Tata Nano AMT Short Review

genex-nano-2 genex-nano-11-large Had followed the pre-launch buzz about the Nano automatic from the time it was mentioned in the Auto Show in January 2014. Was hoping Tata would keep the price reasonable. Several months later finally after the launch was done I signed up on the Tata Nano Website for a Test Drive. Tata representatives called within a couple of days and organized the test drive. It took a couple of back and forth calls to schedule the time but finally it was to be done around 8 PM in the evening. The sales representative was very enthusiastic and interested in explaining the features of the Sangria Red Nano that was brought for the Test Drive. One point he kept repeating for me and for my father was to not use the left foot but to use only the right foot for both acceleration and braking. It was okay for me as I have spent 6 years driving an automatic Honda Civic, it took a few hundred meters for my father who has never driven an automatic to get used to it. But he managed just fine.

 

I started off and had to do a turn in the middle of our street to go out of the colony. The power steering made the turn very easy (I compared this with the manual non power steering Gen 1 Nano owned by my Father In Law which took some effort to turn). Starting off from a stop was decent and the acceleration though slow was adequate. Had to keep expectation in check as other cars I have driven recently have easily another 50+ BHP.  

 

AC was cooling rapidly even before we covered 500m and was on blower setting 1 ! In total got to drive around 3 km of the XTA. This included one steep flyover. Didn’t feel the car struggled at that time with me, my father and the sales guy in the vehicle. On flat surface however did wish it had a bit more power but for the city traffic. For a relaxed drive felt it was more than enough. Headlamps were more than adequate. Like any unfamiliar car the brakes took some time to get used to but once you got familiar with it it was easy. Horn was a pathetic bleating sound from the single horn but still enough.

IMG_20150725_203524
My Father with Nano after the TD

Throttle response was a bit better with the S mode. Manual mode was fine but figured best would be to put in Auto mode and drive peacefully (instead of using the AMT like a manual). Having the ability to use the 1st gear for a steep incline in manual mode is definitely useful. Didn’t get to try it however. Read about the AMT vehicles rolling back a bit before starting on inclines – some changes in driving style may be needed but for a new driver to get used to it should be easy. More power and better brakes would be welcome but will have to compromise on that as there is no other option at this price. For city only driving felt the car with AMT is brilliant. Interiors have improved over the original Nano. Sound of the engine is not very apparent in the cabin.  The exhaust note has changed from an auto sounding note to something that sounds a lot more muted. Likes:

  • Easy to drive in traffic with AMT
  • Turns with the power steering are very easy and will be a very nice car for city traffic. I have driven the non power steering version and feel power steering is a must and really feel Tata should have launched it with Power Steering right at the beginning.
  • Amazing AC(probably the best across segments). Very quick cooling even at the first blower position
  • Great Interior Passenger Space
  • Good seating position and easy to enter
  • Folding Rear Seat (sorely missed on earlier version)
  • Openable rear hatch (sorely missed on earlier version)

Dislikes:

  • Waiting period of 8-12 weeks (on a minimum)
  • Low on power(may be difficult to take steep roads with full load of passengers) Sufficient for flat roads.
  • Mileage may not be all that great (real world expect around 14 to 15 with city traffic and full auto mode)
  • Lack of all Safety features
  • Not so powerful brakes(drums only)
  • Luggage space (hatch) is only for city use(groceries etc)
  • Fuel filling still needs bonnet to be opened.
  • Limited color selections(for me at least). Felt they should have a lot of bright cheerful colors. Right now only the red, blue, purple are bright colors. Will not be caught dead in the pink (called Persian Rose).

My FIL who had bought the first gen Nano(as a second car) when it first came out went ahead and sold it in the end of August and booked an XTA Silver. He was been told it will take 2 months. He waited for 2 weeks and then was struggling a bit at home without the second car called up the Tata dealership and was not able to get a confirmed date of delivery – cancelled the automatic booking and went in for the GenX with power steering and Openable Hatch. He is pretty happy with it.

Requesting anyone here has family/friends driving GenX Nano XTA/XMA to please provide their inputs.

 

PS: For those wanting a long detailed test drives read the reviews here Team-BHP / Indian Autos Blog / Motorbeam I had earlier posted about Mr. Thomas Chacko and his Mano Et Nano trip around India in a Tata Nano. Do read this in case you think the Nano is a sad excuse of a car. You will be amazed where the Nano has reached ! The book “Atop The World” by Mr Thomas Chacko is now available. . PPS: First Two photos are from the Tata Nano Website.

Test Drive: Etios Liva GD SP Diesel

Etios LivaLIV TMRRW 2DAY is the tag line Toyota is using for its entry level Hatch – pitched at the millennial generation looking for a high quality brand name car – easy to drive and maintain. Suddenly after a long time feeling the need to do a TD – I requested for a test drive through the Toyota website on a whim on a Thursday afternoon scheduling a time for the next day 5 PM. No call no email till Friday morning when a person called to confirm the test drive request and mentioned the sales person would call and confirm the time for the TD. This happened like clockwork within a few minutes. There was a change in plan from my side and requested  the timing to be between 1:30 to 2 PM instead. This was agreed to. I gave my office address as the location for them.

