Mahindra Genio

At GV we test cars nonstop. And most of the time you can see us at a certain petrol pump near a certain expressway, sipping coffee and discussing how cars behave on the road. Most of the guys who work at this certain petrol pump are very familiar with our faces. We too know them pretty well considering how often we go there. So when we pulled into said petrol bunk in a Mahindra Genio with yellow plates, we were a bit taken aback when we did not get the same treatment we usually get. And when we rolled our windows and stuck our heads out, we were greeted by a “Sir! Aap?” and a puzzled expression. This was how the Genio’s test began.

The Genio is Mahindra’s effort to increase its dominant share in the pickup segment. If the nearly identical 1.2 tonne payload capacity does not say this, the list of features surely will. The Genio is a very handsome looking pickup. The first time I saw one on the road, it was barrelling down the hill at me in Shimla. Truth be told, I almost leaked some body fluids that time (almost). So I know for a fact that when Mahindra claims the Genio’s front end looks intimidating, they are not kidding. The clear lens head lamps, the chicken mesh grille, the kinked turn indicators and sporty bumpers come together in one good looking package. In the cosmetics department, that’s all I have to say about the Genio, because after the front half of the vehicle, it is just a plain sheet metal loading bay. Look at the vehicle from the side and you realize that at almost 5.3 metres, the Genio is really, really long. Anyone (especially people not used to large vehicles such as this) attempting U-turns on highways should bear in mind that more likely than not, your rear end is going to be sticking out and in the way of oncoming traffic.

Once you step inside the cabin, you have to step out again instantly. Not because there’s a snake inside, but to make sure that you’re in a Genio and not a Xylo. The dash in the Genio is borrowed from the Xylo. The only difference being that in our test car the AC vents and all knobs had been boarded up with bits of plastic. The steering wheel and gear lever are from the Xylo as well. The instrument cluster layout too is similar but instead of the same instrumentation, there is only a speedo, fuel gauge and temperature indicator. The wing mirrors are not internally adjustable though. Maybe I’m forgetting this is a commercial vehicle after all. The seats offer good support but lack a head rest and height adjustment. The beige colour theme looks better than the grey or black that seems to be a mark of commercial vehicles these days.

The Genio runs a 2489cc inline 4-cylinder mDI CRDe engine that churns out 76PS of power and 220Nm of torque with all that torque spread between 1400 and 2200rpm. This is 40Nm more than its closest competition, the 207DI. In our test we saw a top speed of 138kmph on the speedo with the actual speed being 127kmph. I must say that this is way more than the 120kmph claimed by the manufacturer. 100 klicks came in at 26.94 seconds in very wet conditions. The power is delivered via a 5-speed manual transmission which Mahindra calls NGT 520 R V1.

Mahindra uses independent front suspension and rear leaf springs on the Genio.The ride quality, Mahindra claims, enhances ride comfort. But this being a load carrier, it is designed to carry heavy loads and typically softens once fully loaded. Unladen, the ride is rather stiff. It runs ventilated discs in front with drums at the rear. They bring the vehicle to a stop from 60kmph in 24.22m within 3.25 seconds. But it needs to be said that under hard braking the Genio feels very unstable, again something that gets sorted once it is fully loaded.

The manufacturer offers the Genio in single cab and double cab variants. The single cab is bare basic with only adjustable steering as a plus point. The double cab variant meanwhile is, for lack of a better word, quite fancy. It comes loaded with goodies such as aircon, a 2-DIN music system with CD changer and USB connectivity and car like seating. Pretty good value for money we feel. The Genio can only be registered with yellow plates in Maharashtra and while going to print Mumbai prices were not yet available. The single cab is priced at ` 4.99 lakh (ex showroom Navi Mumbai) for the BS3 version. The double cab is priced at ` 5.46 lakh for the base version and ` 5.95 lakh for the high end VX (both ex-showroom Karnataka). With so much going for it, we feel that the double cab VX is clearly the cream of the lot. So now whenever you need a vehicle to lug stuff to your farm or to add to your fleet of CVs, you know where to go. As for the competition, the Genio says only one thing – bring it on! 

Hyundai’s Eon

The wraps are finally off the sub-Santro that Hyundai has been working on for a long time now. It’s called the Eon and it has all the makings of a game changer; after all what Hyundai has in sights is India’s best-selling car - the Maruti Suzuki Alto. Hyundai’s India story began with a hatchback but sales of the ageing Santro have been sliding and though the i10 is doing well, Hyundai lacks a direct rival to the Alto. That’s the task of the Eon.

