Road Test and Review: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe The previous generation Hyundai Santa Fe was a quietly sedate and remarkably practical ...
Showing posts with label Fluidic Verna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fluidic Verna. Show all posts
Road Test and Review: Hyundai Xcent
Road Test and Review: Hyundai Xcent Welding a boot to a hatchback to build a sub-4 metre sedan and the subsequent design disaster i...
Inside Hyundai’s Production Line
Have you ever wondered how a car is made? Take a virtual tour of Hyundai’s assembly line in Chennai to see the various steps in assembling a...
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Showing posts with label Fluidic Verna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fluidic Verna. Show all posts
Monday, 23 June 2014
Road Test and Review: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe
Road Test and Review: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe
The previous generation Hyundai Santa Fe was a quietly sedate and remarkably practical SUV, but it wasn’t a dreamboat that you looked cool in. Now, as with its younger siblings, the Santa Fe has undergone a drastic makeover that earns it a rightful place among the best-looking crossover SUVs in the market. It raises the bar even further with impressive performance, go-anywhere capability, state-of-the-art interiors and the amount of kit the car gets as standard.
Design
The new Santa Fe embodies ‘storm edge’ design concept, which is an evolution of the fluidic sculpture philosophy. The magnificent three-bar hexagonal front grille is certainly in vogue in contemporary automotive design. HID LED headlamps with trendy daytime running lights further enhance the visual impact. Dual tone skid plates add to the sportiness, too.
Side profile is equally impressive with 18-inch 2-tone Diamond Cut alloy wheels, muscular wheel arches, clean lines and roof rails. The rear design is congruous with the rest of the car and flaunts LED combination lamps, large bumper reflectors, rear spoiler, twin exhaust pipe and rear skid plate. Overall, the new Santa Fe’s exterior design is well balanced, dynamic, contemporary and not overdone, too.
Once inside, you are pleasantly surprised by the décor. The expansive greenhouse is full of fluidic soft-touch materials that look good and offer lots of bang for the buck. The heavily bolstered seats are perched high off the floor and feel commanding. The driver seat is 12-way power adjustable.
The clearly laid out centre console is easy to use but the 4.3 inch TFT screen is tad small for a car of this size. Audio, Bluetooth and some primary driving controls are simply grouped around the multi-function steering wheel.
Dual zone fully automatic climate control and manual sunshades on the second row do an effective job of keeping the cabin temperature pleasantly cool.
It is not the slightly increased length, but the smart interior packaging that makes the new Santa Fe’s cabin spacious and airy. There’s no complaint about the headroom or legroom on all three rows either. The third row folds flat to further expand the already lavish 585 litres of luggage space.
Performance
Be it off road or on, the Santa Fe does everything well. With 197Ps of power at your disposal, a gentle tap on the pedal has the Santa Fe straining at the leash. The electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger kicks in very quickly and you feel virtually no turbolag. The 2.2-litre CRDi unit is Hyundai’s ‘R’ series engine, hence NVH levels are lower than the previous model. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed auto gearbox. Manual variant offers 420Nm of max torque while the automatic gets around 16Nm more, both between 1800-2500rpm.
The automatic variant is great for cruising but it’s somewhat hesitant to downshift when you need it to. I found this particularly frustrating while exiting sharp corners. It doesn’t offer paddle shifters either and that is just unacceptable.
Santa Fe returns a mileage of 14.74kmpl for the MT and 13.01kmpl for AT.
Ride and Handling
As I drove the automatic variant along the meandering roads that lace through Kerala’s mountainous region, I felt the Santa Fe’s steering is accurate, and the handling's just so. Santa Fe comes with Flex Steer that allows the driver to switch among 3 steering modes – Comfort, Normal and Sport depending on road conditions and driver preferences. Even though there is some body roll, Advance Traction Cornering Control (ATCC) and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) ensure the car knifes into corners precisely and predictably. Intelligent 4 Wheel Drive System and differential lock ensure impressive handling off the road as well.
Santa Fe’s ride quality is compliant and surprisingly supple going by the SUV standards. Road, tyre and wind noise have been kept to a pleasingly low level.
