Honest Reivew of Spark after 1000 KMS - Updated!

I will try to give you an honest review of the car. If you are seriously considering buying this car then this review might be really helpful. Do give me feedback on your opinions or questions about the review.

I bought a Black Spark 1.0 LS from Shree Gopinathji Agencies, Baroda, Gujarat.

The car costed me exactly Rs. 347,000 on road and this was after all the discounts and accessories about which i will describe in greater detail below.

The following are the discounts i received from them:

1. Rs. 45,000 on basic value of cash discount.
2. Rs. 3,000 less on the insurance cost. (This was given because i got a quote from another insurance company outside of the dealership and they were around Rs. 3000 cheaper so the dealership matched them on the quote.)
3. Free services for 3 years / 45,000 KMS whichever is earlier, so basically i got 9 free services from them.

The cost also included Rs. 3,000 for a selected RTO registration number.

The accessories i got from them are as under:

1. Floor mats
2. Mud Guards
3. Antenna
4. Rear Parcel Shelf
5. Sun control film
6. Keyless entry system.

I didnt go for a music system from them because i had an awesome Sony system with 2 round and 2 oval speakers from my older car that i sold but they did install the system for me at no additional cost.

Now, on to the review of the car.

I think this car is perfect for an young executive who is basically looking for a means of transport to go back and forth from home to office and take his girlfriend / wife out on a drive on the weekends. (This is what i use the car for) But overall its a perfect car for a small family.

The driver seat is very comfy and even driving longer distances dont get you tired. The one important thing that is missing however is a footrest next to the clutch. This is very necessary because the gear ratios are such that you wont need to press the clutch even while driving at 20 kmph on 4th gear except to change the gear.

The low point of the car is that it doesnt have a good pickup if the ac is on so if you're thinking of beating that other car next to you at the stop light immediately after it turns green then prepare yourself for a bit of an embarrassment. But this car is meant for good fuel economy and not for power so i'd be satisfied in sacrificing a bit of power here and there.

And speaking of fuel economy, the dealer said the overall mileage will be around 16 - 17 kmpl. Currently i am getting around 14 with the AC on almost 80% of the time with only city use and i have been told that the economy will improve over time after a couple of services.

Gear shifting is smooth most of the times however sometimes while downshifting i feel that the gears dont fall into place automatically as it should while shifting and i'd have to keep in on neural for a tiny second before pushing it in place. this happens especially in the 3rd and 2nd gears but its not something to worry about.

AC is really powerful in this car and i rarely keep the fan speed more than 1 or 2 and sometimes i even needed to turn the thermostat a bit on the warmer side.

The central instrument is a refreshing change from the standard behind the steering design.

The backseat is a little crampy and since i am 6 feet tall and i drive with my driver's seat all the way back, i dont think anyone who is over 5' 10" will be comfortable sitting right behind me. But as i earlier said, its perfect for a family of 4 with 2 small kids on the back seat.

The 170 litre boot space is meager but can still fit in 3 strolleys easily with space to put light stuff on the parcel shelf.

I have driven so far 1000 KMS in the last 15 days of owning the car and i havent had any major problems or complaints. I am about to turn the car in for its first assurance checkup.

I havent taken the car out on a highway yet but will keep a track on its highway performance and the fuel economy and will update the review as soon as i get the necessary data.

Update after 2500 kms

I have driven the car 2500 kms so far in the last one month and a few days of owning the car including a short run on the highway.

Since i was on an express highway with beautiful roads, i decided to check the maximum speed of the car. Surprisingly, the max speed the car was going at was 150 kmph on a full throttle with ZERO vibration. It was an absolutely smooth ride and comfortable ride with the car going between 130 - 150 kmph during the entire journey. Even with that speed, i got a mileage of 15 kmpl with AC on so I am guessing if i drive in economy mode around 90 - 100 kmph on the highway then i should get atleast a mileage of around 17 - 18 kmph which is pretty good for a petrol car.

In the city, it is still giving me a mileage of 13 kmpl with AC on most of the times. I havent done any major servicing yet with the first proper service due only after 5000 kms but the rate at which i am currently using this car, i should have the car ready for servicing in about 2 months. Hopefully the mileage of the car should improve a bit after that service.

I am still absolutely loving the car. Driving it is very comfortable and even during long distances, i dont feel tired at all.

Update 3500 KMS

Its has been 3500 KMS and the car is still rocking. I got a new highway average of 19 KMPL once but that was because it was an express highway and i was driving at a constant speed of 80 KMPH.

Good Fuel Economy, Funky Styling, Great City CarCrampy back seat, meagre boot space