The styling is definitely going to win over buyers. Hyundai has applied its fluidic design philosophy to good effect with the front end taking cues from the new Verna and i10. The headlamps in fact are more elaborately designed than any Hyundai we have seen to date and the massive front wheelarch adds lots of visual bulk to the nose. The side profile shows a prominent shoulder line that originates from the headlamp, swoops up along the rear window line and melds into the taillamps. The massive taillights that look like they’ve been modelled on Batman’s throwing stars and the overall effect is extremely eye-catching. That it will find favour with a million buyers is without doubt, however to the purist Hyundai does seem to have gone overboard with the styling.

On the engine front Hyundai have finally jumped onto the 3-cylinder bandwagon. The Eon sports a 814cc petrol engine similar to the Santro and i10’s 1.1-litre iRDE four-cylinder with one cylinder lopped off. Peak power is 56PS developed at 5500rpm, 9PS more than the Alto (47PS). Peak torque is 76.5Nm at 4000rpm (Alto, 62Nm). The Alto, kerb weight of 690kg, is however lighter than the Eon by 35kilos.  

At 3495mm the Eon is the same length as the Alto. However it is 75mm wider at 1550mm. It’s 35mm taller as well at 1500m. Wheelbase also pips the Alto's by 20mm at 2380mm. In fact the Eon has the longest wheelbase and is the widest car in its class.  There’s a generous 211-litre boot as well.

We drove the top variant, the Sportz, Hyundai’s Chennai test track but there are plans for several variants. The images you see here are the official ones provided by Hyundai. The choice will range from the base model - no aircon or power steering - to the fully loaded Sportz - a stereo with aux/USB, power steering, front power windows and a driver’s airbag, no ABS though.

The interiors employ a smart combination of beige and black plastics and silver accents. The cabin has abundant headroom but lack of leg room in the rear makes it feel a bit cramped. But the Alto is even more cramped in the rear. The seats feel soft but provide good lumbar and decent thigh support. There are plenty of India-specific features like a scooped out storage tray on the top of the dash and one-litre bottle holders in the doors. The Sportz runs 13-inch steel wheels with plastic covers and 155/70 section tyres. We hear that the lower variants will run 12-inch wheels instead.

The Eon is an easy and friendly car to drive. Its steering is light with a consistent feel. The engine has the de rigueur three cylinder thrum and vibration at idle manifests in the juddering gear knob. Things smoothen out once you rev the engine a bit. Low down torque is decent like most small Hyundais and the Eon pulls from 40kmph in fifth without fuss.

The ride is supple and the Eon soaks up minor to moderate bumps well. Hyundai claim an ARAI-certified 21.1kmpl to the Alto K-10’s 20.2kmpl.

The Eon is slated for launch around Diwali. We expect pricing to range from Rs 3.2 to Rs 3.5 lakh, Rs 20,000-odd below the Santro and a similar amount more than the Alto. With the dramatic styling, interiors, adequate space and efficient engine it looks like the Eon could seriously threaten the Alto's reign as the best-selling car in the country.

Nissan Sunny

Nissan has launched its much awaited sedan - the Sunny at Rs 5.78 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. It is the second Nissan car to be manufactured completely in India after the Micra. It uses Nissan’s all-new HR15DE 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder DOHC petrol unit that produces 99PS at 6000rpm and 134Nm of torque at 4000rpm, even as its ARAI fuel efficiency figure stands at 16.95kmpl.

The Sunny is available in three trims namely XE, XL and XV. The base XE variant offers a black interior scheme with tilt-adjustable power steering, ABS and a single airbag for the driver. The XL variant in addition to these gets a passenger airbag as well, along with rear air blower (not air con vents but a fan), power windows, body coloured mirrors, chrome door handles, rear demister, electrically adjustable wing mirrors, central locking, full wheel covers, a 4-speaker stereo system with an Aux-in port but no USB, steering mounted audio controls and keyless entry. The fully loaded XV variant also features electric folding outside mirrors, alloy wheels, outside temperature display, push button ignition and front fog lamps. All models will be available in six different shades. The base and middle variants are shod with 185/70-R14 tyres, while the XV gets 185/65-R15 tyres on 15-inch alloy wheels.   

The Sunny is manufactured at the company’s Oragadam plant near Chennai, and Nissan is already accepting bookings for the Sunny.