The Hindu Business Line : Question & Auto

I am staying in Navi Mumbai and own a Hyundai Santro XP, which I bought in June 2004. It has run 16,000 km. Currently I drive the car only on Sundays and holidays. However, with my office shifting shortly, the daily commute will go up to a round 25 km. My current tyres are fine, I have had just one puncture till date. After a difficult experience changing the tyres without the proper equipment, I want to know more about tubeless tyres.

My queries are: Do you think I should opt for tubeless tyres? Will tubeless tyres fit my existing tyre rims, or would I have to switch to alloy wheels? What should be the specs of the new tubeless tyres for a Hyundai Santro XP? What will be the approximate cost of the tyres? If you suggest alloys wheels also, are the Hindalco alloys good, if not please suggest an alternative with approximate price? Also, let me know where can I get a new crowbar for my jack? — Abhi jit Thakur

The prospect of being stuck with a puncture is, thankfully, fast diminishing in most metros in the country. But the chance of being the unlucky one just when you need to get somewhere quick is still there. Being a resident of Navi Mumbai, the chances of your landing a puncture is low.

With your three-year-old car having clocked only 16,000 km, the radial tyres that came with the model must be in pretty decent shape. Depending on usage and wear, the average car tyre should last at least up to 40,000 km. So, there is still a lot of life left in the radial tyres of your car.

Whether you still want to switch over to tubeless tyres is a decision you have to take. Tubeless tyres have inherent benefits that make it more user friendly compared to radial tyres.

In the event of a puncture, tubeless tyres lose air pressure slowly and the object that caused the puncture actually turns out to be helpful by plugging the hole (if it is still lodged in the tyre). In a radial tyre and tube combo, the alien object that caused the puncture would have also pierced the tube after cutting through the tyre. The weight on the tube when the car is being driven leads to accelerated loss of air pressure from the tube to the tyre and since radial tyres don’t have airtight rims.

Tubeless tyres have a special type of inner edge that sits precisely on the wheel rim and so offer an airtight fit. That is why tubeless tyres don’t need an inner tube. But tubeless tyres are also notoriously unpredictable when used with steel rims and when driven on bad roads.

So, if your steel wheels don’t have precise rims and have had dents that have not been set right properly at the workshop, then there is a possibility that tubeless tyres won’t be the right fit. Under such circumstances, it would be better to replace the current set of steel wheels with alloys. If and when you change the wheels, remember to change all the wheels to alloys, including the spare wheel. Trying to save by not replacing the spare wheel could mean big trouble if you are faced with a puncture on the highway.

Hindalco’s Aura brand of alloy wheels features a wide range of designs and sizes. They may be marginally more expensive than some of the imported local brands from neighbouring countries, but Aura brand wheels may turn out to be more reliable in the long run. While choosing the alloys, you can continue to stick with the factory fitted wheel size that the Santro XP came with, even if you want to upsize the tyres.

I am planning to buy a Maruti Swift ZXi, which costs about Rs 5.5 lakh on road. Is there a better option in this car segment? I am opting for this car keeping in mind the safety features offered, such as ABS, immobiliser and airbags. In t erms of mileage, which of the two — the Maruti Esteem or Swift — is better? — Ashish

The Swift will be the better option between the two considering issues such as safety features, finish quality and even comfort. The Swift is not a tall boy, but still its seating position, seat height and ease of entry and exit will be almost identical to the kind of benefits offered by tall boy style cars.

The Esteem, on the contrary, is an extremely low-slung car with a seating position that cannot be considered as comfortable as the Swift’s. The Esteem’s interior is also cramped compared to other sedans, even in the entry-level segment. Quite literally, in terms of shoulder and headroom (roof height), the Esteem’s interior will only be comparable to low roof small cars such as the old Zen.

Despite a roof that slopes downward gradually at the rear, the Swift’s headroom and shoulder space will actually be marginally better than that of the Esteem. The Swift ZXi is offered with two airbags (for driver and front passenger), anti-lock brakes and an engine immobiliser as part of standard fitment.

With these active safety features, much more aggressive, modern styling and better finish quality, the Swift is clearly the better choice. The Esteem can only be a choice, if you are interested in buying a cheap, entry-level three-box (sedan) that is frugal with its fuel consumption and if you don’t mind the compromise in the interior space and finish departments.

By its very nature, its user profile and of course, due to the engine mapping and performance characteristics that it has been endowed with, the Swift will tend to be a bit less fuel-efficient than the Esteem. But the differential will only be a kilometre or two per litre, if the Swift is driven right and in economy mode.

The other options that you may want to consider in the same price segment are the Hyundai Getz and Chevrolet U-VA.

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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