The perfect urban cruisemobile

Take a look at the urban Indian society today. An average person goes to the shops atleast once a week. Spends a considerable amount of money on cosmetics, hair products, clothes, shoes, gadgets, eating and drinking out and the list just goes on. In short, globalization has brought in the retail culture onto our shores and the response has been immense. While this is all very good it leaves us wondering which is the best buy?

Now, its easy to say that the purchase decision is based on the kind of money you have and the choice available within that range. So, if you are a girl and wanted to buy, say, clothes you would walk into Mango or Zara or any of the other brands in that range. And if you were feeling a bit flush you would walk into Fendi or Armani or Gucci, etc. You essentially buy the same thing, i.e. clothes but, there is a significant difference between the products.

And it’s much the same with cars really. You go out and buy a car that suits your budget. But look closer and you will see a world of a difference. However, the criteria for judgment of the products is not based on the differences as is the case normally, the criteria in this case are the similarities. For instance, cars like the Hyundai i10, the Maruti Suzuki Estilo, or the Ford Figo are brands like Zara and Mango. They are there, but you know there is something better at the top.

Then there are the big names in fashion like Fendi, Armani and the lot. Just like there are BMW, Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes Benz and others in the car industry. And then there is the designer range like Bentley, Rolls Royce, etc. But let’s leave the designer range out for the purpose of this story as they are made to order.

But what about the stuff that’s just above the basic brands, stuff like French Connection, DKNY, Forever New, Calvin Klein, etc. In terms of cars there are the Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Grande Punto, Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, and the Maruti Suzuki Swift. And it’s this bunch I want to talk about.

The Punto is a great looking car with good driving dynamics, but lacks power. A black VW Polo makes you go weak in the knees, it’s that good looking. And in 1.6 format, drives better than all the others too. The Honda Jazz has a cabin that is better than that of a Toyota Corolla Altis. Then there is the Hyundai i20, and its this car which stands head and shoulders above the rest.

The top of the line i20 Asta is a good looking car, if fashion experts were to judge they would say it’s a job well done. And its chunky 18 inch alloys only enhance the appeal further. It has the highest ground clearance of the class which means it’s perfect for Indian roads, and still looks very sleek. It has the most spacious cabin of the lot. It can seat one six footer behind another in comfort. Five adults can sit in comfort. The seats are comfortable but not too soft, which is perfect. And it has a big boot. The black and beige cabin is a nice place to be in. Sure, it’s not up there with that of the Jazz or for that matter even that of the Polo, but there is nothing to complain about. The buttons and knobs are just fine.

In terms of kit you get a nice 2 DIN MP3 player with a USB port and aux ports for your ipod and any other music player. There are steering mounted audio controls aswell. Outside temperature gauges, 2 trip meters and a clock dominate the center console. It has climate control and a sunroof. There is rear wash and wipe with defogger. There are lots of cubbyholes and it even has a cooled glovebox.  The i20 is equipped with a host of safety features such as Antilock Braking System, Electronic Brake Distribution and six airbags. And it comes with a 5 Star safety rating from Euro NCAP, that means it’s as safe as a Mercedes Benz S Class!!

The i20 has a plush ride at low speeds. It's driving dynamics are good and it handles in a decent manner, but it is no sports car either. The cabin is well insulated.

And to put the icing on the cake, the i20 comes with a torquey 1.4 liter diesel engine or a 1.4 liter automatic petrol. The one to go for would be the diesel because, well it’s faster than the petrol and more powerful too. Sure, there is some lag below 2000 rpm and it’s not as refined at the top end. But that’s not the point of this car.

This car is meant for driving around in the city in absolute comfort. It is economical because it’s a diesel. Parking and maneuvering is a joy in the city due to its light controls and compact dimensions.

There is no point in going for a big luxury executive sedan to drive in the city because your stress levels would shoot up through the sunroof. Driving a cheap small car leaves you wanting for much in your drive and your life. The Hyundai i20 is the perfect combination of small car practicality with big car quality, equipment and comfort. With groove armada on the stereo and a comfortable drive it is really the perfect car for the stressful Indian city. At it's price of Rs 8,40,000 on road New Delhi there is no car that can challenge it in terms of a package.

I’ am no expert at judging brands of clothes and what they offer at their price, but I can bet middle of the road brands can never offer a product that can rival a luxury brand. However, if there were such a thing it would be a French Connection dress that could embarrass a Gucci dress. And Hyundai has done just that with the i20.