This week we drive two new cars, one from Maruti and the other from Hyundai; and marvel at just how far vehicles have come in two decades

Before I start out, I would like to comment on the cattle crisis on Indian roads. There are terrible accidents that are occurring where people are dying because cattle are roaming on the highways. I genuinely have no sympathy for farmers whose cattle have been mowed down by trucks and the last week in Rajasthan, I noticed quite a few dead ones on the roads but I also saw two accidents where cars had been destroyed by bovines. Not only are India’s cattle contributing immensely to global warning, they are a clear and present danger to Indian road users, both on highways and in cities.

But that said, the handling and the braking performance in modern vehicles help in cow avoidance. And that is a truly incredible because not so long ago, when you bought a car from a mass market brand, you were not buying performance but transportation. My first car in 2002 was a Maruti Alto and the only thing I wish from those times are the padded seats. I’m not a fan of slimline, single-piece seats either on planes or cars but they keep costs down so have become a fact of life.

But what has also become a fact of life is just how good most new cars are. The last  week I drove the new Maruti-Suzuki XL6 and the Hyundai i10 Nios. Both vehicles are incredibly refined, feature-rich and of great value. And while Marutis and Hyundais have always ticked the value box, in the past, you wouldn’t have described the steering as precise and the handling as sharp, unless you had an old-school Maruti 800. I got off the Nios and drove the support car, a Grand i10, which isn’t a car at all, but the new generation vehicle is just so much.

But let us talk of the Maruti first, the XL6 is the premium version of the Ertiga. It replaces the bench in the middle-row with captain seats and gets a new front-end with fancy LED projector headlights and some extra plastic cladding on the side. It is the not-so-rich man’s version of the Toyota Innova Crysta, which isn’t surprising, given that Maruti and Toyota are now BFFs and there is a distinct possibility that Maruti-Toyota India Limited is not so far away. And the XL6 could well wear a Toyota badge sooner.

From drivability, thanks to Suzuki’s new Heartech platform, which does service on all their new vehicles. It rides and handles very well. While driving on the winding and twisty road up to Jaigarh Fort outside Jaipur, it did not feel like you were driving an MPV. The K15 engine, the same as the Ciaz has more than enough power and you never feel a lack of it unless you really, really want to gun it down the highway. But that sort of driving might get the people in the back sick so I decided to quit my driving duties and sat at the back. This is because I feel that most XL6 owners will be driven around and the third-row might also get used during family outings.

The XL6 may not be as large as the Crysta but truth be told, it does not feel that small in the middle row. Leg-room and comfort is quite good actually even with the front seats all the way back. The third-row is reclinable and while it isn’t what you’d call great, the fact that the second-row has captain seats means that leg-room feels better than the Ertiga because one leg is free to be in the tunnel between the second-row seats. Both the second and third-rows have cupholders and 12V power outlets although Maruti should give more direct USB points. As for negatives, again, given what I feel this vehicle will be used for and its premium nature, thanks to the fact that it will be sold through Nexa, it should have had at least the option of a six/seven airbag variant. That is another change from even a decade ago, where I would not be cribbing about a lack of a multiple airbag variant but that is a negative. Indeed, the lack of multiple airbag variants has become a talking point on several new cars and not just the XL6 but also the Seltos. And given that, we have hordes of cattle on the road, which pose a massive hazard. It should be something Indian carmakers should consider.

On to the i10 Nios, which we have already established is far better than the outgoing car. There is a clear styling resemblance to the Santro from the front and the rear, a new Hyundai design language if you must, the very wide front grille and the compact tail lights. Inside too, there is the infotainment display and digital instrument console, all in one unit, everything is where it should be and there are two USB charging ports and a wireless charging tray at the front. Rear leg-room is actually quite good for a car of its class and so is the luggage space, making this the perfect car for young families and it will be in stiff competition with the Swift.

And the competition with the Swift will not be on practicality but also performance. The 1.2 engine on the i10 Nios has been tuned not just for fuel economy. On the highway, it is surprisingly adept at accelerating in fifth gear from 50 to 90. Handling, never a virtue on earlier Hyundais is great on the Nios, particularly when you consider this is a mass-produced hatchback. Many years ago, my then girlfriend (and now wife) owned an early Hyundai Santro, the one with the linear tail lights and frankly, that car wallowed in corners. It is remarkable to think that both cars came from the same manufacturer. Hyundai has come a long way indeed.

Negatives? Well I’m really not convinced by the AMT on the automatic version. I would not use the term ‘lazy’ to describe it rather the term languid. And even when you use the shifter manually, it feels slow. Then there is the kickdown when you go to a lower gear. There is this hesitation when you floor the accelerator pedal like the gearbox asking you whether you’re sure you want to do what you’re doing, and then it goes nuts — revving till the redline. Yes, AMTs have made automatic gearboxes affordable in India and in some cars, they’re pretty good, — the new Santro. The AMT on the petrol i10 Nios is not one of them though. I’m sure Hyundai will fix that or get a better gearbox but one thing they should really consider on this car is to fit the GDI engine from the Venue in this. And with the steering and handling so solid, that car could be a pocket rocket and India needs a new peppy hatchback.