After having driven this car for approximately more than 17000 kms, its time that I guide the customtakeouters who are lost and are confused among the 1000cc variants. 1000cc options are available in almost all the car companies existing in India. But the modern customtakeouter wants to invest his money in a car that gives him value for money and a pleasure.
Obviously an average Indian is always very stingy and miser and will want his one rupee to give him 2 rs worth. This is where one of the small cars from the lot enters. The Chevrolet spark with 1000 CC engine and 63bhp of power and 90 nm of torque. This is one of the best cars available in the market with some very good propositions. This I will take up one by one in the entire review. Other cars of this segment with the same facilities are around more than 4.0 lakhs but this car is available @3.38 lakhs on road in delhi. Approximately 60k cheaper.
DRIVE & BODY ROLL
This is one part where till the time you have test driven other cars of the same segment, you will not be able to judge the performance. The body roll is very less even at high speeds and while taking sharp turns, the car hold back on the track and will never let you feel uncomfortable. U will have the feeling of staying planted on the road. The suspension setup is very good. You will not be able to feel jerks and the car cruises over the potholes effortlessly. In wagon-r or Hyundai i10 or i20 or even the Tata indica/vista, the vibrations and body rolls are very apparent and visible. I have driven in the hills of nainital and mussorie without any problem and the car moves in a very composed manner in the 4th gear with 4 people inside. This car is easily drivable by ladies also who find it very friendly and easy to drive. Men who want more macho type drives should opt for trucks.
NVH & GEAR BOX(noise vibration & Harshness)
This is one part where the car scores over others. U will not be able to judge if the engine is running or not till the time you do not have a look at the digital tachometer. The engine is super quiet due to some very good insulations and no noise enters the cabin. I can even hear the small bells of the showpieces
(hanging from the rearview mirror inside the car) tinkling while driving and that is real music to ears. Of course high revs do matter. The vibrations are not even felt in the steering wheel or the gear knob. If you place a glass of water, u will not see any vibrations in the water. The basic advantage of this is the fact that you will not feel tired at the end of a long journey. The gears are also smooth and slide into the slots effortlessly. Of course maruti K series gearboxes are much better. Clutch is really butter smooth and even a kid can press the clutch without efforts.
BUILD QUALITY & SPACE INSIDE
The build quality is simply great as you do not find the cheap plastics that are spread all over in other vehicles of this segment. Whether it is Hyundai/maruti/tata or any other brand. This car still comes with fabric inserts on doors and seats wheras all other companies( maruti/tata/Hyundai) have resorted to cost cutting and have switched to some other dirt cheap material. The space inside is also superb with intelligent space management system that they have put in place. For an average size Indian(5.4 to 6.0 ft), will never face any problem whether sitting on the front seat or the back seat. The boot space is sufficient enough for a small family. Of course, this car is not for Columbus type family.
FUEL EFFICIENCY
This is a question which is of prime importance. Of 17000 kms that I have driven, I have found that the average is 17kmpl in average city driving conditions with AC on 50% of the time. On highways with 100% AC on it gives me 19 KMPL @ 80-100kmph speed range. This is only tank full to tank full method. No half fills etc. AC is really good. It cools very quickly and immediately.
SERVICE
The 3 years maintenance is a boon as u will not be spending even one rupee on any of the activities like maintenance etc. Even oil change is free. In one and a half years of my ownership, I have not spent even one rupee on this car. Others who own it for more than 3 years also say that the maintenance is low as compared to other cars of this segment. Contrary to what entire world says, this car is easy on pocket, be it in any terms. The service centre is of course not as well equipped as those of marutis but it is easily good if not the best. The technicians possess adequate knowledge to service your vehicle and provide you good solutions to the problems. Of course you will find idiots quarrelling with the tools everywhere but you need to kick them in order to get the best out of them.
Now the time for some CONS.
The width of the car is less which causes you to rub shoulders every time you change gears. The boot space should have been increased and the knee touching the central console is sometimes irritating. The attiMr_customtakeouter of service centre is somewhat casual but as I already said that you need to kick them hard to get them to work. The gear box is a bit notchy and needs improvement. Marutis/hyundais or fiats are much better in terms of overall gearshifts.
Conclusion
After all its your money….it all depends whether and how you want to spend it or use it wisely. This should be entirely your decision. But after all we should sometimes try to look the other way also. Try something new. If our ancestors would not have tried and done something new, then there would have been no inventions and discoveries and we would still be living in the stone age. Trust me friends, this is value for money. A decision that you will never repent.
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