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#1
Finally I take out time to write my very first ownership review! First of all thanks to all the members in this forum for helping me in deciding on the car by sharing their experiences.
After three months of extensive research, I finally associated that brand with my family in which millions of Indians trust without a second thought. In my research I covered almost every car available in the Indian market under 8-9 lac bracket. The ones that I short-listed are as follows:
Honda amaze: loved the simplicity with which the car is made. Good in space, tremendous boot space. The two things which kept me away from zeroing -in on Honda Amaze were plain dashboard and NVH issue. But it is definitely a no non-sense car with HONDA as the brand. ABS was a good addition in all diesel variants.
Hyundai I20: Anybody will drool over this car with the number of gadgets with which it comes loaded. Sportz model was definitely my first choice for it being a perfect ‘value for money’ car but I didn’t go ahead with this coz of low ground clearance and steering issue.
Volkswagen POLO: Definitely loved this European beauty but the lack of space inside was a big turn-off. My head was literally touching the roof when I sat behind, me being 5’9 inches tall.
Fiat Punto: Though I liked the car, but had nothing to say as wifey dear out rightly said NO!!
Ford Fiesta: It was never in my list but the first time I took its test drive, it swept me off my feet. The car is just fantastic in terms of road manners; ease in drivability and ergonomics. On top of it, a jaw-dropping discount of close to 3 lacs was available on this classy beauty which made this car more alluring than ever . I paid the booking amount twice for the car on different occasions but (un)(f)ortunately something or the other happened and the deal didn’t materialize. Undeterred by the last two failures, when for the third time I called the showroom to book the car, it was out of stock in the entire NCR region. Throughout this time, everyone right from family and friends to colleagues tried to dissuade me from going ahead with this car as everybody felt Fiesta was a fairly old brand that had failed to make a place for itself in the market.
Finally it was a sense of home-coming that dawned upon me as I started looking at maruti with much admiration.
Maruti dzire: liked the overall package but paying 1 lac for additional boot and beige interior was stupidity for my budget.
Maruti swift: This car was a bulls-eye hit for my expectations and the budget. I really wanted to go for zdi but didn’t feel that it was worth the price and also since vdi is priced at less than 6 lacs ex-showroom so the purchaser saves a handsome amount on the registration charges when compared to zdi. Finally, I booked my Grey Hound swift vdi on 22nd dec 2013. Got this baby delivered on the last day of the year 2013.
Dealership Experience: In Delhi there were many options, I went with TR Sawhney in IP extn. I went to this particular showroom on friend’s reference, but the experience has been mixed. Especially the Loan agents inside the showroom were the main reason for all the hassle and it also led to delayed car delivery. Although, the sales executive has been very responsive and friendly.
I did my PDI and found through VIN that car was Dec 2013 manufactured. Got the discount and paid the remaining initial down payment. I did the mistake of buying the gear lock from maruti. It cost me extra 600 bucks and even then I didn’t get a good service. I had to literally chase them to fix the gear lock for good three days.
Got mud-flaps, floor mat and Ganesha idol complementary. Also I got a coupon for 3L diesel which I got filled from a nearby gas station. I went for extended warranty and insurance from Maruti(Zero-Dep)
ICE: Got the music system fitted from Gem Car décor, Lajpat Nagar. Also got Side beadings, door beadings and boot mat from there. Happy with the service provided by them.
Front: Morel Maximo 6 component speakers 8.5k
Rear: Infinty primus coaxial speakers 3.5K
HU: Pioneer - FH X759BT 9.1k
+Jacks and door damping
Total Setup: 22k
I initially went for JBL components but was totally sold for Morel speakers, worth the extra 3000 bucks I paid. If I could have stretched my budget I would have gone for morel co-axials.
The sound is really smooth and detailed. The tweeters and the mids actually complement each other. Compared to pioneer, JBL or blaupunkt in same range, Morel is way ahead, esp in sound clarity and tight bass.
I don’t feel the need of amps or subs as of now.
Pioneer HU has USB, AUX and Bluetooth and I’m quite happy with its performance.
Pending List:
- Need to get seat covers, would appreciate any help on this.
- Tyre Upgrade as soon as I can allocate more budget.
- Do I need to get 3M under coating and engine coating done?
- Is getting a front arm rest fixed a good idea for swift? And what is the ideal cost for the same.
Looks: I was confused in blue and grey color, white was too common on the road. Got the grey color delivered. I think it is one of the good looking hatches in Indian market at present.
