The Hindu Business Line : Hyundai Getz a new zing in its Prime

The new avatar of the Hyundai Getz will hit the roads next week — redesigned and with the same compact 1.1-litre eRLX engine that is offered in the Santro Xing.

Smaller engine could come with a smaller price tag too. - S. Muralidhar

Maruti officials have been heard exclaiming that it is unfair to compare the new Chevrolet UV-A and the Suzuki Swift. Unfair because the benefits from the lower excise duty rate being applied on it, thanks to the smaller 1.2-litre engine under its bonnet, has helped GM price the Chevy hatch more aggressively.

Well, Maruti will have to contend with one more premium hatch that has gained pricing power with its new, smaller engine and consequent lower excise levy. The Hyundai Getz will hit the roads next week in a new avatar — redesigned and with the same compact 1.1-litre eRLX engine that is offered in the Santro Xing. Will Maruti, the eternal price competitor, launch the Swift with the Wagon-R's engine to counter the new Getz Prime 1.1?

We drove the new Getz Prime 1.1 along some of the most scenic county roads in the UK and came away wanting more time in this tough, new competitor in the premium hatch segment. Our exclusive first drive in the Getz Prime 1.1 took us from Berkshire, near London, through to Winchester and Goodwood (with the God of Goodwood — Rolls-Royce somewhere in the vicinity).

The Getz Prime 1.1 kept us engaged with its performance and proved that it was not just a distraction in what was one of the most picturesque drives we have been on.

Curvaceous redesign

The Accent and the Getz were two cars from Hyundai that wore design simplicity on their shoulders with panache. We saw the Getz first way back in 2001 when one of Hyundai's massive ships capable of transporting thousands of cars docked in Chennai.

The squat, strong, yet simple design lines of the Getz has since always worked its charm on us. The car is also practical with its ability to handsomely leverage its exterior dimensions to maximise interior space.

The Getz redesign has focused on its exteriors, though some of the features inside too have been altered for improved practicality. And the new Getz retains the story of its interior space, with enough legroom to challenge some of the mid-sizers.

We had featured a photograph of the new Getz a couple of weeks ago and many may have wondered about where the changes have been incorporated. The new Getz Prime is both instantly recognisable and different from the previous model. The design changes are subtle and meant to give the car a more curvaceous look, even as its overall profile continues to remain familiar.

From the front, the most striking change is the headlamp assembly, which now features a sleeker, more elongated design. Curving around the side panel, the new clear-lens headlamp features pilot lamps and a main headlamp with a larger reflector. The indicator lamp has been shifted to the inside and now together with the main lamp gives the headlamp assembly a twin projector look.

Redesigned round fog lamps have been integrated into the bumper, which now features a smaller air dam. Just below the prominent dimpled, bonnet cover is a redesigned front grille. The new grille's curved edges flow with bonnet crease line and the single slat sports a chrome finish with the Hyundai logo sitting in the middle.

The bumper inserts, a concept that Hyundai had introduced with the Santro, have also been redesigned in the Getz Prime. Prominent full width detachable bumper insert mouldings are being introduced with this new version. While they add a bit more character to the car's front and rear looks, they will also be appreciated for their practicality, being protective and also being easy to replace.

Turn to look at the side of the Getz Prime, and it is obvious that nothing has been changed. The large, practical outside rear-view mirrors have been retained, as has the strong shoulder, belt line. Blacked out centre pillar and prominent wheel arcs have also been carried forward. The Getz's European looks come through best with its side profile.

Even in the previous version, the rear of the Getz was a neat design package. Simple lines and a compact hatch door gave the car a well-balanced look. The design has been retained and the only changes are to the tail-lamp cluster and the bumper protection strip. The rear combination lamps overall shape has been carried forward and only the placement of the various bulbs have been altered to better integrate it to the overall design of the rear.

For the interior of the new Getz Prime, Hyundai has adopted a new dual-tone theme, with a slightly darker grey colour plastic with new, smaller embossed grain finish. Non-reflective type plastic quality is good and the matt, smaller grain finish does a good job of giving the interior an upmarket feel. The lower half of the dashboard has been finished in lighter grey coloured plastic panels.

