Getting an Accent in Nigeria
To start with, it’s a bit nippy around town but it drives like rubbish. I can’t take my hands of the steering wheel without feeling the wind hitting it on the side. It just won’t move on a straight line. It moves like a cross-eyed cat. The steering response is okay but its feedback could […]
To start with, it’s a bit nippy around town but it drives like rubbish. I can’t take my hands of the steering wheel without feeling the wind hitting it on the side. It just won’t move on a straight line. It moves like a cross-eyed cat. The steering response is okay but its feedback could be false at times. On an open highway it becomes awfully tiring to use because it won’t get anywhere on time and it has poor road holding.
It rides like it wasn’t meant to be used in Nigeria. It picks up every road ripple and rattles the whole cockpit like something is going to fall off. The worst is over Abuja’s speed breakers. The dashboard is made of some kind of plastic, perhaps thermoplastic. It feels very cheap I even wonder if it is worth the price it goes for. The only thing it manages well is the road and engine noise. The engine note is a little coarse, but since it is well isolated from the cockpit it won’t bother you.
Obviously, we can see it’s not a performer. So isn’t there something it can do well? Surprising there is. If what mattered is getting to where you’re going within the city. Just to be sure you don’t get easily tired, put on the air conditioning unit. Regulate it on the first level and it’ll cool the whole interior in seconds. Put it on the second level and it will freeze you, on the third you’d be crazy and on the fourth you are definitely mad. The air conditioning keeps the temperature level down despite the scourging heat experienced here in Abuja. This allows the driver to feel a little bit relaxed to carry on driving. It beats the Skoda Octavia and the Fabia in its temperature delivery, even though both made up in other areas. So why would Stallion Motor bring it in for Nigerians? It’s simply a good budget car.
Another area it does so well is it is highly economical on fuel consumption. Around the city, a thousand naira petrol (at the pump of last month) is like filling about a third of your tank. It also parks well in tight spaces too, unlike the complaints published internationally. It is not a pleasure tool but built for purely functional purposes. It is not good for a private use but as a company car it will do the job very well. It is hmm…a cute plastic cup!