Mahindra Verito Vibe

Mahindra made a surprising move when they launched an under four metre hatch.

Verito sedan also known as Logan when Mahindra and Renault were together was a huge success story.
Vibe is actually a trimmed version of the Verito. Vibe cannot be called as a hatch because when we open the boot, the rear glass remains at its fixed position. This actually is one of the problems in the Vibe. The fixed position of the glass makes loading luggage or bulky stuff very difficult.

Moving in, Vibe is one of the few cars that can easily and comfortably seat 3 people at the back. There's enough shoulder and leg room for the passengers at the back. That's one of the many good things about this car.

Coming to the fuel efficiency,  it can do just better than 12 kmpl in the city and around 16 kmpl on the highway which are very good figures.

The Vibe has the same 1.5l diesel engine that we saw in the Logan and now in the Verito and also the Duster. It is available in 3 variants,  D2 , D4 and D6. D2 is priced at Rs. 6.8 lakhs, D4 at Rs. 7.1 lakhs and D6 at Rs. 8 lakhs.

At 172mm, the ground clearance of the Vibe is more than some of the SUV's which allows it to take on any kibd of roads.

The major let down of the Verito Vibe is the cost. It is priced at Rs. 8 lakhs which is higher than the expected cost.

The overall on road dynamics are very good. The Vibe can easily reach 100s on the highway and gives a good control. The looks are same as the Verito. The interiors are good but not that great. They could have been better considering what Mahindra have done to the XUV.

The Vibe is a nicely built spacious and a tough car which is a bit low on the styling and also loses out on the price. It could have done much better had Mahindra priced it better.

What to expect from Hyundai's Grand i10?

                                                 Hyundai Grand i10: From my sketchbook

The new Hyundai Grand i10 is not an extension of the current Hyundai i10. The Grand i10 has a slight increase in its dimensions as compared to the i10. This new hatch from Hyundai will be in between the i10 and the i20. The increased dimensions help in increasing the cabin and boot space. The wheelbase in increased by 100 mm which adds to better stability and control when driving.

The front end of the Grand i10 shows improvisation and it now looks a bit more stylish than the i10. It now has a huge trapezoidal grille. The headlamps of the Grand i10 are in 3D with multi-reflector chrome surround fog lamps from the HID Projector headlamps with Angel Eye. The front end of the Grand i10 now looks sporty and more aggressive than the i10.
The rear end is a curvy one which was flat in the i10. The light cluster is a elongated wraparound which stretches into the sides. The rear bumper is body colored and curvy and has reflectors at its ends.

The Grand i10 is definitely more spacious and provides more head and leg room than the i10. The Grand i10 provides a modern and good looking central console with climate control and a music system with 1GB inbuilt storage capacity. Also it has 2 tone interiors and electrically adjustable rear view mirrors.

The price is expected to be in between the i10 and the i20. Hyundai will try to price it so that it can grab hold of the market that is currently occupied by the Maruti Suzuki. The Grand will come with two engines, the 1.2 Kappa petrol and Hyundai's 1.1 U2 CRDi diesel.

Competitors:

Maruti Suzuki Ritz and the new Nissan Micra

Verdict:

It is a more spacious, good looking and an improvised version of the i10 we already know with even more features than the i20.

Now it all depends on how Hyundai decide to price it for the Indian market.