A fuss-free car

Exterior

A good looking car - it was a premium car of its time. The styling was ahead of its time with its long dropping nose/bonnet and narrow/sweeping headlight. It have one of the best boot space - making the rare heavy if loaded. The door close with nice "thud" giving confidence on safety aspect. It was built to last - I just sold my 15 year old Esteem (in good/running condition) and the buyer was impressed with its build quality. The sheet metal used was heavy and added to the weight of the car - it was supposed to keep the passengers safe. Overall it was a Fantastic car to live with in 1998-2007s

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

It was decent for 4 persons as the width was less compared to other in the segment. Headroom could be an issue for taller person. The most pathetic AC that I have ever seen on any car - even after monthly refills, it failed to cool the cabin everytime. Had to replace the compressor and still it did not deliver satisfactory results. It has decent legroom in front but cramped for rare passengers.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

The most exciting part was its Engine (1.3 L Vxi) was a delight to drive. It still had the might to take on most of the day-to-day cars and can beat them in drag race. The rev happy engine never shows signs of retiring - once I pushed it till 140 km/h (Hyd Bng highway) and it performed just fine. With a light foot you can expect 14 kmpl within city and 20kmpl on highways. The headlights were bit washed out as the clear glass lights were new launched.

Ride Quality & Handling

The suspension was tuned for comfort and was soft. The ride on highways is just breeze - floor the pedal and it will almost fly. As a result there was a lot of body roll when cornering. At low speeds the suspension could soak in all of bumps and pot holes but due to its low ground clearance, it would scrap the bottom frequently (when fully loaded).  

Final Words

Fantastic car of its time and keen drivers still use it (along with M Lancer) in rallys. 

Areas of improvement  

Design was old school and very poor Aircon. 

 

Solid performance, Super pickup, Comfortable ride, Fuel economyDated design, Unavailability of spares, Poor AC, Body roll