Safety
Santa Fe’s three layers of safety with ABS, Electronic Stability Control and VSM ensure efficient braking on different terrains. Six airbags, advanced dual seatbelt mechanism, Hill Start Assist and Downhill brake control grant you complete peace of mind.
Conclusion
Hyundai has launched the new Dynamic Santa Fe at the Auto Expo starting from Rs. 2,630,000 for the 2WD M/T to Rs. 2,925,000 for the 4WD A/T. While it’s not easy to beat very stiff competition from cheaper alternatives such as Toyota Fortuner and Audi Q3, the hefty price tag can be justified by gorgeous exterior design, nicely crafted spacious interior and the long list of equipment.
Design
The new Santa Fe embodies ‘storm edge’ design concept, which is an evolution of the fluidic sculpture philosophy. The magnificent three-bar hexagonal front grille is certainly in vogue in contemporary automotive design. HID LED headlamps with trendy daytime running lights further enhance the visual impact. Dual tone skid plates add to the sportiness, too.
Side profile is equally impressive with 18-inch 2-tone Diamond Cut alloy wheels, muscular wheel arches, clean lines and roof rails. The rear design is congruous with the rest of the car and flaunts LED combination lamps, large bumper reflectors, rear spoiler, twin exhaust pipe and rear skid plate. Overall, the new Santa Fe’s exterior design is well balanced, dynamic, contemporary and not overdone, too.
Once inside, you are pleasantly surprised by the décor. The expansive greenhouse is full of fluidic soft-touch materials that look good and offer lots of bang for the buck. The heavily bolstered seats are perched high off the floor and feel commanding. The driver seat is 12-way power adjustable.
The clearly laid out centre console is easy to use but the 4.3 inch TFT screen is tad small for a car of this size. Audio, Bluetooth and some primary driving controls are simply grouped around the multi-function steering wheel.
Dual zone fully automatic climate control and manual sunshades on the second row do an effective job of keeping the cabin temperature pleasantly cool.
It is not the slightly increased length, but the smart interior packaging that makes the new Santa Fe’s cabin spacious and airy. There’s no complaint about the headroom or legroom on all three rows either. The third row folds flat to further expand the already lavish 585 litres of luggage space.
Performance
Be it off road or on, the Santa Fe does everything well. With 197Ps of power at your disposal, a gentle tap on the pedal has the Santa Fe straining at the leash. The electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger kicks in very quickly and you feel virtually no turbolag. The 2.2-litre CRDi unit is Hyundai’s ‘R’ series engine, hence NVH levels are lower than the previous model. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed auto gearbox. Manual variant offers 420Nm of max torque while the automatic gets around 16Nm more, both between 1800-2500rpm.
The automatic variant is great for cruising but it’s somewhat hesitant to downshift when you need it to. I found this particularly frustrating while exiting sharp corners. It doesn’t offer paddle shifters either and that is just unacceptable.
Santa Fe returns a mileage of 14.74kmpl for the MT and 13.01kmpl for AT.
Ride and Handling
As I drove the automatic variant along the meandering roads that lace through Kerala’s mountainous region, I felt the Santa Fe’s steering is accurate, and the handling's just so. Santa Fe comes with Flex Steer that allows the driver to switch among 3 steering modes – Comfort, Normal and Sport depending on road conditions and driver preferences. Even though there is some body roll, Advance Traction Cornering Control (ATCC) and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) ensure the car knifes into corners precisely and predictably. Intelligent 4 Wheel Drive System and differential lock ensure impressive handling off the road as well.
Santa Fe’s ride quality is compliant and surprisingly supple going by the SUV standards. Road, tyre and wind noise have been kept to a pleasingly low level.
Safety
Santa Fe’s three layers of safety with ABS, Electronic Stability Control and VSM ensure efficient braking on different terrains. Six airbags, advanced dual seatbelt mechanism, Hill Start Assist and Downhill brake control grant you complete peace of mind.