Engine: DDiS is one of the most fuel efficient engine and also very smooth and refined. Only problem I face is turbo lag in lower RPM’s. Especially in bumper to bumper traffic Swift drags itself at a slow pace and I need to hear all the angry souls honking at me from behind. I’m still trying to keep the revs below 2000rpm. Once I go past 2nd gear, I think the turbo is superb and I don’t feel the need to rev it hard, especially in Delhi traffic.
Handling and Ride Quality: I can compare the handling of swift with Fiesta. It holds its ground well around corners and steering weighs up well as the speed increases.
Though it doesn’t have lumbar support in front seats I think it is quite spacious and comfortable. Though I start having a back ache when driving for a long time in bumper to bumper traffic. May be I’m still finding my perfect position.
Initially I felt the ride was little bumpy so I got the tyre pressure checked which was 35PSI for all tyres. I changed it to 33 for front and 30 for rear. Only front seats are occupied 80% of the time.
Brakes don’t inspire confidence in me and I have started feeling my Santro has better brakes than swift. I’m still adjusting myself to the extra distance it takes to stop.
Gears in general are smooth but facing some problem in First and reverse gear as of now. It gets stuck and takes two or three hits before getting into right position.
Day 9th update:
Current ODo reading: 1015Kms
Current MID average: 22.5km/l
I think that was the reason I went for a diesel car. I will update the actual average by tankful to tankful method. I am using FUELIO app to track expenses. Tankful cost me 1958INR with the current diesel price in delhi(intake 36.5 litres)
My first free servicing is near and since this is my first diesel car I need to research on if there is any oil or oil filter or AC/air filter change required as of now. Also I have seen a lot of debate on mineral and synthetic oil, so need to find out which will be economical in the long run.
I have been spending close to 5 hours in the car on a daily basis and it was very hard to find time for writing this review. A special thanks to my wife for composing this from the co-passenger seat while I was narrating her from the driver’s seat. Literally we wrote this review while experiencing it.
Looking forward to numerous happy journeys and hassle- free long term partnership with this grey beauty.![[cheers]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Cheers.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
After three months of extensive research, I finally associated that brand with my family in which millions of Indians trust without a second thought. In my research I covered almost every car available in the Indian market under 8-9 lac bracket. The ones that I short-listed are as follows:
Honda amaze: loved the simplicity with which the car is made. Good in space, tremendous boot space. The two things which kept me away from zeroing -in on Honda Amaze were plain dashboard and NVH issue. But it is definitely a no non-sense car with HONDA as the brand. ABS was a good addition in all diesel variants.
Hyundai I20: Anybody will drool over this car with the number of gadgets with which it comes loaded. Sportz model was definitely my first choice for it being a perfect ‘value for money’ car but I didn’t go ahead with this coz of low ground clearance and steering issue.
Volkswagen POLO: Definitely loved this European beauty but the lack of space inside was a big turn-off. My head was literally touching the roof when I sat behind, me being 5’9 inches tall.
Fiat Punto: Though I liked the car, but had nothing to say as wifey dear out rightly said NO!!
Ford Fiesta: It was never in my list but the first time I took its test drive, it swept me off my feet. The car is just fantastic in terms of road manners; ease in drivability and ergonomics. On top of it, a jaw-dropping discount of close to 3 lacs was available on this classy beauty which made this car more alluring than ever . I paid the booking amount twice for the car on different occasions but (un)(f)ortunately something or the other happened and the deal didn’t materialize. Undeterred by the last two failures, when for the third time I called the showroom to book the car, it was out of stock in the entire NCR region. Throughout this time, everyone right from family and friends to colleagues tried to dissuade me from going ahead with this car as everybody felt Fiesta was a fairly old brand that had failed to make a place for itself in the market.
Finally it was a sense of home-coming that dawned upon me as I started looking at maruti with much admiration.
Maruti dzire: liked the overall package but paying 1 lac for additional boot and beige interior was stupidity for my budget.
Maruti swift: This car was a bulls-eye hit for my expectations and the budget. I really wanted to go for zdi but didn’t feel that it was worth the price and also since vdi is priced at less than 6 lacs ex-showroom so the purchaser saves a handsome amount on the registration charges when compared to zdi. Finally, I booked my Grey Hound swift vdi on 22nd dec 2013. Got this baby delivered on the last day of the year 2013.