Depending on trim level, the new Getz Prime will also be offered with slap-on matt-silver centre-console finisher and other specials. The door map pocket has been redesigned to accommodate more and the driver now gets a foldable armrest. The glove box is illuminated; the digital clock has been relocated from the instrument cluster to the top of the dashboard centre console. Tilt steering; clutch footrest and illuminated power window switches are part of standard fitment.

To offer more comfort for rear passengers, the 60:40 split rear seat can now be reclined in three stages. Safety features such the clutch lock (standard) and anti-lock brakes (ABS), as an optional add-on, will continue to be available. Front fog lamps and the new three-nozzle wiper are the new additions.

Engine and gearbox

The new Getz Prime will continue to be available with the existing 1.3-litre petrol engine that generates a generous 83bhp of peak power and 11.8KgM of maximum torque. This mill is not an inherently frugal unit and so the engine mapping was tweaked and gear ratios set to try and enable the user of the 1.3 squeeze out as much mileage as possible. Naturally, there were other issues that cropped up including the fact that the car felt a bit sluggish in the lower rpm range, typically in the first two to three gear slots.

But with the new Getz Prime, the car is also being launched with the 1.1-litre eRLX engine that is available only in the Santro Xing. And the issues that needed to be tackled with the smaller, less powerful engine was a whole lot different when it was being shoehorned into the Getz.

For one, the Getz's is a bigger, heavier structure, which needs respectable power and torque that is also delivered more smoothly. After all, the Getz is a premium hatch and the expectation of the customer in this segment is varied, even if not a whole lot different, in terms of fuel efficiency, from those looking to buy a cheaper hatch.

So, Hyundai has reworked the 1.1-litre eRLX engine to pull up its performance to match the Getz's requirements. The same engine in the Santro Xing develops a lower 63bhp of peak power. In the Getz, the engine has been re-rated to offer a higher 66.7bhp of maximum power at 5,500 rpm and the peak torque is also a respectable 10.4KgM at 3,200 rpm.

The 1.1-litre engine gets new mapping in the Getz and the gear ratios have also been reworked for quicker response. As in the Santro Xing, the eRLX continues to feature such technologies as the rotary heard intelligent valve actuator (RHiA), fuel quality immuniser, real-time intelligent ignition and ultra-low friction piston rings.

With all the re-rating and change in performance parameters, fuel efficiency is likely to be affected and will, therefore, be lower than in the Santro Xing. The slick shifting five-speed gearbox is the same unit that has been available with the Getz.

Hyundai R&D seems to have done a good job of integrating the 1.1 in the Getz. With the engine providing quick, smooth acceleration and easy cruising all the way to 130 km per hour. It doesn't quite behave like the same 1.1 eRLX engine that has been available in the Santro.

Driving through the picture postcard English countryside and quaint cobblestone village roads, the Getz Prime 1.1 felt like the perfect `big-small' car to own. However, one change that we would have liked to see in the new Getz Prime, would have been wider, low profile tyres than the ones being offered.

New trims

Hyundai has rationalised the trim levels that will be available for the Getz. So, the base 1.1-litre Getz Prime will be available in two trims, GLE and GVS, and the 1.3 Getz Prime also in two trims, GLS and GLX, instead of the earlier four trims with one engine option.

We expect the price of the base Getz Prime 1.1 GLE to be about Rs 3.75 lakh and the GVS could be closer to Rs 4.1 lakh. With the model change, Hyundai plans to increase the prices of the 1.3-litre variants. This may also help Hyundai give the two engine option variants a bigger gap in terms of the price differential. But, of course, it will also mean that Hyundai is ready to let the 1.3-litre variant get the cold shoulder from buyers.

Cause, if the UK-spec version's performance is an indicator (Hyundai officials tell us that the India-spec car will be identical), this 1.1-litre premium hatch could finally `Getz its due'.

More Stories on : Cars | Strategy | Maruti Udyog Ltd

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page