The new Xing has certainly improved considerably in the looks department, the previous
shortcomings on styling has been dealt with in a nice way by Hyundai. The new looks
are more contemporary and elegant. The Xing has also 40mm more width and 70 mm
increased length, compared to the previous model.
The interiors are neat with good quality in everything including the plastics. Although the
car occupies a relatively small footprint, there is a feeling of good space inside the vehicle,
with ample headroom.
The upright seating position is not very comfortable. At the back, you get a
feeling of sitting very high, maybe it will take time for one to get used to it. Even the seats are a bit stiff too, specially at the back and could make you a bit tired on long drives(>300 KM).
There is scope for improvement in the suspension and one can feel the jerks on bumpy roads.
Driving in the city is quite fun, with no frequent gear shifts. the car pulls along in third gear
at slow speeds. The engine is very smooth and refined. One will not feel much much
loss of engine power when the AC is turned ON, though the AC is not very powerful in its
class, it is sufficient and cools the cabin gradually on a hot sunny day. The round AC blower
vents have been nicely designed and it throws the cool air in a focussed stream, far enough
for the breeze to be felt by the rear occupants.
Doing U turns is a joy in this vehicle with its minimum turning radius. It offers good front and all round visibility It can squeeze through
narrow gaps and also relatively easy to park.
The car is efficient on fuel and driving with a light foot on the accelerator easily delivers
14-15 KM to a litre in the city! and 17-18+ on the highway. On the highways, the car is happy to
cruise between 80 to 90 kmph, cornering and swerving could be a bit uncomfortable at higher speeds.
The clear lens headlamps are really good during night driving and lights up the road uniformly
in low beam, The high beam is also focussed and far reaching. The dual red tail lamps
look good and the high stop lamp at the rear, the anti-glare reflector mirror is also a boon during
night driving, I guess all these are standard features on all cars these days.
The arched back, black strip on the bumper, somehow I have a feeling that a lot of these
styling cues in the Xing has been copied from the Palio :-), anyway they do add up to the value of the car.
My experience with the dealer has been been very good. Santro is a good car to have from the
economy point of view, it makes a good city car for day to day chores in bumper to bumper traffic.