I bought this used for Rs.85, 000 last december & it works like a charm. Great bang for the buck. No major problems by itself so far. Mine is non turbo 1998. Ground clearance is excellent and it’s great for rash driving, bad terrain and not having to worry about potholes. Go right over them. I’ve even taken mine into flood water where buses had stalled (although I do not recommended this). However, going on marshy terrain is not recommended due to lack of 4wd or abs.
It’s a 2 door (but it can accomodate 6 people comfortably) and generally suitable to be used by 1 individual or a couple and not a large family. I intend to customize the seating in mine to have seats facing each other on the left and right sides so that the seating capacity would be increased to ~12.
Fuel (diesel) efficiency is ~8 in the city and ~10 on highway with aggressive driving. Handling is good and you can take curves at relatively high speeds of 60-70kmph comfortably. The gears take a while to get used to as 1st is where 2nd usually is and reverse where 1st is.
Low on torque, but has good raw power. I’ve parked it in steep inclines & over piles of rubble with ease. It could easily crush another car if the height is raised further. I got a crash guard set up on mine and this pretty much makes the vehicle invincible. If you hit anything, your vehicle won’t even get a scratch but the other is sure to get some damage. You can open gates and topple motorcycles by just touching them lightly.
The engine does make a loud noise but sound dampening foam under the hood reduces that to a very acceptable level. Personally I love the roar of the engine and people tend to think you are going way too fast even if you’re not due to the rev. This is 1 car which can’t do 80 on 2nd gear, nor can it do 60 without redlining. Optimal shifting would be at 2500RPM and 3000-3200 if you’re going fast. (This is for non turbo)
Personal top speed 145kmph.
AC is great but does have a noticable detrimental effect on the "pickup" in stop and go traffic.
Power windows make an awful lot of noise and are slow in comparison to other vehicles, despite servicing.
Power steering works like a charm.
Engine tends to overheat on long drives at high speeds & rpm.
Parts are cheap & abundantly available if they need to be replaced.
Safetywise, you’re pretty safe if you hit something head on or get rear ended etc. But it’s a mess if you get into a skid as the chances of a rollover are high. Unless you know how to drift and are 100% conifdent of getting out of a skid, it’s wise to not speed on wet or otherwise uneven terrain.
Looks of the vehicle are great. Most people can’t tell that it costs only about a lakh these days. It’s also a very intimidating vehicle to come roaring down a road; humans, cars, bikes & cattle will all give way. I’m getting a sunroof of mine. This is a great tourer for long distance trips. It’s enjoyable to drive and even to sit in the back.
Mag wheels, tubeless tyres and a kickass sound system are a must.
Generally a very practical and hardcore vehicle. Would definitely recommend this even if you have a lot of money to spend on newer cars this is great to have around if you find 1 in a good condition.
Performance can be improved with some tuning but I think it’s fine the way it is. Going beyond 130 is hardly practical unless you do a lot of long distance trips.