Oct 18, 2013 10:49 AM
23362 Views
It was my wedding anniversary, and we wanted to purchase something memorial, so just a thought came for a four wheeler. I already had one, but it was a small Maruti Alto LX and very old… so wanted to change it.
Lot of RND was done, and we finalized few vehicles namely Mahindra Quanto, Maruti Ertiga and Honda Jazz. Sedans were not in my list and I didn't want a small car.
Maruti Ertiga was good, but I didn't like the space inside the vehicle. For 3 rows, I would prefer Mahindra Xylo or Toyota Innova but not Maruti Ertiga. Had a look and didn't like its space, so that vehicle was eliminated from my choice.
Next was Quanto, so I and my wife went to Mahindra showroom called Sahyadri Motors in Pune, and the sales manager Mr. Mane eagerly understood our requirements for vehicle and then promptly showed us the new Mahindra Quanto C6. It was evening and getting late for the sales manager, but he extended his time and ensured all our questions are answered. This was followed by a test drive.
When I first sat on the driver seat, I could see the road from a new dimension. Because of the height of the vehicle, the road vision is very good. The driver seat is very comfortable and height can be adjusted. Features provides are really good, though not very stylish like in other cars.
The best part of this vehicle is internal space..! There's space for everything, right from your important documents (which I prefer to keep in a hidden box below the driver seat) to keeping your mobiles and water bottles. So, my friend, if you are looking for a vehicle which should be spacious, then Quanto is a good choice.
There’s a light and mirror on the co-driver sun shade which my wife liked a lot. Mirror is not given on driver’s sun shade for obvious reasons ?
AC is very powerful and whole vehicle can be covered within minutes. I experienced this when I traveled during summer. But AC ducts could have been in third row like Toyota Innova, which is missing in this vehicle.
Looking to all this, we purchased this vehicle and started to enjoy the experience. Vehicle was delivered to my home and all the features were explained in detail.
My mother was happy as there’s a step provided in the sides to step and go inside the vehicle. To step out at night without any problem, there’s a small light below the doors which glows when you open the door and you see the steps clearly, so you don’t accidentally step anywhere else but on the steps provided. This is a feature which all my family liked a lot.
City drive of this vehicle is very good. Head lights are powerful which gives a good vision at night and horn is loud, so people give side and let us go. Especially the 2-wheeler people driving while listening songs public. Shock absorbers are made for Indian roads and they protect you from the biggest pot hole on the road. Especially in Pune where we have many pot holes on the road, this vehicle doesn't shake a lot for the minor ones.
You will feel people looking to this vehicle thinking “This vehicle is looking like Xylo from front and God knows what from behind…” I could see even the confused traffic police looking to my vehicle. Power of this vehicle is good and even the brakes are good. You can stop immediately if there’s a confused dog or human in front of your car without causing any damage to them.
For parking, there’s no problem. But beware while you take reverse in this vehicle. You cannot see a short person or a 2-wheeler parked behind because of its height. So I suggest you to be careful or ask the parking person to assist you. You can also get a reverse camera fitted in this car. The side windows of this vehicle are big enough for your kid to enjoy the view during day or night. Don’t worry, there are child locks and so door won’t open from inside. Be careful when you are taking a U-turn, because this vehicle is big and so the turning radius is big and people will bug you on the road.
Just that the engine is noisy and you can hear the engine noise while sitting in the car, but if you are playing songs then its fine. Music system of this vehicle is very good and sound quality is wonderful. But there are no controls on the drive wheel like in Xylo. There are few accessories which help you to play video too.
My first attempt of long drive was Shirdi from Pune which is around 200 Km stretch. I and my family went straight to Shirdi with a single break in between and the vehicle could cruise very well at 100 kmph. On highways, this vehicle runs very smoothly and so we were not tired even after a 4 hour journey. When you drive a diesel vehicle, after an hour or so, the engine noise is reduced and smoothness increases.
I can tell you that this vehicle is better on highways than on city roads and you won’t feel tired at all. Just take care when you are turning sharp on the highway. I got a body roll on this vehicle meaning the vehicle turns the other side of the turn when you take sharp turn in speed. But that’s normal and you can reduce speed during turns.
Servicing of the vehicle was done with great care and I was pleased with the servicing.
Mahindra could have included leather seats like Xylo in the top end, provided all the extra features like cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, GPS system, included DVD in music player and AC ducts at the last row and would have made this vehicle a dream car, but looking to its low cost, we didn't expect that either.
Driving controls are hard and seems like Indian made. They could have been soft like in i10 or Chevrolet Spark., etc. Finishing of the vehicle, like the plastic quality, fittings etc can be improved a lot. The doors are noisy when you shut them… they shut with an Indian ST bus door sound ‘thadaak’ or ‘thunngg’ when it should be a simple ‘thak’ specially the back door with a big wheel on it.
The last row seats could have extra cushions and could have been more comfortable to sit for kids or adults, but for a short drive, it’s ok.
Overall, I would say that it’s a good vehicle to buy if you are looking for a spacious and strong robust vehicle for family of 5, only few things to be ignored or can be added in accessories. I am enjoying this vehicle and definitely can recommend it to all of you.
Thank you and happy riding.
