The Santro experience - 6 months

Exterior

The Paint Quality is very Good. Outer Door Handles look old in 4 months time. ORVM Scalp is unpainted and after some days looks Old. Tail Lamps are awesome. New Wheel Caps give a fresh Look to the Car. Front Grille Look was better in the 3 Chrome lining than the New Painted type. I expect more chrome on the Exterior. 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Seats are very Comfortable. Good for long Driving. Beige Interiors are very Good.Gives a fresh look and gives a Longing feeling to be in the Car. Door Trim quality is very Good. Armrest is at a comfortable height with Good reach of Power window switch.  Boot Space is very Good for 3 big Luggage bags. However Sliding of Front Seats is not smooth. Seat Recliners are of Poor Quality. Car is Spacious than i10 in both Rows. 2nd Row can easlity accomodate 3 Adults. Parcel Tray Quality is very Poor. Glove box lock is of Poor Quality and Finish.

Silver Paint Finish on Air Vents and Center Bezel is very Poor. Fading has started in less than 6 months of use. Steering Wheel quality is 3rd Class. Horn Cover to Steering Wheel finish is very Poor. Is sharp at corners.   

AC performance is Good when 2 people are in the Car. When the number of people are more, comfort levels are reduced drastically. AC reach to 2nd Row takes very long time. I expect a very Good AC in Mumbai Conditions. Pop Up knob is small to hold and pull. 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 Engine is Smooth. Fuel Economy is only 11 to 12 Kmpl (in Mumbai with AC working) which is lesser than a Maruti car in same price band. I bought this car for a Better Mileage but did not get so. 

Weird humming noise when Vehicle is brought to Halt. Pick Up from 0-60 is moderate. Engine Needs to have a better torque.

Gearshit in 3rd to 2nd; and 5th to 4th is very irritating. Crashing noise in 2nd and 5th Gear happens some times and the Engaging is not swift.

Ride Quality & Handling

Turning is very Good at Lower to Moderate Speeds. Power Steering is amazing, gives a Good Grip on Road. Vehicle tends to get unstable beyond 90kmph. Lane changing in 5th Gear (above 80kmph) does not seem to be smooth and fearless. Very poor to react on Potholes or uneven Surfaces. Rear Suspension needs Major tweak.

Final Words

A Good Value for the Money paid. But not excellent. 

Areas of improvement  

Mileage needs to be improved atleast by 2 Km/Hr in AC. Rear Suspension needs to be more adpative to Poor Road Conditions.

NVH, Smooth Ride, Good Power Steering,Stability above 80kmph, AC performance, Mileage, Bumpy in 2nd Row