At 1:28 PM I get a call from the sales person that he was outside our gate ! Wow – for the first time the TD vehicle has shown up at the time specified.  The sales guy made sure the vehicle was turned around and made easy to drive out for me (from a service lane still under construction that had open manhole covers) . That was a nice touch.

Test drive car was in Ultramarine Blue and was of GD SP (Safety Pack) trim. The color reminded me a lot of my Getz Electric Blue :-).  The test drive car came with a body kit that was an add on accessory – not part of the standard – but it definitely made the car look interesting and a bit sportier. The car without the under body skirts and spoiler looks very plain and unappealing.

There were stickers on the car to indicate it was a test drive /demo vehicle. Great – good to know am not driving a customer car. Digital odometer had around a bit over 9K Kms.  Interior of the vehicle was spic and span and clean.

Steering wheel was nice and chunky and of the right size to hold with a thicker portion at 10 and 2. Steering wheel had height adjust but the seat did not. Seat felt a bit lower than needed but I was comfortable within a minute of sitting in it with just adjustment for leg room.

For my height (5’7″) there was decent leg space in the driver seat and my left leg didn’t foul with the dashboard like it did in the Figo. No dead pedal available.

1st gear slotted in nicely and surely and starting off was a piece of cake with the clutch being light and easy to operate even for a first time user of the car. No heavy diesel car clutch issues I was expecting.

Pickup from stop was decent enough – didn’t push it but when moved into second the vehicle seemed a bit slow to respond. Unfortunately the lack of the tachometer meant I had no assistance to tell if I was shifting too early etc.

Drive in 3rd and 4th were decent – again within city roads the ride was smooth and minor bumps etc were not noticed.  Even on a badly paved road at slow speed the ride was comfortable. Only one sharp bump made the suspension make an awkward sound and the vehicle sprung up a bit.

The center mounted speedo is easy to read and I got used to it in no time.

Air-conditioning seemed adequate at fan speed #2  in the afternoon Chennai heat – but again the sales guys had the Ac running before the TD itself. Over #2 the noise was a bit much.

Doors felt a bit thin and didn’t have a solid feel on closing.

Rear hatch has to be opened via central locking and the hand grip of the opening was a bit awkward.

Positives:

  • GD trim comes with ABS. Need to go to GD SP for Airbags
  • Comfortable front seats – adjustable headrest can be lived with
  • Amazing space at the rear seat – 3 people in comfort with around 4 inches to spare of legroom till the front seat (set for my driving position).
  • Flat rear floor makes middle passenger comfortable
  • Fairly decent and usable bootspace of around 251L. When folded it goes to around 500L.
  • Service interval of 10K after initial service at 1K. Also option of Smile service packages for lower costs.
  • 3 years 1Lakh Km warranty
  • ARAI claimed mileage of 23.59 (Not able to test mileage in the short drive I did)

Negatives:

  • Noise from the engine sounded like a share auto. This was heard over the AC. I guess one will get used to it over time- but for the entire duration of the test drive – this bothered me.  The Figo in comparison had a muted thrum and the Maruti diesels had a similar muted thrum that was not annoying.
  • Horn sounded adequate but was only a single one.

Missing features (that would make this a truly great car):

  • Tachometer
  • Split folding rear seat
  • Seat height adjust
  • Music system (strangely they have speakers installed for the GD SP trim but no music system)
  • Fog lamps
  • Alloys
  • Climate control / switch for fresh air/recirculation – the slider is from 1980s !!!

Availability at this time is around 30-45 days. Price for top end GD SP Diesel trim on road Chennai is 7.14L.

Overall:

You get a Toyota badge on your vehicle for the price. Ride and handling are decent enough. Feature list is a bit short and makes the Figo seem like a major value for money deal.

Also points to think about – do you really need a diesel – if not then can you spend a bit more for the Etios sedan (in petrol) ? The pricing for the top end Etios Sedan diesel on road I felt was a bit too much coming at around 9.46 on road.

 

Other Notes:

PS: Images are from www.toyotabharat.com & toyotaetiosliva.in

I just noticed – almost every  image of the Liva on the Toyota websites – are with the body kit and spoiler and with alloys (found only on the VX petrol trim) !!!! One has to pay extra for the body kit to be added to the diesels.

 

Liva Without Body Kit, Alloys

 

 

<- What it looks like without the body kit (see circled areas). Couldn’t find any other image without the body kit on the site :-).

 

 

 

Liva With Body Skirts, Spoiler and Alloys

 

 

 

 

 

 

<- Looks much more improved with body kit, spoiler and alloys(see circled areas). Fog lamps as well.(Click on image to view larger size)

 

 

 

 

Owner Feedback – Ford Figo ZXI Diesel

Figo

Coming soon after my post on the test drive of the Ford Figo is a this post with  feedback from Rithesh, (a friend and colleague of mine) on his Ford Figo.

What was your old car and how long did you have it ? 
Hyundai Santro   – 6  years

Why were you replacing your old car/getting a new one ? 

It was old and started giving more maintenance cost , plus however some panel change was mandatory to continue with it

What were your requirements for your new car? 

6-8 lac budget , Diesel , good AC

What options did you evaluate ?

I10,I20,Jazz,Fiesta

Which dealer did you get it from and how was your purchase experience ?

