VFM

I have been owning this car from October 2008. In fact i would be perhaps among the first to own the 1.2 Kappa Version as they launched the Kappa in September 2008.

Exterior When this was launched it was a stylish one. Even after around 7 years this is a decent exterior. I have been giving a polish every 2-3 months and it still has the shine. Compact car and it fits easily in any parking space. I stay in Pune and trust me i never had an issue parking in the lanes of Lakshmi Road.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) It had decent features when I purchased the car but now they look old. Still the audio i had (Blaunfinkt) is going good for me. Has decent space for 4 people . In the past 7 years i drove around 42k kilometers and i typically drive quite safely. I find the shock absorbers not that effective now.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This still gives me around 14kmpl in city condition though i fill the shell petrol which typically gives me a 1 kmpl more than the other petrol. Not much maintainainace i had to do though typically the authorized owners push for things which don't make much sense during the annual maintainance. check your manual carefully and don't fall for anything that the authorized owners advise. On an average I spend around 6 to 7 k on maintainance which includes once a year maintainaince and another oil change.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is still good though the potholes needs safer negotiation.

Final Words Value for money. if you have any spare parts that need replacement it won't typically burn your pocket. I used to get an average of around 16 in city conditions earlier which has now come down to around 14 after 40k kilometers of riding and 7 years of driving.  City traffic it is very easy to drive considering the pickup it has. Do a proper oil change in 6 months and once a year maintainance (assuming you don't drive more than 10k kilometers in a year) and you wil not spend more than 10k on maintainance (including insurance). Tyres are still good for me with the one rupee coin test. i have till date only changed the battery at around 35k kilometers.

Areas of improvement Servicing needs to improve. I experience and i hear that most of the authorized service garage ask for things which are not necessarily required. Say a firm no in case they are not mentioned in the manual book. Try reading it properly.

Fuel Economy, Less Maintenance, Good PickupShock absorber, overall quality