When I bought my car, I did a comparison of the available choices.
Many friends have
been asking me my views on the Hyundai Santro Vs. Maruti Suzuki Wagon-R since these
are the most sought after. Both are very popular hatchbacks sold in India. Here are some
of my thoughts.
Hyundai being the underdogs is always the first to offer better features such as MPFI
engine and ABS. They also tend to be more aggressive and Maruti dealers have the take
it or leave it attitude.
Maruti has a bigger service network and the cost of spares it cheaper.
Both cars are tall boy model and have high seating. This add to driving/seating comfort
and makes it easy for people to get in and get out.
Here is the comparison.
Santro Pros:
• Better Looks (as compared to Wagon-R).
• More comfortable to Drive.
• Better Service.
• Better Pickup.
• Provision for 4 speakers, Wagon-R has provision for only 2.
• Perceived to be more expensive.
• Air conditioning more effective hence cooling is better.
• Ability to adjust the side view mirrors from inside.
• Seat belts for 5 passengers, Wagon-R has only 4. Santro is also approved for 5
people and Wagon-R has got approval for only 4 passengers. Not that anyone ever
checks but still.
Wagon-R Pros:
• Better resale value.
• Cheaper cost of spares.
• Bigger service network than Hyundai.
• Slightly more fuel efficient. Although now Santro has new eRLX engine which is
suppose to have improved mileage.
• Better Engine and electronic power steering.
• Cheaper.
• Option for Airbags (only available in the top of the line model).
• Slightly more leg space and better comfort for tall people.
• The seats can be dropped completed to create a bed or even a double bed. Useful
while traveling and someone can sleep.
I also suggest that irrespective of which car you decide to buy, don’t compromise on
safety. Pay that extra for ABS and Airbags (only in Wagon-R).
After successfully launching the Hyundai i10, the team at Hyundai is busy putting their
final touches to the i20. Like the i10, the i20 will be manufactured in India and exported
globally.
The i20 be positioned in the premium hatchback segment (B sgement), just as the Getz.
This car with replace the Getz worldwide except in India. Hyundai plans to sell both Getz
and i20 in India. Perhaps they will reduce the price of Getz further to capture the lower
segment of the market.
Like the i10, the i20 is developed in India and if successful, would be one more feather in
the cap for Hyundai India, making India a global hub for small cars.
Lets wait and watch to see how this stacks up with this already crowded segment. With
competition from Maruti Swift,Chevrolet UVA, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai’s own Getz
the customer will have a lot of cars to choose from. Also Honda plans to launch the Jazz
in February and Volkswagen Golf is also expected.
Hyundai i20 features:
1.2 Litre petrol engine or 1.1 CRDi Desel. This will be to get the tax breaks but may be
under powered. Expect higher capacity engines as options. In Australia for example the
i20 has been announced with a 1.4 litre CRDi engine.
Expected Pricing: 5.5 Lakhs.
How the i20 compares to the Getz.
• This will be slighter bigger.
• Similar looks but smoother curves.
• Lots of new features.
• and ofcourse more expensive
maruti swift v0s
gets
Both Maruti and Hyundai have cars in the hatch back segment. The hatch back segment
has been an interesting one in India, because compact cars are more suited to our city
driving. They are easy to drive/park around and the government too offer tax break in this
now to encourage users to buy cars in this segment.
After the success in this segment, to offer a upgraded car in this segment, both Maruti and
Hyundai launched a premium hatch car. Lets look at how they both stack up.
Both costs more or less the same, seat 5 people and are new designs.
Maruti Suzuki Swift Advantage
• Better mileage. Although not significantly better mileage but gives higher than the
Getz due to the Aluminum engine.
• Swift also has a better pickup.
• Maruti has a wider service network, so people in the small towns may be better
off.
• Looks better. Well this is subjective but the general consensus is Swift looks
better. Swift is more stylist and Getz is more elegant.
Hyundai Getz Advantage
• Newer engine technology, Swift is said to have a re-engineered esteem engine.
• More leg space and the back seats can be folded to give more space. The back
seat is split in 60:40 ratio, so you can fold/drop a part of the seat as needed. No
need to fold the entire seat.
• Allows you to adjust the steering wheel. Not a must have feature but useful if you
find your steering wheel position odd.
• Gas filled shock absorbers at the rear give better comfort.
• Better interiors, although not great but better looking than the Swift
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
•
Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in Feb 1981 through an Act of Parliament,
to meet the growing demand of a personal mode of transport caused by the lack of an
efficient public transport system.
•
Suzuki Motor Company was chosen from seven prospective partners worldwide. This
was due not only to their undisputed leadership in small cars but also to their
commitment to actively bring to MUL contemporary technology and Japanese
management practices (which had catapulted Japan over USA to the status of the top auto
manufacturing country in the world).
A licence and a Joint Venture agreement was signed
between Govt of India and Suzuki Motor Company (now Suzuki
Motor Corporation of Japan) in Oct 1982
The objectives of MUL then were:
•
Modernization of the Indian Automobile
Industry.
•
Production of fuel-efficient vehicles to conserve
scarce resources.
Production of large number of motor vehicles which was necessary for ecomic growt
Maruti Swift ROCKS
Hi friends,
You people might have heard a lot of hoo-haa going on in the motoring press about
Hyundai I-20 these days.
Recently, I had the opportunity to drive one for an extended session.
