My first impression of the Santro, way back when Hyundai launched it, was, forget the looks, but: ’’What kinda weird name is that?’’ I just didn’t Getz it. Well the public didn’t care and the buy-in happened big time, shaking that self-satisfied over-subsidised public sector monopolist (well, virtual monopolist) Maruti Udyog off it’s scarcely used test track. Belonging to the old form-should-follow-function school, it isn’t as if beauty doesn’t count with me. Unlike women, however, I don’t mind it if my cars ain’t beautiful. So Santro didn’t get a dunce cap from me in the looks department (and, here, I’m still talking about the original model that looked like an outta shape cake tin as opposed to the smart lunch-box that the new one resembles!). My first encounter with the original tallboy took place in 2001 when a friend of mine let me taste what a superior car felt like on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway. It felt like heaven after my non-AC 800 that would, on hot Delhi afternoons, turn me redder than a blushing lobster caught in the act. Even though my friend’s paradise-on-wheels didn’t have power steering, it felt pretty light on my arms and despite the 999 cc engine (I think it’s 1061 now), the 55 odd horses felt ready for take off at the lightest tap on the gas pedal. Well, cut to the present and the new Santro (also given to me rather condescendingly by a relative this time) with Zip and Xing or whatever they call it. Now a mature man of the world and no gawping backwoods boy -- although I’ve upgraded to another 800! -- this machine didn’t send me soaring. Half the reason could be that my current 800 is one of those 5-speed jobs that flits like a butterfly and stings like a bee, as the phrase goes. No slacker at stop signals, this is a vastly improved car over the 4-speed job that they’ve made worse and the Alto which should never be taken out on real roads with real traffic. I know this isn’t about the 800, but I’m just putting this in perspective so you know where I’m coming from. I’m not saying the Santro is a bad car (the model I drove was 2003). In fact, it is quite competent and remains unruffled despite the load of 4 full grown adults and one loquacious 5-year-old, not to mention Bangalore traffic (!). The power steering isn’t as responsive as the Zen’s or the Wagon R’s. It’s power-assisted steering at best. (Well, revising this in response to the protest at my lack of homework: it’s hydraulic power steering that feels like the human at the wheel must really work on assisting the system! Which, to over-simplify further, means you need to work on it much harder than you need to with real electric power steering.) Although the first Santro had me wondering why the Japs sneer at the Koreans, with more kilometers under my belt I am beginning to understand. Now, don’t get me wrong. Hyundai has been making fairly good cars but it does seem to lack the Japanese obsessiveness with performance. While Maruti was undone by the Indian ’chalta hai’ attitude (there are rumours that some of the Japs have even started speaking Punjabi and swear by sarson da saag and makki di roti!), the other Japanese companies - Honda and Toyota to name just two - have reduced their Indian partners to negligible stakeholders or struck out on their own. Back to the Santro: Well the drive quality wasn’t too bad in terms of steering, power and suspension. But while the steering could have been lighter and the engine peppier, the suspension was only marginally better than my 800’s. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s definitely worse than the Zen’s. I believe it gives a mileage of around 12-13 kmpl in the city which is ok, but then the Zen covers 13km and above in one litre. The front seat seemed way too cramped pushed all the way back and I’m just under 6 ft. The folks in the back also seemed to have just about enough room to wiggle their toes in an arc of a coupla centimetres. The boot, however, is another story and seems to be the most capacious in this segment. It wouldn’t be fair for me to pretend this is a test drive, but even a few kilometers throw up interesting insights that I thought I might share with you. Would I buy the Santro? Well, I’d definitely give it a shot to find if they’ve pepped it up. Would I tell someone to buy it...not yet.