Impressive, But Not In Every Aspect.

Impressive, But Not In Every Aspect.

This is my first car and I am writing this review at 11000 km in 10 months. Mine is Sportz MT and I drive it myself. I shortlisted this car because I wanted to get a compact hatch with good built quality, ample space, good safety, and reliable service. Pros: 1. Excellent interior, fit, and finish are awesome. Feels like the upper segment. 2. Extremely refined 4 cylinder engine. No cabin noise or vibration. 3. Ample space. All of our family members are happy with space and comfort. 4. Great AC. With rear AC vent. 5. Feature-rich. Great infotainment system with android auto, apple car play, mirror link, etc. Steering mounted controls. Feels great to drive it. The steering wheel is excellent. The suspension is great, absorbs the ups and downs of the rough roads very well. 6. Great service network and extremely low cost of maintenance Cons: 1. Lazy engine. Doesn't have the punch. Often need to downshift while overtaking, esp with AC on. Many of the competitors have better pick up even with lesser capacity. 2. Mileage is not impressive. Many of the competitors have greater engine capacity and better pick up with similar mileage. 3. Safety is comprised. An only driver-side airbag is available except in the top variant, where you get two front airbags. They could have offered passenger-side airbags as optional. GNCAP crash test result disappointed me. Only 2 stars. The speed-sensing auto door lock is missing in my variant, which, I feel is annoying. 4. On the highway, over the speed of 90kmph, I feel less confident, because the steering is very light and the design is tall, so feels a bit unstable, because of higher centre of gravity. In short. Santro has a very unique 1.1 L, 4 cylinder engine unlike any of its competitors. But I can't find any use of this except very refined and silent operation. This doesn't feel more powerful compared to the other options with the 1L engine, nor it gives better mileage than other options with 1.2L more powerful engines. Safety is seriously compromised. I bought it with a BS-IV engine option, and today, with BS-VI engine, its almost 75K more costly. So, choose it if you want a comfortable, feature-rich hatch which is easy to drive, but not very concerned about the safety and engine power. Very good service network and resale value is good.