MPL Ford Chennai . Very good experience

Any freebies received at time of purchase?

Insurance discount

What are the accessories you added on and what do you feel are must haves for someone buying this vehicle ?

3m external coating

How many KM have you covered and how long have you had the vehicle ?

10000 Km and One year

What is the mileage it gives you so far (and any services done so far – is it on par with your expectation at time of purchase?)

18 Km . reduced to 15.5

Any good points/features that stand out ? 

AC is good

Any irritants or negatives that stand out ?  

Windows at rear is a problem

 

Thanks a lot Rithesh for your feedback – am sure it will help others evaluating the Figo !

 

 

Ford Figo Titanium (Diesel) Short Test Drive

Ford Figo

I test drove a Ford Figo Diesel in Titanium trim after a long time of not having done any test drives. It was a fairly short one for around 2 kms over bad roads and for around 2 kms on good roads. The car had four guys (myself, a colleague of mine and two salesmen from Ford). I drove mostly on the bad roads and my colleague on the better roads. Done after lunch near office.

Positives:

  • Good leg room in the back and can seat 3 on the rear seats (its got a larger wheelbase than the Swift, Ritz, Indica,I10 , Beat) –  in close contact
  • Ride fairly good over bad roads and vehicle felt pretty stable
  • Good sized rear view mirrors and rear and all around visibility
  • Seat material seemed pretty rugged and could live up to some wear and tear – no choice on seat colors though.
  • Adequate looking boot space (284 they claim)
  • Afternoon sun with red dashboard didn’t cause any reflections on windshield
  • The demo car brought for the TD had a “demo car” sticker at the back and had around 25K kms on the odometer. Didn’t notice any rattles during our TD – but also one of the two salesmen was on the phone for a good duration trying to get a good deal on life insurance J.
  • AC was felt in the rear even at speed 2 on the blower – however we didn’t get to check how soon it chilled the interiors since the AC was on even before we got in the vehicle. More than 2 the noise of the blower begins to be loud.
  • Only Titanium trim comes with ABS & Airbags (not available on lower trims as an option even)
  • Defogger shows up from ZXI(mid trim) trim onward – this is a good point – Maruti provides this only on their Top end ZXI trims only.

Negatives:

  • 2nd gear seemed to be a bit sluggish – I have only my recent 1.3 petrol Swift to compare with – and in comparison this felt slower to respond – however in 3rd things seemed a bit livelier. Noticed by my colleague as well.
  • Turn indicators on the left hand side of steering wheel. Not a deal breaker but annoying as hell if you have/drive other brand vehicles as well. I kept switching on the wipers multiple times during my TD.
  • Driver seat position was not comfortable for me with my left knee hitting the dashboard console. Colleague was ok.
  • Adjusting the seats couple of times didn’t help get me any more comfortable than when I started.
  • Door pockets useful only for papers/magazines etc.
  • The plastic on the B-pillars outside had faded to a dull grey like old Maruti 800 bumpers. On pointing this to the sales guy he mentioned it needs polish periodically to look ok.
  • The sound of the diesel engine is apparent when pushed in 2nd and 3rd. Got used to it by the end of the TD
  • No power windows for rear doors, climate control, fog lamps, steering controls , alloy wheels even on Titanium (highest) trim
  • Single folding rear seats (isn’t it time split folding rear seats become the norm ?)
  • Rear Wash and wipe only on Titanium

Odd:

  • Boot release button on the dashboard – I kept searching on the floor near the driver’s seat and found only petrol tank release.
  • Gear lever seems a bit too long (would have felt better if it was shorter maybe by an inch or so)
  • Seat belts are in a fixed position on the B-pillars. If you are not comfortable with the seat-belts – you may find the driving position with seat-belts irritating.
  • Odd colored dashboard option 🙂
  • Even odder combination when paired with the wild green colored exterior (The color is called “Squeeze”)
  • Forgot to check the glove box space and for the bonnet release which I didn’t see near the driver’s seat – turns out its on the passenger side.

 Cool and interesting features of the Figo (Didn’t get to test these):

  • Rapid Deceleration Warning
  • Distance to Empty Meter
  • 6 Speed Smart Wipers
  • Lane Change Indication
  • Bluetooth Phone Connectivity

Overall:

I didn’t get to take it on one of our “highways” – but I guess OMR can be called a highway of sorts. Ford did a price reduction recently in 2012 and this is after a price increase with some additional features in 2011.
Would I buy this car ? Yes – only if I couldn’t afford to wait for something with more bells and whistles for the price and with a more responsive engine. If you are in a hurry and want a diesel engine hatchback with a minimal waiting period – this vehicle does most things well and can be a worthy choice among other options available. Also check the options from this list: http://cars.zimbly.com/2009/07/diesel-hatchbacks-comparison-chart-updated-with-hyundai-i20-crdi/

Only other point to remember is this car has not had any exterior updates since the time of launch – now over 2 years without it means it could happen anytime within the next 6 months to a year. Changes may not be very major but still …worth a thought.

Owner Feedback – Verna Fluidic 1.6 Diesel

The Hyundai Verna is one good looking car and its design is a wonderful evolution of the older, now retired Verna. This is a short post with feedback from my friend Jegedeesh about his Verna (based on some specific questions I asked him relating to his ownership experience).

