My Polo is finally back, but strangely enough when I want to zip around town, I still end up taking the trusty little Grand i10 Nios. I like the light steering around town and the small conveniences — Android Auto, keyless entry and the reversing camera — make it a more stress free experience as opposed to my slightly dated German hatch. The small proportions and slick gearbox make it a breeze to park in those tight spots outside the grocery store, and the engine has enough power for quick overtakes, given you’re in the right gear though.
The Nios is a looker too, my girlfriend was very vocal about how well-proportioned it looks, and the dark teal paintjob is an eye- grabber. With a heap of shoots this month, as a videographer, another advantage I found in the Nios was its ability to be a very good tracking car thanks to the smooth engine and gearbox. Slot it into second, be gentle on the throttle and it will ride smoothly for your photo and video team to sit at the rear and capture crisp shots. Speaking of the rear, our photography intern Abhishek Benny even dozed off in the boot during a tiring night shoot.
However, there’s a strange glitch associated to this particular car. The MID randomly displays ‘R’, making you wonder if the car is in the reverse gear! Well, it is technically impossible for a manual car to pull a gear change by itself and this, we reckon, is just a minor software glitch. Funny thing is even the reverse camera pops up, making the music volume dip, giving you an unwanted view of the traffic behind you. Not hazardous, but annoying to say the least.