Getz you away?. Review on Hyundai Getz

Its quite some time since I wrote my first review and Oh Boy! Am I glad to write again? Thanks for all MS members for the support and feedback.

I had written a positive review on Santro as a raw driver with a raw car that had been eagerly lapped almost the moment it rolled out of the Hyundai unit at Chennai. With the passage of time, I have mellowed down as a driver along with my Santro braving the roads (?), and the inevitable nicks, bruises and Chennai autos.

I can say that I am still glad about my decision to buy a santro and for all its limitations it is still the finest no-problem small car that I have chanced upon.

That brings me to the Getz, the hearts flutters and skips a few beats as I stumble upon the promos that extol the virtues of the Cars. Here I come....Iam going the sell my Xing this minute and buy the Getz. But you see the heart is below the brain - the all powerful rationalist decision maker.

So off I am to get to know the technical details and the finer points to be read behind the sales rhetoric. Sadly there is a tussle within me here and I will list them down....

Looks

The Getz looks are not what the fabulous stuff that the sales people would like you to believe. The front looks like a Santro Xing with slight modification to look like an Indica/Ikon cross. The sides ape a Xing with some clever modifications to do away with the tall boy looks. The back is a welcome improvement that gives the Hyundai getz a purposeful meaty look. But the tail lights are a dampener. I first saw the Getz a year back when a trial model was being tested and the behind looked ditto that of new Zen! The folks at Hyundai must have thought so too and hence the changes. Whether the Getz pleases only time can tell.

Verdict : No 'Standing out from the crowd' model this.

Performance

A sports car from Hyundai stable? Pretty powerful claim? huh? If you look away from the incessant sales rhetoric on the new powerful engine and bigger space on the Getz, the stark reality is that Getz is 200+ KG heavier than Santro Xing ! It is far heavier than even an Indica or a Palio. What this translates to you and me is that the increase in engine power is woefully negated with the increase in body weight. Simple mathematics tells you that the body mass to power ratio is pathetic compared to the competition and that would translate to a sluggish car as the test drives showed. Hyundai would do well to come up with the 1.6L engine at the earliest if Getz wants to have any serious performance claim at all.

Verdict : Want a Fun to Drive performance car?...Look elsewhere for now!!!

Price

In Europe for example, a 5-door hatchback Getz or a 4-door version with boot (like Accent) would almost COST the same considering the other similar specifications. But in India people associate a proper car as one with a 'boot'. Hatchback's are supposed to be cheaper than a 'proper car'. Hence when a proper car like 'Esteem/Ikon' is available for the same/lower price, we know where our money should go! It would be really interesting if Hyundai manages to change this perception.

But as of now for the price of Getz we could even get a top of the line Palio NV 1.2 sport (with ABS, Alloy wheels and all other loaded goodies) for 25-50K less!!! I have gone through the tech specifications of both and apart from a little extra space and a few goodies there is nothing radical in favour of the Getz. When I can get a Palio starting at 3.5Lakhs why go for Getz? I can use this differential price to shield costs incurred from lousy fiat dealers and also invest the money in some good way!!!

Verdict : Sound Technology but hey in India a VFM Indica tops the charts.

Mileage

Holy cow for typical Indian families. I have not driven Getz reasonably long to get a grip on Mileage but going by inputs from other readers and friends I get that 15KM on highways is the best you can get. Well my Santro Xing gives me 15KPL without having taken to a highway yet(sparsely used 5th gear). Will the Getz live up to this benchmark? Technically a big NO going by the spec - bigger engine on same MPFI technology, bigger car that is 200+ Kg heavier than Xing, wider tires. For a hatchback in typical Indian mindset, the mileage is something that is horrendous for a 'small car'.

Verdict:You are blessed if you touch double figure mileage in city conditions

Final Verdict : Would you like to buy a High priced car that actually does not stand out in the crowd, lacks true performance and gives low mileage? Iam afraid for the average Indian as well as the Car enthusiast out there, the answer would be a big NO considering the Getz in its current form.

I really wish that Hyundai would address these concerns it they are serious to achieve their targets for Getz. In the meanwhile for all its shortcomings, there is nothing to replace my good old Xing for price and performance. Iam sure to get a good resale price when I sell it eventually :)

What are the options for Hyundai now?

This is purely based on my personal opinion and not any advert or such for Hyundai. I honestly feel that Hyundai's approach could be any or all of the following.

1. Revamp the Getz advert. It is crying shame for a car ad to focus on gaudy cabaret dances. I could hardly spot the car in the glitzy melee.

   
   




2. Try and educate the Indian masses with the true intent about Getz - viz Space of Sedan and Drive/Comfort of a Hatch. An advert with the right ingredients should do.

   
   




3. Put a 1.6Litre engine for the sports minded. Nothing else would do if Getz means serious performance. This version would definitely not be a mass-puller but would still definitely cater to the niche group of enthusiasts.

   
   

Infact I feel the whole of Getz in itself is for a niche audience as we have cheaper hatches like Xing even in the Hyundai stable.

1. Reduce the price of current versions. Bring the cost by 25-50K for the Getz GL base version. Stripped down version like GLE with a reduced set of features at a price ~4 lakhs would be great strategy.

   
   




2. Include ABS and Alloys as standard in the GLS model at no extra cost. This would make it a unbeatable value-for-money package and would hold its fort when compared to the IKON/ESTEEM versions.

   
   

:)

Venkat