The Hindu Business Line : Question `n' Auto

I am 42 and have been driving a Maruti 800 for more than 16 years. The car I drive now is my second in 16 years. I am used to driving in a sporty fashion with appropriate gear selection and quick acceleration. Though my car is in a pretty good shape even after eight years, I am looking for a change to a more contemporary car such as the Hyundai Santro Xing, Maruti Wagon R or Suzuki Alto. Which car among the choices mentioned will suit my driving style best?

Shankar Raman

Depending on your design preferences and from the choices you have mentioned, the Hyundai Santro Xing may be the best option. Both the Santro Xing and the Suzuki Wagon R feature 1.1-litre engines which come up with a decent 63-64 bhp of maximum power. While the 1,061cc engine's 64bhp of max power kicks in at about 6,200 rpm in the Wagon R, the Santro Xing's 1,086cc Hyundai Epsilon engine comes up with a peak power of 63 bhp at a lower 5,500 rpm.

Further, between the Wagon R and the Santro Xing (the Suzuki Alto LX is as good as the Maruti 800 and the Alto Vxi, of course, features only the Wagon R's 1.1-litre engine) the Hyundai car is more torquey. The Santro comes up with a maximum torque of 9.1 kgm at about 4,000 rpm compared to the Wagon R's 8.5 kgm at 3,500 rpm. This could again be a factor that will aid in keeping up your driving style. This will be the case even though the kerb weight of the Santro is about 30 kg more than the Wagon R's. But in the Santro you will get a notch better fit and finish quality and marginally higher interior dimensions.

I am keen on getting your advise on the purchase of a Fiat Uno petrol car. The reasons why I am keen on the Fiat Uno are that it is very spacious and can seat five persons comfortably. I heard that the car handles very well, has a smooth gear box and is very safe. The other reason why I want to buy the car for is that I will own it for another seven-eight years, and so its resale value is not that relevant. Except for the odd weekend highway drive, I presume my usage will be 500-600 km per month.

I need your views on the following points I have stated above. Is maintenance and availability of spares a problem for the Uno? I live in Chennai and the sole authorised distributor and service centre is TVS-Sundaram Motors. Do you recommend this car? If not, which other for a budget of Rs 3.25 lakh on road? What mileage can I expect from this car on the highway?

Raghuraman Sathyanarayanan

Fiat India, the subsidiary of the Italian car company, is not currently producing the Fiat Uno due to unviable volumes coming in from the model. So, you may not be able to purchase the car from the company's showrooms. As you have observed, the Fiat Uno has a number of plus points. Unfortunately, the dated design of the car and its lower than industry average fit and finish quality were such huge minuses that they overshadowed the positives that the car had in terms of ride quality and ease of use.

Another point to note is that Fiat has not been able compete with the Japanese car makers in the fuel efficiency, but the Uno did manage to come up with competing mileage numbers. So, if you are still keen on a Uno, you will have to shop for one in the used car market only. Though Fiat has not been manufacturing this car for some time now, finding spares and getting the car serviced at the company authorised outlets will not be a problem. The company will support the product even going forward.

But the better alternative, especially since your budget is about Rs 3.25 lakh could be the Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi. With power steering and air-conditioning. This could be the car for you. If you can stretch that budget, the base variant of the Hyundai Santro Xing may be a more attractive option. Compared to the Alto, the Santro Xing will give you better ride quality, a more powerful engine and a notch higher fit and finish quality. However, the base variant does not have the power steering that the Alto LXi sports.

(Queries may be sent to: q&a@thehindu.co.in or by post to Q&A, Business Line, 859/860, Kasturi Buildings, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.)

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