After spending months and time discussing, finally daddy is getting a family car that can hold at least 8 people.
So we had decided to buy the car - Suzuki APV om this coming Thursday.He will be heading down to the car dealer with mum and brother.
The feature of the car are as follows:
The generous ground clearance is meant to address flood problems in certain countries. The downside of having a high centre of gravity, though, is that it affects handling. The APV is best driven in a laid-back manner. For example, slow down sufficiently upon entering a corner, don't intentionally give it too much gas upon exit and it will flow around the bend gracefully. For as long as you avoid driving like a hooligan, the APV will do just fine.
Body roll is inevitable, but there's a decent amount of grip from the tyres. The chassis is surprisingly rigid and the softly sprung suspension soaks up potholes efficiently, although the ride can get a little choppy on undulating roads.
The steering has a slow rack, but it provides a lot of feedback to the driver. We found the brakes to have a mushy feel, although biting power is excellent.
The 92bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder is a little puny for an eight-seater and you can especially feel it gasping for breath when there are more than five people on board. But don't get the wrong impression here. The APV is still capable of hauling its passengers up a steep-ish slope even at full capacity, except it does it slowly. In terms of refinement, the engine is reasonably smooth and quiet, and it makes a rather sporty note above 4,000rpm. The four-speed automatic gearbox is responsive and it shifts flawlessly.
The APV is about 300mm shorter and narrower than the Carens but it has a wheelbase that's around 10mm longer.
The APV is even taller than Suzuki's own Grand Vitara. In fact, standing at 1855mm, the APV is lankier than large SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) such as the BMW X5 and Volvo XC90.
These dimensions translate into a roomy interior. Having eight adults in the APV shouldn't be too much of a problem, unless each of them is the size of a baby elephant. There's plenty of legroom all round, but it's too bad there's no fore-and-aft adjustment in the second row, which would free up even more room for last-row passengers.
Boot space is limited with the third-row seats up. However, it can be easily expanded by folding the rear seats forward, which then liberates enough space to allow you to transport something as big as a washing machine.
The interior plastics are of decent quality for a car in this price range, while the build quality is more than just acceptable.
The 2-DIN factory-fitted head unit looks presentable, all the switches feel nice to use and the seats offer ample body support.
The steps cut into the body by the doors are a thoughtful touch to make ingress and egress a breeze, and the rear air-conditioning system is a brilliant feature to have for a car like the APV.
Priced at $61,500 with COE, the APV comes with two airbags, rear air-conditioning, leather upholstery, full power windows, electric mirrors, central locking with remote control, chrome-plated wing mirrors, fog lamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, door mouldings and a body-kit.
So if everyting goes well, we will be just in time to use the car during CNY.
Lol.... Reali can't wait animore... :P