Here are some photos of Jegedeesh, his son and his car 🙂

Now for the Q&A:

How is the ownership/driving/service experience so far and how long have you had it (how many km covered)?
I have done 6800 kms so far and the driving experience is top class … the driving, gears are really smooth and especially the drive in the city is really smooth, butter smooth infact.

Hyundai has plentiful service outlets and i must admit that i did like my Kun Hyundai showrooms better .. they are more helpful and do a better job, but there is no complaint with the Gurgaon one .. they were professional.

You might want to understand here that i have my car on a Company Lease, so i do not spend any money on maintenance, but i did see the bill and it was just for replacing the Engine Oil + Filter (1500 INR).

What is the mileage it gives you so far (and any services & costs so far – is it on par with your expectation at time of purchase?)
I get a mileage of 15/litre (mine is a 1.6 L Diesel) in city, i do not thrash the car, run it steadily between 70-90 kms and the best mileage i have got is 18.5 on a highway (not really the best motorway, but sufficiently long roads, between Gurgaon & Amristar), running @ 100+ kms. The mileage is purely dependent on individual driving style, but you can safely say that i am quite satisfied with my car’s mileage.

Any good points/features that stand out?

The car is loaded with wonderful features – Reverse Camera + Auto-adjusting rear mirror (goes dull on Headlight hitting the mirror) + Steering Tilt + Bluetooth integration with Mobile (Speaker + Mic integrated), integrated call + management of music. Space (inside the car + storage), brilliant interiors.

Any irritants or negatives that stand out?
Steering can be a bit wafty @ high speeds (especially if you are used to Hydraulic ones), car does get hit in humps or pot hole roads – at low speeds. I would have loved also better tires than the stock ones. The stereo is also a bit flat, the speakers are not great and the car doesn’t play DVD.

What are the accessories you added on and what do you feel are must haves for someone buying this vehicle?
I have added no accessories, just kept the car as it is 🙂

Would you recommend this car to anyone and why ?
I have been driving a Hyundai for 7 years now (a Santro Xing previously and now this one) and they produce very nice cars and this car has a great engine, brilliant mileage and also good space. The car has the look & feel of a premium car with all features etc. I think it is a reliable car with good resell value.

Thanks a lot Jegedeesh for your valuable inputs – am sure it will help others looking at this beautiful machine as an option to own.

Honda Jazz – Owner Interview

 

Jazz in Sherbet Blue

This is a short offline(done over email) interview with Mr Girish T.,  one of my close friends who is probably one of the first in Chennai (maybe in India as well) to buy a Honda Jazz. Many thanks to Girish for agreeing to this interview and sending over his answers in a very short time.

Sushil: What was your old car and how long did you have it ?
Girish: Fiat Palio – 7 years

Sushil: Why were you replacing your old car/getting a new one ?
Girish: The Fiat Palio was a Fuel Guzzler, Great car but was not backed by service. Fiat had stopped production as well. Time for change.

Sushil: What were your requirements for your new car?
Girish: Fuel efficient, Hatchback with lots of space and preferred that it be a Japanese this time

Sushil: What options did you evaluate ?
Girish: Jazz, I20 and Punto

Sushil: Why did you pick this car from the options you evaluated?
Girish: Lots of space, Excellent styling, Honda brand and tag of being decent on fuel efficiency

Sushil: Which dealer did you get it from and how was your purchase experience ?
Girish: Sundaram Motors – Nothing great. They have never been known to be great on the purchase experience or service. But went with it because that was the closest to my place. Can’t get a lazier reason 🙂

Sushil: Any freebies received ?
Girish: None – they managed to screw my chance to participate in the Honda festival and possibly get the Jazz free. They didn’t care much about it though. Speak volumes of their customer service. They did give me some money on the Fiat though. I thought that was a great freebie :-).

Sushil: What accessories did you add and what do you feel are must haves for someone buying this vehicle ?
Girish:Didn’t add any. But the rear parcel tray is a definite must. So is a USB port. They have brought in these options with Jazz X

Sushil: How many KM have you covered and how long have you had the vehicle ?
Girish: About a year now and 15K on KM

Sushil: What is the mileage it gives you so far ?
Girish: Gives me nearly 14 in city.

Sushil: What are the good points/features that stand out ?
Girish: Mileage, Drive, Space and Space

Sushil: Any irritants or negatives that stand out ?
Girish: Some more features for the price would have been great.

Sushil: Would you recommend the Honda Jazz to anyone and why ?
Girish: Definitely recommend for those looking for a hatchback to drive in the city with loads of space. The tag of being pricey and Honda has not been able to do anything about It has let the vehicle down.

If you have any further questions on the Jazz please post them here through the comments and will request Girish to answer them here.

2009 – Vehicle Color Popularity from PPG

PPG has released their findings on color popularity for 2009.

This is not as detailed as the data released by DuPont in their charts but can serve as a good reference. DuPont had the data down to a breakup for India as well. This is not available in the PPG press release.

Silver is still the most popular color the world over.  Here is a summary of the breakup for Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. (Click on the chart image below for a larger version)

2009-PPG Popular Vehicle Colors
2009-PPG Popular Vehicle Colors

Read the details of the PPG press release source here.

