Finally Avventura Arrived

@acechip

EPS are used primarily to reduce efficiency losses: i.e., for the weight and fuel efficiency gains.

The better EPS systems simulate weight, accuracy and feel, particularly the first two.

The better eps systems are expensive and high-tech, and even they do not offer the feelsome-ness of a hydraulic unit. I have driven new bmw-s and volvo-s and mercs recently, TD cars (for a friend), EVEN they are clearly down on feel relative to say the Linea. In fact the new bmw steerings were a surprise in this respect, albeit still or so it is said, the best of the eps systems available.

The eps systems on indian mass-market cars are ALL cost-cut, low-tech ones, without the exception of VW and Ford (except for the withdrawn Fiesta sedan), let alone Maruti or Honda and even more: let alone Hyundai.

As such, what these latter Indian mass-market eps systems may grant in terms of lowspeed urban lightness of control, and of course lower cost and better fuel efficiency, they undoubtedly take back, at higher speeds, and when maneouvering suddenly at even say 40 or 60 kph, in terms of SAFETY.

Steering weight and feel are safety 'devices' first and foremost, and driving-pleasure enablers second. At least as far as i am concerned. The same goes for braking system progression, boosting and biting: weight and feel are essential for their safe employment at short notice.

No doubt steering system tech will soon-enough reach the stage of near perfect simulation of feel.

However, we will likely never see such systems even be considered for the Indian mass market which cares not a jot for such essential though expensive niceties.

PS: One hopes FCA retains the current hydraulic steering system on their all-new models, including esp the JEEP c-suv, the all-new Punto and Linea replacements etc, come 2017. Although the eps-s the 500X and renegade are equipped with must surely be good enough, still!

 

EPS are definitely safe provided they become heavy (feeling bit hard to move it) while the car is running at high speed. And become light at parking speeds.

I have not yet checked rear lower AC vent as I have not yet sat on rear seat with AC on Foot vents mode. Also I have never put it on Foot mode yet, so my family members are also not able to comment.

 

Fidgeting around at 120 kph in a Wagon R without power steering will be as much dangerous as one with EPS. And a Wagon-R with EPS at high speed will be far more dangerous than an EPS equipped BMW .

Therefore, the chassis and vehicle dynamics are still the more important aspects. People must learn to respect the dynamic limits of their vehicles. Personally speaking, I find the electro-hydraulic steering of my Duster not much different from the Linea T-Jet. But I sure know that the Duster can be a bit hairy at 120 kph plus as compared to the Linea. So never try to venture into that territory.

 

@acechip @prabhjot I had Wagon R with Electronic Power Steering - 2006 edition. I drove it extensively for 9 long years even in highways. Today I have Avventura and I even drove extensively Swift Dezire and the old Zen and i10. All the cars have EPS except Avvy. But the feeling of all the cars at high speed is different. With Wagon R anything above 90kmph would be causing uneasy to me. The best speed of Wagon R at highways was 80-85 kmph. She was so smooth in that range. With old Zen and i10 85 -90 is nice but not above that. Swift dezire is stable at 100 kmph but in a straight line.
So I personally feel the vehicle dynamics, weight and the chasis plays an important role more than EPS and HPS.
EPS and HPS can be comparable if the same vehicle have both EPS and HPS models.
Its true EPS is good for the city like Kolkata , Mumbai and Delhi(old) where you have numerous small bye lanes and bumper to bumper traffic.
But , telling that, I am not feeling uneasy with my Avvy in Kolkata , already driven about 500 km (with temp registration) and in the Puja season where you have more people and traffic in the roads.

 

Avventura steering is cumbersome( requires more muscle power) only during parking the car at difficult slots
. At speeds more than parking speeds, there is no problem.

In b2b traffic too, when you want to quickly change the lane so as to squeeze - in in the approx 5 m long empty space in the other lane, there is no problem doing it quickly, only extra thing required is muscle power.
In case of wagon R or hyundai steering lane can be changed similarly with minimal muscle power. But AFA steering feedback is concerned in these situations fiats win hands down.

 

hi..getting deal of 9.05 lakhs plus floor mats. Parking sensor and camera 9500 rs extra.but catch is I have to do it final by tomorrow for obvious October sales.
what you guys say.

 

Go for it, mere bhai/dost, what else!

@rohitsharma

 

@rohitsharma you have got 5,000/- better deal than me.

Take it immediately .

But what colour?? Take the red one. It is catching everybody's eyes

 

Red color must be cheaper than other metallic colours.

 

orange is eye catching...and looks gorgeous