Plentiful new hatchback cars to choose from

Driving and living in a city is stressful especially in a city like Jakarta with its poor transportation infrastructure and congested roads.

Finding a place to park your car, especially on the street, is aa headache compounded with the recent fuel prices hike

That's why more people are looking to buy a fuel efficient car which is powerful enough to drive around the city plus being compact enough to make it easier to navigate the treacherous Jakarta streets.

Perhaps that's why people are turning to hatchback sedans or mini multipurpose vehicles (MPVs). Both are not so different in their physical appearance to the two-row, five-seater cars. A mini MPV, however, will have more space at the rear section than a hatchback.

Currently there are plenty of options available in this segment and newcomers keep coming especially those in the 1,500 cc class. Recently PT KIA Mobil Indonesia (KMI) launched the KIA Pride while PT Indomobil Niaga International re-introduced the Suzuki Swift.

There are also cars with a fresh look such as Chevrolet Aveo from PT General Motors Indonesia (GMI) and Volkswagen Golf Plus from PT Car and Cars Indonesia.

KIA Pride was launched on Sept. 23 and comes with a four- cylinder, 16-valve 1,400 cc engine with double overhead camshaft (DOHC) technology generating a top power of 94 horsepower (hp) at 6,000 revolution per minute (rpm) and maximum torque of 124.5 Newtonmeter (Nm) at 4,700 rpm.

Available in blue sapphire, cashmere beige, clear silver, midnight black, and tropical red, KIA Pride is offered at Rp 133 million (US$13,400) for manual and Rp 147.5 million for automatic transmission.

"We are confident that KIA Pride will be accepted by the market because it has so many unique features that are not available in other cars in its class," said PT KMI sales and marketing director Suwanda Setiadi.

The South Korean carmaker claims KIA Pride has low noise and vibration levels inside the car thanks to its triple sealed door frame and dash insulation pad.

The provision of a hydrolic system in its engine mounting also helps reducing engine vibration inside the cabin.

Meanwhile, Suzuki Swift was introduced to the Indonesian public during the Gaikindo Auto Expo in July and will be officially launched on Friday.

It comes with a 1,500 cc M15A DOHC engine with variable valve- timing technology producing a top power of 110 horsepower (hp) at 6,000 revolution per minute (rpm) and maximum torque of 143 Newtonmeter (Nm) at 4,000 rpm.

Suzuki Swift with a manual transmission is tagged at Rp Rp 155.5 million while its automatic transmission version is tagged at Rp 166.5 million.

Actually Suzuki Swift is not a new name as its "ancestor" was quite popular here in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The line was then continued by Suzuki Forsa.

Its safety features include anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and dual supplemental restraining system (SRS) airbags.

Meanwhile, the new Chevrolet Aveo is a dressed-up version as PT GMI president director Ali Pandir put it: "New Chevrolet Aveo is redesigned to give the Aveo a fresh new look, and at the same time incorporate new features that will provide motorists with the best experience in terms of design, performance and comfort."

Launched on Oct. 20, the new Chevy is powered by a 4-cylinder, 1,1498 cc sporty engine with single overhead camshaft (SOHC) technology.

The engine delivers a top performance of 86 hp at 5,600 rpm and maximum torque of 128 Nm at 3,000 rpm. It is available with a 4-speed automatic transmission priced at Rp 139.5 million or a 5- speed manual gearbox offered at Rp 134.7 million.

To ensure survival in Indonesia's heat and humidity, the new Chevrolet Aveo is built to meet heavy duty anti-corrosion specifications. Liberal use of fully galvanized steel in body panels and highly corrosion resistant metals for fasteners and brackets will help retain Aveo's quality appearance.

As for Volkswagen Golf Plus, it is the latest member of the popular Golf model -- first produced in 1974 -- introduced in Germany in January and launched in Jakarta here on Oct. 3.

Its roofline is 9.5 centimeters higher while the front seats are 7.5 centimeters higher. There is also an extra 2.4 cm legroom in the rear seat than the standard Golf -- as well as a different appearance -- due to a thorough redesign process.

This gives VW Golf Plus a more spacious interior -- ranging from 395 liters up to 1,450 liters -- thanks to its folding and sliding rear seats.

It has a larger engine capacity of 1,595 cc with a maximum output of 102 hp at 5,600 rpm and torque of 148 Nm at 3,800 rpm. Available only in six-speed automatic transmission, it is also much more expensive at Rp 307 million.

Front passenger and driver are protected by dual front, side and curtain airbags while rear passengers are protected by curtain airbags. ABS, brake assist (BA) and EBD are standard safety features.

With such a wide range of options, one should carefully study his or her needs -- as well as the depth of one's pocket -- before making a choice. -- Novan Iman Santosa