Here is my older post with data from 2000-2008 from the DuPont studies.

Almost my last blog post here !

PB Visa Gold Credit Card
Image by liewcf via Flickr

I wrote this on 5th August worrying that this may be my last post to this site – barring some miracle happening.

My hosting account so far for the past 5 years has been www.godaddy.com. (Even though this blog has been active only in the past 6 months I had the domain name for a while now and had my own personal photo gallery etc on it).  My bank for the past 4.5 years has been www.hdfcbank.com. So far no issues with them.  Every month GoDaddy posts a transaction for my monthly hosting amount, it shows up nice & neat on my credit card, HDFC pays GoDaddy, I pay my credit  card bill and all of us are happy.

Aug 2nd: GoDaddy tries to post a transaction for my monthly billing for my hosting account to my credit card. HDFCbank denies the transaction and GoDaddy sends me a nice little emails telling me that they were not able to get their payment for the month. I was a bit surprised since my credit card is never close to being maxed out (as far as I have known) and no where near being near its expiry date. I didn’t think too much of the email till the next day when it struck me that there is something more to it than that.

Aug 3rd: A call to HDFCBank gets me in touch with my first “Hell-line” assistant – who can only mumble something about verified by Visa being required since August first and that I should go enable it on my credit card before I make a purchase online and when I make a purchase I have to go convince the vendor to also go register online for secure access/verified by Visa as well. I blow my top since I have had this crappy Verified by Visa authentication enabled on my card from around October last year and all it has done is confound me with one additional field to fill in on the Airtel Website when I pay my broadband bill. When I ask why something has changed suddenly the “hell-line” person has no answer. He refuses to get me in touch with a supervisor who could answer this question and tells me to first check with the vendor if there was a problem on their side ! I give up after having had enough for the day. I had missed work being sick with fever and this added to my feeling sick.

Aug 4th: Another call to another HDFC credit card “hell line” person who is not able to even mumble anything about the verified by Visa but mumbles something else that their own systems were having issues over the past few days. But regardless I should still talk to my vendor and convince them to get on Verified by Visa. I yell a bit at the person and then I remember some spam mail I kept getting from someone from HDFC who was marked as my “Relationship” Manager – since I was a reliable sucker for the past 4 years dutifully dropping my money in their bank and generally wasting my time. The Relationship Manager was shocked to hear from me but recovered quickly – however she was more the relationship kind only and needed an email with everything explained in simple terms for her to send someplace else. I did that and crossed my fingers.

I checked several times through the day,  whenever I could if the GoDaddy hell line could be reached – but always had a wait time of over 20 minutes. Didn’t feel like blowing ISD rates just listening to music so sent a support incident using the GoDaddy contact page. Plus fever still hadn’t gone and was trying to rest a bit.

Suddenly my fevered brain thinks I may be able to use PayPal. So hobble over to the computer and do the initial part of the Paypal account creation. Am stuck when I try to link my credit card – since the authorization Paypal does with your card to verify it – was denied by the bank again ! So no luck and back to square one.

I tweet about this and get some friends on FB asking details – but it is very clear no one has faced this recently/till now.

Aug 5th:
I come across yet another link on the net talking about this http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rbi-tightens-online-card-use/364772/. I try being patient since I sent out emails to GoDaddy and to HDFC.  I go for work for the first time after being a patient down with fever for the 3 days prior to today and somehow manage to last a long long hectic day. Come back home at 10 PM with fever and a nasty headache again !

I had given my gmail address in the contact form on the net – but strangely the reply comes to my hotmail account since that was what was used years ago signing up for hosting. Guess what a standard Level One type answer here:

Dear Sushil Cherian,
Thank you for contacting online support.
Please ensure to update your payment methods on file as one of the credit cards is expired. We would recommend updating this information and then contacting your financial institution directly if the issue continues.

To manage the payment methods for your domains or services, please follow the directions below:
<whole page of instructions follow on how to update my credit card on file – and so detailed I wanted to repeatedly beat my head on the nearest wall>

I blow my top – first then calm down and nicely write up a reply (without capital letters or swear words – I promise) telling them that the card mentioned as being expired is just listed in my account (among 2 cards listed there) as an old card that was used 2 years ago- it was not used in the last 2 years. The card I am talking about was the one that was used till July 2009 with no problems and which has not yet expired and of course will not expire for several months more. I again politely ask about Verified by Visa.

HDFC Bank : No update from them at all till now.

Aug 6th:
I begin to get a bad feeling about all this and start emailing all my key friends who have web hosting and ask for suggestions of alternative web hosting – since I think there is just a few days before I have to move all my data off and start afresh.  I get reccommendations from Ajith Edassery (www.dollarshower.com) , George (www.wheelosphere.org), Danesh (www.daneshzaki.com) and Fas (www.motorbeam.com). Thanks a lot – all of you for patiently answering my several questions.

Got this email from Go Daddy Support:
Dear Sushil Cherian,
Please note that in order for a product to renew with the correct payment method, the product must be assigned to that payment method. To make sure a product is using the correct payment method to renew, you will need to update it within your account.
To change the payment method for domains and services, follow the directions below:
First, log into your account:
• Go to the Go Daddy Account Login Page
• Log in using your account username <lots more useful info and steps follow filling another page. Stuff that just made my eyes bleed !>

I come home from work early since I felt the need to visit the doctor again.  Still worrying about the issue with the hosting – The plan that had vaguely made sense of paying by the month leaving me the luxury to move to another better host at moments notice seemed to have backfired on me ! Doc when visited asks me to take rest and do a blood test for Typhoid !

Aug 7th:
I went for the blood test, came back extremely tired and want to just sleep. I do so and when I woke up after a long nap I remembered I had one other credit card that I have not used till now – which was not Verified by Visa ! I jump up from my sick bed and feverishly type in the card details into GoDaddy renewal manual transaction page. I renew my hosting for all my domains at one shot – and sit biting my nails with my fingers and toes crossed while the transaction goes through. Finally it does and gives me a receipt number ! I almost kissed the screen !

5 PM – spent most of the day sleeping – when I get a call from an unknown number – thinking it may be someone from work I answer to hear someone from HDFC Bank asking about my card transaction that had failed. Of course I had to explain the whole detail till I started feeling sick again and of course they ask for a screen shot to be emailed. I do that. That should keep them busy for a minute. Of course there is no support request number for follow up etc – to ever prove I had called them on Aug 4th etc.

PS:
No typhoid – just needed some rest – I got the rest and am feeling much better now.
So whats the reason for this post – well it just is that the RBI new directive just means nothing if it comes in the way of your trying to transact online – with a vendor outside India who just doesnt care.  So from now on – we can forget buying stuff from online stores outside India with our credit cards.  If we do – we need to use cards that are not verified by Visa or Secured by Mastercard ! Which again defeats the good old RBI mandate.  It may soon become easier to trade in goats and sheep than to use a credit card for an online transaction.
HDFC still has no answer – may never have , GoDaddy still thinks my card from 2007 which I possibly couldnt have used for the past 2 years is still the cause of the error.  Glad I had a card from another Indian bank that went through !

An Indica Experience of ~ 9 years & 1,25,000 Km

This post is written by one of the readers of this blog Jacob Chacko who on request shared the ownership experience of his Tata Indica (he owned and drove it for around 9 years clocking around 1,25,000 km in the duration selling it this past Friday). Thanks Jacob Chacko for sharing your experience with the Indica!  Here is his story with photos of his car: 

After 11 years on a petrol Ambassador, I had begun to feel weary of driving with such a heavy steering wheel (perhaps, because I was also growing in age), that I started looking for a new Car. India’s dream car, TATA Indica had been launched just about a year ago. The euphoria that peaked with margins for new Indicas had died down and teething troubles had taken over. Since I was contemplating a change from an Ambassador, my priorities were adequate space (for my parents), ease of ingress and egress, driveability and good fuel efficiency. I needed to run 1000- 1500 km a month and a diesel alternative to my ambassador had become rather imperative.

 The TATA tagline was quite impressive : “The space of an Ambassador with the efficiency of a Zen at the price of a Maruti-800 !” This description vastly suited my requirements. I did a TD to verify facts. The space indeed was fine. The diesel engine did not sound all that bad – certainly not the roar of (shipping) diesel engines that were doing duty on some Ambassadors. The only competitor was the Fiat Uno, in which efficiency and build were reported to be superior. But, then TATA was coming up with a passenger car for the very first time. Who wouldn’t give them a try, especially in the context of the near-repulsive service from Uno’s then dealers, TVS ? The decision in favour of Indica was rendered easy by a comparative feature that appeared in one of the auto magazines, which gave the verdict, something to this effect : Despite, all that, the scales can be  seen ticking the Indica way with the claimed superior fuel efficiency at much lower vehicle costs. The local TATA dealership took personal interest, offered freebies and supervised the delivery of an Emerald Green (no semblance to green ; more to grey, though !) Indica in November 2000.

I remember I was ecstatic all through the running-in period : it had already fetched me a fuel efficiency of 17 kmpl ! And, I did like the soft sound of the new diesel engine.

 Problems It was smooth riding until around 37000 km when trouble surfaced with the car showing excessive oil consumption. Besides oil changes specified at service schedules, I had to keep topping-up every now and then. I had maintained my own diary on the mileage and the oil consumed. I started writing letters to TATA management, with little reprieve.

This went on until the vehicle clocked about 70000 km. Meanwhile, confronted with my repeated visits to the TASC with the very same complaint of excessive oil consumption and allied effects of excessive smoke on initial starting etc., the service advisors privately hinted that engine overhauling was the only way out. They narrated several instances of similar occurrences and how, after engine overhauling, such vehicles were rendered out of the clutches of this malady.

After repeated complaints to TATA management, the TASC was instructed to conduct a HOC Test (High Oil Consumption Test). All oil was drained out of the sump, weighed and poured back before it was driven by TATA (me seated alongside) for 300 km at a stretch. The residual oil was again drained and weighed.

Oil consumption was calculated as : Weight of oil x 1000 / 0.88 x Km run.

In my case, for 299 km, the difference in weight of oil was observed to be 125.2 g.

Thus,  125.2 X 1000 / 0.88 X 299 = 475.83 ml / km

TATA explained that 500 ml / km was the maximum permissible limit for Oil consumption (but, I was not shown any documentation to attest this claim) and that, therefore, this value was indeed within limits ! The fact that the value was almost at the max. of the permissible limit was not a matter of concern to them.  Even so, it was clear that at as low a mileage as < 70000 km, the car was already nearing the upper limit of “permissible” oil consumption. The import of the idiom, “You can take a horse to water, but cannot make it drink,” dawned upon me with full force.

My last resort was to address none other than Mr Ratan Tata himself. If this excessive oil consumption were not to be attributed to flaws in manufacture and / or in strict quality control, were Indica cars expected to undergo engine overhauling at mileages as low as 70000 km. His office replied that Mr Tata was on tour and that the matter would be attended to by others. This question, finally, fetched me some minor discounts by way of piston rings and accessories for carrying out engine overhauling at < 70000 km ! 

TATA ought to be more receptive to customer feedback / complaints and should demonstrate the resolve to redress genuine grievances to mutual satisfaction. For those like me who were prepared to accept the new Indian venture with all its teething troubles, TATA – through their actions, rather inaction – seemed to prove the point that they cared a hoot for us ! They ought to display the readiness, leave alone the grace, to acknowledge deficiencies / faults.

Visits to TASC (Focuz Motors)

This car has been with me for 104 months now and has clocked 125000+ km. I have strictly adhered to TATA recommendations on service schedules and have maintained it with utmost care. In all, I have had to make 49 visits to the TASC, of which 23 were for regular service check-ups at specified intervals. In all fairness, I must compliment the service personnel at the TASC (Benz Motors, later renamed as Focuz Motors) for being receptive, considerate and helpful. I might well be one among their long-standing customers. 

Other issues / repairs

After overhauling of the engine, there has not been any complaint of excessive oil consumption or the like. Other issues have been the following :

  • Clutch plate replacement at ~ 70000 km (done along with engine-overhauling)
  • Glow plugs were the most problematic, requiring 8 replacements
  • Steering rack and pinion assy was replaced at ~ 95000 km
  • Wheel cylinders replaced 6  times
  • Ball joints replaced 8 times
  • AC bearing, compressor repairs effected at ~ 87000 km

Summary
Despite all these troubles, this Indica of mine has never let me down on the road. Fuel efficiency was an average of 16-18 km/ litre within the city (with AC) amidst Cochin’s notorious traffic snarls and between 20 -22 km on the highways (with AC). It has even peaked to 24 km / litre at times.

The first battery had a remarkable life of 68 months !

I have bills, vouchers and accounts of every expense incurred at TASC all through the past ~ 9 years and ~ 125000 km. Costs for maintenance (includes spares, lubes, consumables, servicing, labour and taxes, but excludes tyres, battery and fuel) of this vehicle have worked out to an average of ~ 80 ps per km.

My Next Car – Not a TATA:

The new version — Indica Vista is generous on space and tempting in appeal. User reviews that sing praises (for sure, they have the right to do so) to the vehicle are all written based on the early few thousand km experience. Problems crop up only after the vehicle has run ~ 15000 km. All across the web, I have come across only a single review from an owner who had used his Vista Quadrajet for ~ 16000 km and that review was indeed daunting. I wouldn’t want to risk a repeat of the snags I faced – all of which could be traced to manufacturing defects arising out of severe deficiencies in strict quality control at every stage, including that at the site of the vendors that supply spares to TATA cars. After all, isn’t experience the best teacher ?

TATA badly needs to reorient their functional priorities to be sensitive to the needs and perceptions of the customer, if ever they intend to befriend and build lasting relationships with him. The Indica Club, launched by TATA with much fanfare, appeared to have met with a premature death; TATA did not seem to be bothered even by this.

Therefore, sadly though, I have decided to trade off my Indica for another brand from a different manufacturer, keeping my fingers crossed on what might yet lie in store for me now !

PS:  Please do reach out to Jacob through the comments here on this post in case you need any tips or advice on Indica’s. Am hoping to get an update on his experience with a new brand of vehicle after his move from Tata.

Hyundai I10 Automatic – Short Test Drive

One of my colleagues at work mentioned a problem he was having. He had one car (Wagon-R) and was trying to teach his wife how to drive. For days he and his wife would venture out early in the morning for his wife to attempt getting familiar with the car, the gears, the roads, pedestrians, two wheelers and also slopes of flyovers and railway underpasses. To top it all they stay in a place called Choolaimedu which has one long really really crowded narrow lane permanently full of all types and modes of transport.  Very little progress was happening from the aspect of the wife learning driving.

Finally they test drove a semi-automatic with the contraption called an “auto clutch” which gets fitted to a regular manual car. I remembered some ownership reports of the same and pointed them to it and they decided not to attempt getting it. They ventured back to the driving sessions but without much interest. Somewhere along the way when I was asked about the auto clutch I had told my colleague about the Hyundai I10 automatic which now replaces the original cheapest Hatchback from Hyundai – the Santro. He and his wife test drove the I10 and felt their needs would be met by it and decided to buy it. They got it for 4.85 lakhs on road with some corporate discounts and some offer. I got to see the car one evening last week. :-).

electric_red

Outside:The exteriors look like any other I10 – just a small badge at the left rear stating ‘Auto’ shows something different. The car color was Electric Red. The pull type door handles worked well and the door was light easy to open. Felt very similar to a Santro. I don’t care too much for the front of the car but can live with the looks of the car from the sides and the rear. The rear roof spoiler accessory makes the car look much better. So will wider tires, nice alloys and dark tints.

Inside:  The interior was beige mostly except for a dark brown section on the dashboard which seemed to have no reason to be there and looked very weird.Front fog lamps not present and neither were the rear wash wipe and demister. I sat in the passenger seat initially while my colleague got the car out of the parking lot and onto the road. The engine sound was almost nil inside the cabin and the transmission didn’t have any weird jerks while shifting. He didn’t have any trouble maneuvering the car from the basement through streams of people walking around. We finally got to an empty stretch of road and I was offered a chance to TD, I had initially refused but didn’t want to pass this opportunity so I got into the driver seat.

The seating position was good and very “Santroish” with good visibility all around including from both outside mirrors which were just the right size and in the right place. The gear knob had a silver finish piece on top and felt just the right size to hold and also had the button to lock the gear in place when not pressed.

auto_trans

Drive: I pressed the brake down, started the engine and moved from Park into ‘D’ for Drive. When I lifted my leg off the brake the car gently started moving without any jerks. To pick up pace one has to gently push the accelerator and the car does respond. Of course not with the urgency of a manual but decent enough.

I didn’t want to push this new car much but before I knew it it was touching 60 KMPH ! No harshness from the engine nor any significant increase in sound. I could feel the automatic transmission shift up through the gears – but only since I was keenly expecting it and listening for it.  Making a ‘U’ turn at a break in the median was really nice, just stop wait and when a good sized gap appears in oncoming traffic just ease into it by pressing the accelerator. No attention required to shift gears up and both hands are free to manage the turning of the wheel.

The stretch of road I drove the car on was mostly well paved so didn’t hit any potholes with the car. The only rough stretches that were there we covered with great care since this was an brand new car without even its number plates. It had decent enough clearance for normal bumps and speed breakers without any issue.

Slowing down also was easy enough just press down on the brakes accordingly and the transmission moves down accordingly. I didn’t get to test panic braking but wish this car came with ABS as it would be good to have.

No tachometer on the version I drove (Magna trim) was the only negative I could think of… But again it is not really required for an automatic where the transmission will shift up a gear before things get too hot.

Overall I think it is a good car.It felt much better to drive than the last automatic I had driven ( a Santro automatic). I have driven an automatic Honda Civic  for a couple of years – this one comes nowhere near that car – but for India and the space and traffic that exists here – it is definitely sized right. The pricing as always  I wish it could have been cheaper as it makes a lot of sense to get an automatic in crowded cities.

Ownership Experience:Since I took my time writing this up I got to hear of the ownership experience one week past purchase. The views of the two drivers of the car echo the differing expectations men and women have of the vehicles they own and drive.

The husbandwho was very enthusiastic about the ease of driving the car still says its very easy to drive in peak traffic but has now started cribbing that it doesn’t give the rush and response as his car a manual transmission Wagon-R. He is back to driving his manual shift car.

The wife on the other hand is overjoyed at getting a car of her own that she can drive almost everywhere due to its compact size, good visibility and most of all she can concentrate on the road and on avoiding the many million maniacs driving alongside without any worry whatsoever about stalling the engine on starting or needing to worry about shifting up and shifting down and clutch modulation etc. Within a day of purchase she was happily driving through the railway subway near Loyola college coming from Nungambakkam towards Choolaimedu which has a pretty nasty upward slope ending at a stop light which 99% of the time will always be red forcing the motorists to wait on the upward slope.

Agony usually happens in new drivers who have to start off from a stop on a slope and usual mistakes while starting are rolling too far backwards and hitting the vehicles behind, cars in front rolling back and hitting your car or the most common one of stalling the engine and not being able to start back again. Honks from motorists behind the new driver will add to the stress. This crazy slope is now handled by this new driver with the automatic geared car where she only has to press the accelerator just enough to move up. Husband still has to sit with his eyes closed beside her but that’s better than having to watch the road, her and keep reminding her to shift up since the 1st gear alone cannot be used :-).

The wife who loves this car so much hasn’t driven manual transmission cars enough to appreciate the fine level of control – for such a driver the automatic makes a lot of sense and can be the best thing for them to drive. For drivers very experienced with squeezing out the most of mileage and power from their vehicles an automatic may not be very engaging to drive.

PS: One item I do not have but will update later is the actual fuel efficiency of the car. Hope to get it from the owners after they drive it for a bit.

Photos: From the Hyundai India I10 Website – since I didn’t have my proper camera with me and the ones with the phone camera suck 🙁

External Link:An old post on Cybersteering that has a round up of automatics available back then and with tips on how to drive with an automatic: http://www.cybersteering.com/cruise/feature/karma/auto.html

Auto Clutch review : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/accessory-part-reviews/47407-autoclutch-review.html?highlight=hyundai+I10+automatic

Other I10 Auto Reviews: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/50519-another-automatic-house-i10-automatic.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/56981-my-new-hyundai-i10-automatic.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/57765-yet-another-hyundai-i10-automatic-w-pics.html