Hyundai Getz 2002 Review

Getz ready, Getz set, you're about to be bombarded by the biggest marketing campaign ever undertaken by Hyundai's Australian importers. Everywhere you turn - TV, magazines, radio, newspapers, internet, billboards - you'll be shotgunned by $8 million worth of advertising and marketing strong arm tactics. Heck, at the launch of the new Getz Hyundai spent almost twice as much time telling the media about the marketing strategy than it did about the new car. And it all has one simple intention: Hyundai wants you to Getz into it. In droves.

Which immediately makes us skeptical about the merits of this new sub-$15k offering from the king of the cut-priced import. Hyundai cut its name on driveaway pricing and $2000 cashback deals in the 1990s with the Hyundai Excel - stripped down motoring at its best. And then, with the launch of the Accent in 1999, it promptly deserted the first time new car buyer on a budget.

Hyundai's back with a bang, and like us, you'll have to throw all preconceptions out the window, because the Getz is a very accomplished, very affordable compact car. Let's take a look.

Two bodystyles, two specification levels, 12 colours and prices starting at $14,990 for the GL three-door. In typical Hyundai fashion drive-away pricing is there for the asking at launch (September 2002), a saving of between $1500-$2000.

The Getz is closest in size to the Holden Barina. Think 3.8 metres long, roughly 1.5metres tall and 1.65metres wide. Both the three-door and the five-door ride on the same wheelbase and sit on the same length chassis, so the only thing you give up is two doors, not interior space.

External styling is very Euro influenced, very clean and almost elegant. In the last couple of years Hyundai's pulled some very stylish vehicles out of its womb, which makes us wonder where the designers were hiding before that.

The Euro theme continues on the inside with a well organised dashboard and instrument fascia with tactful chrome touches. We're not big fans of the dimpled black dash covering however, but the rest of the cabin works well.

Buyers have a choice of both the three- ($14,990) and five-door ($16,990) model in GL trim, which includes power steering, four speaker CD player, driver's airbag, engine immobiliser. The upspec FX model is three door only, costs $19,990 at launch and adds air conditioning, fog lamps, power windows, central locking and tilt and height adjust on the driver's seat. FX is distinguishable externally by 15inch alloy wheels, body coloured door handles and mirrors, and rear roof spoiler with integrated stop light.

All models get the same 1.5-litre, four cylinder engine, the same as in current model Accent, and hooked to a five speed manual transmissions - a four speed automatic gearbox is $1863 extra. The engine produces the same 74kiloWatts of power and 133 Newton-metres of torque as the Accent, sufficient to keep the 980-1014kg Getz under way.

Performance is not scintillating but certainly adequate to keep up with the thrust and parry of inner city and suburban driving. Tackling hills is best done by dropping gears, the Getz doesn't have enough torque to allow lazy driving. But it's not about being first in the traffic light drag, it's about fuel economy, and Hyundai claims the Getz will sip just 5.0l/100km on the highway and 7.0l/100km in the city - good enough for a 600km range from its 45 litre tank.

Our introductory drive in the Getz took in Sydney's more affluent and leafy northern suburbs, with a short dash out to Bobbin Head for good measure. The Getz showed no real inadequacies during the trip, steering was fine, engine performance good enough to live with and visibility extremely good. Perhaps the only blight caused by its relatively short wheel travel which caused the suspension to bottom out on ruts on a couple of the rougher roads.

On the practicality front the Getz acquitted itself extremely well. Front and rear seats provided enough room for our 175cm /87kg frame, both above the head and for the legs. The boot is fairly small with the back seats up, enough room for one big suitcase standing up, but the back seats do fold flat to free up load space. There's no shortage of cupholders of seat pockets, there's even a mobile phone holder on the side of the passenger seat.

It'd be easy to get carried away with Getz and laud it loudly and vehemently when compared to the old and very agricultural Excel Sprint. But we can't help but think Getz would shape up well against today's European small cars like the Barina, Polo and Peugeot 206. We're reserving final judgment until we spend a week with Getz to see how it handles the rigours of real life as opposed to the carefully manipulated arena of a new car launch. Stay tuned for the comprehensive report in late 2002.