LOOKS (EXTERIOR): I 20 has good paint work. "I have tried too hard to copy
Peugeot 307" headlights, the belt line is nice, side profile, especially rear window reverse
angle C - pillar harks back to Swift, wraparound tai lights - again very Swiftish touch.
INTERIORS: Good. Plastic quality pretty good, some bits shiny, huge glove box.
SPACE: Found the seats to be a bit on the flat side. Rear under thigh support could be
better.
PERFORMANCE: Weird. Hyundai claims 80 odd bhp. Car I drove was new but even
allowing for the new ones of the engine, the engine's reluctance to freely rev beyond
4500 rpm was disappointing. Until 3500 rpm, I 20 pulls decently, but beyond that you
can sense a strain on the power plant. It is not that I-20 does not want to rev, but that it os
better that you do not. Compare that to the Swift's turbine smooth "revvability" till the
6600 rpm limiter and you'll understand what I mean.
HANDLING: Lousy. Simply lousy. I 20 rolls and wallows in a corner. There is way to
much understeer so much so that at modest speeds, say as low as 60 kph in a tightening
bend. The nose starts washing out. Compare this to the Swift's razor sharp turn in, flat
cornering, resistance to understeer and "throttle adjustability" the swift simply pummels
the Hyundai into submission.
FUEL EFFICIENCY: I 20 : 9.8 hard driving, tankful to tankful in Delhi traffic Swift
VXI with 185/70 - R14's: 11.82 same route, tankful to tankful, same traffic conditions.
SUMMARY: I 20: spacious hatch if you want to pootle around town.
SWIFT: The vehicle to own if you love driving, love cars and want to put a smile on
your face when you are driving down that long and winding road, where ever it is.
It is good despite after three years of launch, Swift still rules and Hyundai despite doing a
calculated effort not even coming closer to the performance of Swift.
Truly Swift is a revolution.
The funny thing is that if you drive the I 20 - drive it for an extended session, if possible,
and you will also feel it - the engine does not behave as if it has got 80 odd bhp on tap -
as claimed by Hyundai.
Initially it feels peppy, but when you extend it over the rev range, then the limitations
come up.
If f you guys have driven the old Hyundai Accent and remember how the engine used to
run into an "imaginary wall" after 4500 rpm versus the then free revving Esteem engine,
you will have a very good comparison.
In terms of safety stakes, I-20 has the Swift licked what with 6 airbags, etc, but then again
the price is also whopping enough.
Moot point is: FRILLS and niceties go for the Hyundai
For driving pleasure and depth of engineering, I would recommend MARUTI SWIFT.
Current sales of automobiles
[Link] 800: Launched - 1983
[Link] Omni: Launched - 1984
[Link] Gypsy : Launched - 1985
[Link] Alto: Launched - 2000
[Link] Wagon-R : Launched - 2002
[Link] Versa : Launched - 2003
[Link] Grand Vitara Launched - 200
4
[Link] Suzuki Swift: Launched - 2005
[Link] Suzuki SX4: Launched - 2007
[Link] Swift Dzire : Launched - 2008
[Link] Suzuki A-STAR : Launched - 2008
[Link] Suzuki Ritz : Launched - 2009
[Link] Suzuki Estilo: Launched - 2009
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA LIMITED
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea and is the second largest and the
fastest growing car manufacturer in India . HMIL presently markets over
25 variants of passenger cars in six segments. The Santro in the B
segment, and Getz in the B+ segment.
HYUNDAI SANTRO
We are mainly going to concentrate on the various marketing and
positioning strategies of Hyundai Santro as against that of Maruti Zen
and Alto and Hyundai Getz as against Maruti Swift.
POSITIONING OF SANTRO
The old positioning of the Santro was that pf a ‘family car’, this positioning strategy was
changed in around 2002 and Santro was repositioned as to that of ‘a smart car for young
people
The target age group for the car had now shifted from 30-35 years to 25-
30 years. The repositioning followed the face-lifts the car has been
getting from time to time in the form of engine upgradation, new power
steering, automatic transmission, etc, to keep the excitement around it
alive in the highly competitive small car market. The repositioning also
comes ahead of the possible launch of a new design Santro, and the super
B-segment car ‘Getz’, sometime in 2003
The Santro was given a fresh new positioning — from a‘ com plet e
family car’ to a ‘sunshine car’ denoting a fresh new attitude and a
‘changing your life’ [Link] the average age of a car owner has
declined from around 30-35 three years ago to 25-30, primarily because
of changing lifestyles, cheap and easily available finance, etc. the
company thought that instead of promoting the Santro as a family car, it
should be promoted as a car that can change the life of a young person
since many of the buyers were young buyers
HYUNDAI’S PRICING STRATEGY
With the launch of Maruti Swift recently a price war was expected to
kick in . Immediately after maruti raised prices on its debutante Hyundai
Motor India hit back with a Rs 16,000-19,000 markdown on three new
variants of Santro Xing
The company has introduced the XK and XL variants at a lower tag of Rs
3,26,999 and Rs .3,45,999 [Link] new price variants are likely
to give Maruti’s existing B-segment models, Zen and WagonR a run for
their money. Hyundai has also launched a new non-AC variant of the
Santro at Rs 2.79 lakh, a tad higher than what the existing non-Ac Santro
costs. The next offensive is due from Maruti. With the Santro’s new price
positioning, Zen and particularly WagonR may be due for a correction, or
at least a limited-period subvention. If that happens the domino effect
will kick in across the B-segment.