A long weekend is on the way and if the rain Gods decide to let loose their fury I might just be able to extend it to close to a week, this being my thought process after putting in some long hours in office after an eventful annual conference – the reasons for saying that best kept to myself.
Anyway, as I was saying – the long weekend’s knocking at my door, and almost intuitively the ed seems to come up with a mouth-watering offer. The benevolent man that he is, he offers to hand me the brand new Chevy SRV and the Hyundai Accent Viva. But then again I knew there was much more to this act of benevolence and it did not take the ed long to map out directions.
So here I am beginning an interesting weekend, to say the least, at some unearthly hour in the morning with my trusted snapper and another unfortunate soul from the Hyundai clan. However, the Gods seem merciful, the rains seem to be holding off for the moment and although the roads are just beginning to soak in the water we are hopeful of favourable conditions. And what did we know, the Sun, whose face we have almost forgotten, also decided to make a few cameos.
So here it is, stage set and enough time to get up close and personal with the cars and try to find the little nitty-gritty's that set them apart not only from the pack but from each other as well. A long enough stretch of black tarmac, which sort of disappears every now and then, going as far as our imagination and time would permit us and a drive which could test the vehicles not only on varying surfaces but also various natural disasters like craters and flash floods and near-zero visibility.
Driving out of the manic city and you begin feeling better already, despite the insane hour. The light traffic allows us to get a little adventurous and gobble up miles at a good pace. First up is the Chevrolet SRV, a hatch, larger than a lot of sedans and with ‘sport’ oozing from every end. And I mean end: look at that tailpipe! The sleek lines, the large chrome grille, the stunning 15-inch alloys and how can you forget that beautifully designed rear-end that has had me mesmerized since it first broke cover. If the exterior styling is anything to go by, the interiors don't disappoint either. Low front seats, the driver gets height adjust, two-tone scheming on the dash with a slick aluminium-finish strip running across, a small steering wheel with honk buttons that take a little getting used to and a superb Alpine system giving good company. Seating at the rear is opulent, with enough leg and shoulder room for three adults to share. However, the waistline is pretty high and might be a bit suffocating. The rear windscreen allows just about enough visibility although backing into tight spots can be challenging, the fat C-pillar adding to your woes. The boot, however, offers enough space for all your picnic baskets but the big suitcases maybe a problem.
Before dissecting the SRV any further, it is time for a change of smell (Hyundais smell very different, if you’ve noticed) and a change in my ride. Slide behind the wheel of the Viva and you are instantly aware of how much higher you are sitting and how much more this typically Korean design is aimed at practicality rather than bling. The grille reminds you of typical Oriental dragons just waiting to spit fire but the rest of the Viva is adorned with the lacklustre Accent lines. The neat and compact boot offers some relief to the eye, even more so when the maw is open out wide as our lensman observed. It is considerably bigger than the SRV's boot too, although the bench does not split like the SRV taking away some versatility. The basic and functional interiors are very focussed on practicality and don't really match up to the more modern SRV. The adjustable steering wheel, supportive seats – here too the driver gets height adjust – and enough room for comfy seating, although the SRV offers more of that, and the large boot, which sure can hold your weekend load. There may not be any airbags on offer but there is the very useful ABS option for the safety-conscious.
Getting down to driving the hot looking SRV and you quickly realise it does far too little as against what it promises in the ads (didn't we always know they were misleading?), the looks and everything else. The engine is unrefined and sluggish and the godawful shift is even further away from inspiring any sort of sporty intent. Engine booming and battles fought with the shifter and the SRV is in motion and there is some relief. Decent ride, even on the low profile tyres, which are a part of the optional package, and good handling helps the SRV redeem itself to some extent in my book. But then again, the steering wheel, although well positioned, is static and there is only one airbag, for the driver with no option for a passenger airbag or ABS for a car that costs a little short of Rs 9 lakhs, on-road Mumbai!
Switching over to the Viva and the smooth engine and gearbox put a smile on your face. Relaxed and at one with the car, with a clear view of your corners the Viva is extremely easy to drive and the light steering makes it even easier in the city. Start pushing it and the engine responds smartly bringing up the ton in 12.74 seconds, not the slightest murmur escaping its exhaust and the shifter's short and precise throws just adding to the experience. Taller gears on the Viva means you need to downshift to get the power back to get past traffic or back to speed after avoiding that Godzilla-sized pothole, but not an issue with the smooth shifter at hand.
On our way up the twisting ghat roads and concentrating hard on getting lines right through corners and pushing the duo of cars at hand to the limit and what do you know, the fatter rubber and the better body control with decent steering feedback makes the SRV good fun, well if you manage to get your shifts right that is. The Viva on the other hand is quite unprepared for such driving and feels extremely skittish and before you know it, the back is stepping out of line as body-roll magnifies the slightest corner, the light steering not providing much assistance here either, and demanding constant correction or even an opposite lock to sort things out. Not for the weak-hearted, but some people on the other hand live for this sort of action, not me though.
End of the day, and the rain iscoming back down while the sun goes to slumber somewhere behind the dark grey clouds and watching the cars disappearing into darkness and my heart goes out to the SRV. If ever I were to buy a car to park on my driveway and gaze at… it would surely be the SR-V. But, the disappointment that it is as a driver's car excludes it from that list of hot-hatches. The Viva on the other hand does not quite excite, but it does the basics so well and it is so practical that you can't help but overlook the mediocrity of its design and want to own one.