The Versa DX2 was preferred by us primarily because we are a family of tall people: all hefty girls and guys. Riding a Honda or an Opel made us feel like we were commuting on our back, traveling in style, in a bath-tub!
We reached out for the cheque-book. Phoned the bank. They added another cheque from their side and lo and behold! A black model was parked in the driveway! At the outset our Versa gifted us an LG color TV and a washing machine, through the online draw at their dealer, conducted by Maruti Suzuki. Could not have been better.
The first thing we did was to buy a set of alloy wheels. After the fitment, the vehicle responded even faster to the accelerator. And the monthly petrol bill dropped by about 25% going by the card statement.
To be precise, we went for the alloy wheels because, apart from these, the high end version offered adjustable steering. We could not do anything about acquiring the adjustable steering, but alloy wheels was something which we could install on our own. And we did! The bonus: better mileage, better looks and excellent pickup.
We have done more than 45, 000 kms. with this beauty and plan to do more. Remember, most of these have been out of station trips to places like Bhopal, Kota, Jaipur, Pachmarhi, from Indore.
The addition of the last row of seats has increased the conversation index in the car. Wonder what is that? Read on. More people, more are the things about whcih they talk about. Compared to the placid 5-seater, the Versa is like going out with your WHOLE family in tow! Its a virtual riot in there.
The handling is pretty smooth. The duratech engines responds well to the accelerator in crunch situations on the highway, especially while overtaking the die hard truckwallahs. Air conditioning is superb(twin ACs remember?). The suspension is solid and handles the alleged to be roads of MP like a beauty.
The passenger cabin is situated well above the road. In fact, the Versa is taller that the Qualis. It adds to the safety margin as the driver is able to visualize better, perched on his pedestal. It is the car for areas where water logging is likely to be severe due to heavy showers. Many a behemoths have been seen by this driver held up in waist deep water, but this model keeps going.
We feel more safe in a Versa while driving at night. The reason: due to its typical shape, the driver of the vehicle coming towards you is unable to decide whether he is approaching a WagonR or a Qualis or a Tata407 truck. They err on the safe side and right of passage is assured.
PLENTY OF CRUMPLE ZONES: Recently, in Nov2009 to be precise, a motorcyclist drove into the Versa and struck the driver’s side, exactly on the spot where the outside rear view mirror is fixed. The body caved in. The driver’s side door became inoperable & one had to enter & exit the vehicle from the co-driver’s side( a funny sight though!). The column supporting the roof caved in. But, miracle of miracles, nothing at all happened to the driver, who was left with a cut from glass shards flying from the rear view mirror. Had the vehicle been a Zen or a Santro or an Omni, hospitalization of the driver would have been definite, with surgery of the face & jaw and upper limb thrown in as a bonus! God bless the designers at Suzuki, who could fore-vision how testosterone driven young men drive their bikes in Indore!
It is a ’bus jaisee kaar’ as a kid exclaimed when we took him for a joy ride.