Conclusion
Hyundai has launched the new Dynamic Santa Fe at the Auto Expo starting from Rs. 2,630,000 for the 2WD M/T to Rs. 2,925,000 for the 4WD A/T. While it’s not easy to beat very stiff competition from cheaper alternatives such as Toyota Fortuner and Audi Q3, the hefty price tag can be justified by gorgeous exterior design, nicely crafted spacious interior and the long list of equipment.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Road Test and Review: Hyundai Xcent
Road Test and Review: Hyundai Xcent
Welding a boot to a hatchback to build a sub-4 metre sedan and the subsequent design disaster is nothing new to us. But, hey, look at the new Hyundai Xcent. Despite being a sub-4 metre variant of the GRAND i10 hatchback, the Xcent flaunts a well-sculpted body that makes it arguably the best-looking sub-4 metre sedan as yet.
Design
One has to admit that achieving a well-proportionate sub-4 metre design out of a hatchback is no easy matter. That said, designers at Hyundai have done a wonderful job of seamlessly adding a boot to the GRAND i10. Inevitably, the Xcent is identical to the hatchback till the B-pillar. The roofline then blends beautifully into the boot with the help of slightly reworked rear window. Though not an eyesore, the rear profile is rather bland and doesn’t gel flawlessly with the rest of the car. Top variants get 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels that give the sedan a slightly beefier stance.
As far as the dimensions go, the Xcent shares the hatchback’s 2,425mm wheelbase, which is longer than the Amaze and shorter to the Dzire only by a whisker. However, Xcent is evidently narrower in width than its competitors. Where the Xcent really scores over them is the 407-litre boot that easily holds four large suitcases.
Step inside and the cabin is respectably spacious. Save for a new cubbyhole with lid, climate control and a more reclined rear seat, interiors remain the same as the GRAND i10’s. The quality of the dual tone plastics shames more expensive models. The adjustable steering column feels premium and the gear lever is ergonomically placed on the dashboard. The chunky A/C dials and round vents add to the elegance of the dashboard.
The Xcent comes with rear A/C vents and 1GB built in audio memory, two first-in-segment features. Also on offer are push start button, keyless entry, auto-folding mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity and glove box chiller.
Performance
The engines - 1.1 U2 CRDi diesel and 1.2-litre Kappa petrol - have been carried over from the GRAND i10, too. Thanks to some tweaks to the ECU and a new electronically controlled turbocharger wastegate, the three-cylinder diesel engine now produces an extra 1 bhp and 22 Nm more torque over the GRAND. Although the improvement isn’t obvious behind the wheel, it’s more than sufficient to move the extra weight of the car. Idling vibration and turbo lag drop to minimal once on the move. The car comfortably swings between two and three digits speeds on the top gear and effortlessly cruises at around 140kmph.
Both engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and the petrol is also available with a 4-speed automatic transmission. ARAI has certified the diesel and petrol variants return a mileage of 24.4 and 19.1 kmpl respectively.
Ride and Handling
Reworked suspension, extra weight and broader tyres make the Xcent a better handler than the GRAND i10. Yet, the suspension battles to level the body around corners and over unduly surfaces.
Ride quality is indisputably the best in class. Most road and wind noise is held at bay thanks to great sound insulation, but the three-cylinder diesel engine emits an intrusive purr at low speeds. Small bumps and potholes are smoothed out by the supple suspension.
Light steering, nimble clutch, accurate gearshifts coupled with tilt steering and height adjustable seats make the Xcent a restful companion.
Safety
While airbags are standard on the top SX trim, ABS is available only as an option for the mid and top variants. It is equipped with reverse parking camera and electrochromatic rearview mirror as well.
Bottom-line
Hyundai conveys the message very clear – the Xcent is a practical family car. The 1.1-litre three-cylinder engine might appear slightly underpowered in front of its rivals, but 72 PS and 180 NM torque are sufficient to keep pace with traffic in city and on highways prudently. Moreover, Xcent diesel starts at Rs 5.56 lakhs, which is Rs 41,000 cheaper than the Honda and about Rs 20,000 than the Dzire. For those looking for a feature-rich yet affordable family car, the Hyundai Xcent will hit the spot.
