Good All Rounder Family Car

Purchased the Petrol 1.2 SX variant in March , 2021. Was confused between Aspire and this and although I liked the Aspire a lot, a major reason behind picking this was Ford's rumored exit. I also found Aura to be the most attractive, inside and out, in its segment specially in the Fiery Red shade. Buying experience was hassle free. This is my first car and I am overall satisfied with my decision. I don't drive this daily and is majorly used as a family car. I have only driven this for close to 4000 KMs in slightly over a year. A small tip for potential buyers would be to ask the sales person to remove the basic kit from the quotation and provide some of the basic accessories, like mud flaps, floor mats, car cover, perfume, etc free of cost. They do it for a lot of buyers but only if you ask them multiple times. Service costs are decent. For example, cost of 2nd free service will be slightly less than 4000 if synthetic oil is used. However they will try to sell extra paid services and subscriptions to you a lot. Mileage increased noticeably after 2nd free service, and I'm now getting somewhere close to 17-18 km/l with majority time being spent on highways and long drives. Pros: 1. Although prices seemed to have increased over the last year, still middle variants seems to be well priced when compared to other cars on the segment, considering the feature set on offer. 2. Interior quality is really good and definitely feels upmarket, from a segment above. 3. Both front and rear seats are comfortable with good under thigh support in the rear bench, which is often not the case in smaller cars. 4. Clutch is light and overall a really easy car to drive. 5. Suspensions are awesome. It is comfortable for most parts and yet handles quite well around corners. I also drove the i10 Nios and those on this feels better. 6. Engine is silent and smooth. Only at the very high RPMs will you be able to hear it. Cruises stress free at 2400 RPM at 90 kmph in 5th gear. 7. AC performance is good. 8. Mileage is above average I would say, specially after oil change during 2nd free service. 9. Sound quality from speakers is amazing. The SX variant I own has something called Arkamys sound, which I think is mostly a software thing. 10. Wonder warranty which allows flexibility to avail warranty upto 5 years is a thoughtful offering and beneficial for owners like me who don't drive their cars too much. There are a few cons though, and I'll try to list them in order of really annoying to knit picking. Cons: 1. We owned a 2008 Santro prior to this and the sheet metal quality is quite clearly a downgrade. the bonnet is not so heavy and there is quite a bit of flex to the door panels. This along with things like only two rear parking sensors, etc are hints of cost cutting that Hyundai have done. 2. The profile/sidewall of the tyres on the upper variants could have been more, as the ride is no super smooth over rough or under construction patches. The alloys can get damaged as well if driven fast over sharp bumps or pot holes. Offered profile is 175/60 and I'll definitely give a thought on upgrading to 175/65 or 185/60 once the warranty period is over. 3. The gear box can be annoying at times with the lever not slotting into position correctly sometimes. Although I faced faced this only a few times and only while engaging reverse, I have seen many people complain about the same online and while at the service centre. Hyundai doesn't seem to have a solution for this and the mechanics too know about this and try to give some excuses when reported. 4. Top end power could have been better and people used to cruising at triple digit speeds will feel the lack of a 6th gear and not enough power for quick overtakes, specially with 4-5 people onboard. Also, I must say that I don't trust the brakes enough to take the car to higher speeds like 110-120 km/h. However, for the city and upto speeds of 90-95 km/h, you would not complain. 5. Yes, the infamous Hyundai lock and unlock honk is loud and really annoying.