Dealership Experience: In Delhi there were many options, I went with TR Sawhney in IP extn. I went to this particular showroom on friend’s reference, but the experience has been mixed. Especially the Loan agents inside the showroom were the main reason for all the hassle and it also led to delayed car delivery. Although, the sales executive has been very responsive and friendly.
I did my PDI and found through VIN that car was Dec 2013 manufactured. Got the discount and paid the remaining initial down payment. I did the mistake of buying the gear lock from maruti. It cost me extra 600 bucks and even then I didn’t get a good service. I had to literally chase them to fix the gear lock for good three days.
Got mud-flaps, floor mat and Ganesha idol complementary. Also I got a coupon for 3L diesel which I got filled from a nearby gas station. I went for extended warranty and insurance from Maruti(Zero-Dep)
ICE: Got the music system fitted from Gem Car décor, Lajpat Nagar. Also got Side beadings, door beadings and boot mat from there. Happy with the service provided by them.
Front: Morel Maximo 6 component speakers 8.5k
Rear: Infinty primus coaxial speakers 3.5K
HU: Pioneer - FH X759BT 9.1k
+Jacks and door damping
Total Setup: 22k
I initially went for JBL components but was totally sold for Morel speakers, worth the extra 3000 bucks I paid. If I could have stretched my budget I would have gone for morel co-axials.
The sound is really smooth and detailed. The tweeters and the mids actually complement each other. Compared to pioneer, JBL or blaupunkt in same range, Morel is way ahead, esp in sound clarity and tight bass.
I don’t feel the need of amps or subs as of now.
Pioneer HU has USB, AUX and Bluetooth and I’m quite happy with its performance.
Pending List:
- Need to get seat covers, would appreciate any help on this.
- Tyre Upgrade as soon as I can allocate more budget.
- Do I need to get 3M under coating and engine coating done?
- Is getting a front arm rest fixed a good idea for swift? And what is the ideal cost for the same.
My observations:
Looks: I was confused in blue and grey color, white was too common on the road. Got the grey color delivered. I think it is one of the good looking hatches in Indian market at present.
Engine: DDiS is one of the most fuel efficient engine and also very smooth and refined. Only problem I face is turbo lag in lower RPM’s. Especially in bumper to bumper traffic Swift drags itself at a slow pace and I need to hear all the angry souls honking at me from behind. I’m still trying to keep the revs below 2000rpm. Once I go past 2nd gear, I think the turbo is superb and I don’t feel the need to rev it hard, especially in Delhi traffic.
Handling and Ride Quality: I can compare the handling of swift with Fiesta. It holds its ground well around corners and steering weighs up well as the speed increases.
Though it doesn’t have lumbar support in front seats I think it is quite spacious and comfortable. Though I start having a back ache when driving for a long time in bumper to bumper traffic. May be I’m still finding my perfect position.
Initially I felt the ride was little bumpy so I got the tyre pressure checked which was 35PSI for all tyres. I changed it to 33 for front and 30 for rear. Only front seats are occupied 80% of the time.
Brakes don’t inspire confidence in me and I have started feeling my Santro has better brakes than swift. I’m still adjusting myself to the extra distance it takes to stop.
Gears in general are smooth but facing some problem in First and reverse gear as of now. It gets stuck and takes two or three hits before getting into right position.
Day 9th update:
Current ODo reading: 1015Kms
Current MID average: 22.5km/l
I think that was the reason I went for a diesel car. I will update the actual average by tankful to tankful method. I am using FUELIO app to track expenses. Tankful cost me 1958INR with the current diesel price in delhi(intake 36.5 litres)
My first free servicing is near and since this is my first diesel car I need to research on if there is any oil or oil filter or AC/air filter change required as of now. Also I have seen a lot of debate on mineral and synthetic oil, so need to find out which will be economical in the long run.
I have been spending close to 5 hours in the car on a daily basis and it was very hard to find time for writing this review. A special thanks to my wife for composing this from the co-passenger seat while I was narrating her from the driver’s seat. Literally we wrote this review while experiencing it.
Looking forward to numerous happy journeys and hassle- free long term partnership with this grey beauty.
![[:D]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Big%20Smile.gif "Big Smile [:D]")
![[sad]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Sad.gif "Sad [sad]")
. Will definitely post pictures by this weekend.
![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
![[surprise]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Surprise.gif "Surprise [surprise]")
. It gives all the more reason to provide better breaking capabilities.