Design
One has to admit that achieving a well-proportionate sub-4 metre design out of a hatchback is no easy matter. That said, designers at Hyundai have done a wonderful job of seamlessly adding a boot to the GRAND i10. Inevitably, the Xcent is identical to the hatchback till the B-pillar. The roofline then blends beautifully into the boot with the help of slightly reworked rear window. Though not an eyesore, the rear profile is rather bland and doesn’t gel flawlessly with the rest of the car. Top variants get 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels that give the sedan a slightly beefier stance.
Step inside and the cabin is respectably spacious. Save for a new cubbyhole with lid, climate control and a more reclined rear seat, interiors remain the same as the GRAND i10’s. The quality of the dual tone plastics shames more expensive models. The adjustable steering column feels premium and the gear lever is ergonomically placed on the dashboard. The chunky A/C dials and round vents add to the elegance of the dashboard.
The Xcent comes with rear A/C vents and 1GB built in audio memory, two first-in-segment features. Also on offer are push start button, keyless entry, auto-folding mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity and glove box chiller.
The engines - 1.1 U2 CRDi diesel and 1.2-litre Kappa petrol - have been carried over from the GRAND i10, too. Thanks to some tweaks to the ECU and a new electronically controlled turbocharger wastegate, the three-cylinder diesel engine now produces an extra 1 bhp and 22 Nm more torque over the GRAND. Although the improvement isn’t obvious behind the wheel, it’s more than sufficient to move the extra weight of the car. Idling vibration and turbo lag drop to minimal once on the move. The car comfortably swings between two and three digits speeds on the top gear and effortlessly cruises at around 140kmph.
The ultra-quiet and efficient 1.2 litre Kappa petrol offers good low-down response for fairly swift acceleration. It’s a great performer in city, while I preferred the diesel variant on highways.
Ride and Handling
Reworked suspension, extra weight and broader tyres make the Xcent a better handler than the GRAND i10. Yet, the suspension battles to level the body around corners and over unduly surfaces.
Ride quality is indisputably the best in class. Most road and wind noise is held at bay thanks to great sound insulation, but the three-cylinder diesel engine emits an intrusive purr at low speeds. Small bumps and potholes are smoothed out by the supple suspension.
Safety
While airbags are standard on the top SX trim, ABS is available only as an option for the mid and top variants. It is equipped with reverse parking camera and electrochromatic rearview mirror as well.
Hyundai conveys the message very clear – the Xcent is a practical family car. The 1.1-litre three-cylinder engine might appear slightly underpowered in front of its rivals, but 72 PS and 180 NM torque are sufficient to keep pace with traffic in city and on highways prudently. Moreover, Xcent diesel starts at Rs 5.56 lakhs, which is Rs 41,000 cheaper than the Honda and about Rs 20,000 than the Dzire. For those looking for a feature-rich yet affordable family car, the Hyundai Xcent will hit the spot.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Inside Hyundai’s Production Line
Have you ever wondered how a car is made? Take a virtual tour of Hyundai’s assembly line in Chennai to see the various steps in assembling a car.
Robot arms assemble cars inside the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand.
Workers stand next to the assembly line of the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand
A worker assembles a Hyundai i10 car inside the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand
A worker assembles a Hyundai i10 car inside the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand.
Workers assemble a Hyundai i10 car at a plant of Hyundai Motor India Ltd in Sriperumbudur Taluk in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu
Workers assemble cars inside the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand.
A worker works next to the assembly line of the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand
Workers assemble cars inside the Hyundai Motor India Ltd. plant at Kancheepuram district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu October 4, 2012. Running around the clock and selling everything it can build, Hyundai Motor's Indian factory is bursting at the seams. But as demand grows and rivals scale up, the car maker has chosen to take its foot off the pedal. Hyundai's strategic decision to focus on quality over quantity, even as its production lines are stretched in India and elsewhere, risks losing hard-won market share and is forcing it to divert output from its plant outside Chennai away from exports to other high-growth markets to meet domestic demand.
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