Introduction
It’s a diesel, it’s painted in (Gravity) grey, and it’s a pseudo SUV, all things common between the latest long termer at the CarWale garage and my daily driver back home. As the Syros drives in, it gives my personal car a break for the next few months by becoming my daily steed as we battle the harsh monsoons and whatever craters, potholes, flood-ravaged roads, relentless city traffic, and whatever else the sorry state of streets in and around Mumbai can throw at us.
What immediately stands out and appeals to me is the interior, be it the look and feel, the design, the way Kia has played with the colour palette and themes, or even the smaller yet significant things that we usually tend to miss out in the daily hustle of our lives.
The Plan
Over the next three months, we will go full tilt with the Syros, putting it through grueling city commutes, few road trips with friends, family, and colleagues alike, and based on our running, maybe even a service report if we hit the service interval on the kilometres front.
In our daily commutes, we will provide a thorough report on how the car is to own, how it behaves on the city and the highway, under full load, and various performance parameters as well. Since the main focus of the Syros is its rear seat package, I will indulge in the occasional perks of being chauffeured while gauging how comfortable the second row is, and whether it can pamper me enough to recommend it to a few curious folks back in office.
The Specs
In typical fashion, the Syros we have here is the fully-loaded HTX+ (O) variant, priced at Rs. 21.29 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). It derives power from a 1.5-litre, four-pot diesel engine coupled with a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The power output stands at 114bhp and 250Nm, with a claimed mileage of 17.65kmpl.
Customers of the Syros will be pampered with a plethora of features, some of which include ventilated front seats with electric adjustment for the driver, 360-degree camera, Trinity display, six airbags, and a wireless charger. I was particularly enamoured by the panoramic sunroof, which not only allows more light into the cabin thus giving it a more spacious feel, but also lets you enjoy the monsoons, cue to the song ‘raindrops keep falling on my head’ running in the background.
The party trick of the Syros is the rear bench seat, which comes with recline, slide, and ventilation functions. It also comes with a Level 2 ADAS suite and boasts as many as 16 autonomous features, which we plan to test thoroughly over the next few months. We will also understand their sensitivity and whether or not they can be conveniently switched on and off as per user preference.
What’s Next?
We’ve already begun our stint with the Syros and covered a few hundred kilometres over the last few days. We will continue with this cycle of daily commutes, which involves travelling an average of 50km per day. This will be followed by a stint where the car can stretch its legs on the highway, where fuel efficiency and the ongoing relevance of diesels (at least for me) will play a major role. Will the Syros deliver on the said lines and emerge as a champion, or fall short of the tasks at hand? Only time will tell.
Product Details
Make: Kia
Model: Syros Automatic
Trim: HTX+ (O)
Fuel: Diesel
Kilometres this month: NA
Fuel efficiency: NA
Price when tested: 21.29 lakh, OTR, Mumbai
Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi
