After quite a lot of research I bought a Getz GLS last month. I am pretty satisfied after 3 weeks of driving (about 600 km). If you can get away from the obsession about a 3 box sedan, Getz is definitely the best car to buy for about 5.5L (on road). The boot of the Getz is quite reasonable in size and I feel it is adequate for my needs. I also have an Indica petrol and have got by without any problems with the small boot for nearly 4 years. I considered the Maruti Esteem and Ford Ikon (Swift is a very good car, but back seat is a bit cramped) but settled on Getz because it’s a far more refined car. Also I don’t trust Ford with regard to quality and the Esteem is now quite dated and build quality is not good. The Getz sold here is almost the same as the one sold in Europe and it’s got pretty good reviews in Britain and elsewhere, so if quality is a factor I think you can’t look beyond Getz. It has a very high safety rating since it is built for Europe (it has a NCAP rating of 4 which is very high). It looks pretty modern and the I really like the looks from the back.
Fit and finish of Getz is excellent and it feels very solid. Interiors are also pretty nice and refined - a nice touch is that the power window controls also light up at night. Space is excellent both front and back and 5 people can actually travel in comfort. Pickup may be an issue with people who want to burn rubber and petrol, but I found it adequate in the city for passing most cars. I have to drive 16 km through Bangalore to go to office and Getz has made it very comfortable. The gear shift is excellent with regard to smoothness in shifting and positioning. I am getting about 11km/l in peak traffic, which is reasonable and I suppose will improve after the first servicing.
Regarding the pricing - yes, maybe 30K less would have been ideal. Not a lot of deals available in Bangalore where I see many Getz on the road. I bought it from Trident, and got the usual stuff - remote locking, mats, seat covers etc. and a nice Sony MP3 player with a remote control.
All in all, if you need a refined comfortable good-looking car in which 5 people can travel, Getz is the car for you. Hyundai has a very good reputation for quality and reliability and after-sales-service so I am hoping not to encounter too many worries there.