Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is very good, considering the car’s size and weight, especially in the city, where it manages 10.4kpl. However, the short gearing means it isn’t as good on the highway, squeezing out 14.5kpl.
The Getz’ surefooted chassis makes it very stable at high speeds, and though it’s no sports car, it is a tidy handler. The steering is not as light as in other hatches in the city, and is slightly numb off-centre, but apart from that the car’s composure is impressive. The raised-for-India ride is somewhat stiff at low speeds, and doesn’t quite have the magic-carpet effect of a Corsa’s, but it doesn’t get ruffled on bad patches, and the stiffness dies out as you go faster.
The brakes are powerful, but are quite trigger-happy, and are prone to locking up in emergency situations. Fortunately, the ABS option will negate this tendency.
overall what I still did not find getz so appealing as compared to maruti’s swift as its design is something seen for the firts time in sedan section, The Getz fulfils its purpose of being a talented, practical and highly comfortable family car, providing a genuine alternative to smaller hatches and even to C-segment sedans, which it betters in many areas. It makes particular sense in the city, where it is very driveable and frugal. It isn’t cheap at a starting price of Rs 4.7 lakh, but it is good value for what you get. Hyundai also promises efficient, cheap and ever-available service, which is a big boost to the car’s overall practicality. It’s difficult to talk about either resale value or discounts, which won’t be available for a few months at least. Still, there’s the fact that most Hyundai’s hold their value well. Spares prices are traditionally low, and will stay that way, since many of the Getz’ components are shared with existing Hyundai’s. Equipment levels are high, and the car is better value than it seems, if you can get over the lack of a boot.
Go for this car only if after giving a try to maruti suzuki’s swift, else you may feel u missed on something !