2006 Hyundai Getz Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Hyundai Getz as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011 Hyundai Getz as a used buy.

They are sought by young, first-car owners, parents seeking a second zippy machine and everyone else who wants an efficient but cheap vehicle in a time of rising petrol prices.This market provides the opportunity to own something cute and reliable, that doesn't necessarily come with ageing appearance, kilometres clocked and pre-loved baggage.At $16,880 for the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, three-door model, the Hyundai Getz is a reasonable deal, if of course you arrive at the dealers with the right expectations.The Hyundai Getz is the second bestseller in the light car segment, of small cars under $25,000, with 10,408 sales for the year to date, behind only the Toyota Yaris and beating the Holden Barina and Suzuki Swift.The Getz comes with some accolades to its name. The 1.6-litre was named Australia's Best Small Car for 2005, judged by Australia's auto clubs, and was also declared as the most affordable light car to own and run by NRMA Motoring and Services.But don't expect this little package to present anything too surprising.It's your basic small, get-around car, producing 78kW of power at 5800rpm and 144Nm at 3200rpm. The real ability of the engine takes a while to kick in and drivers have to rev it hard to get it moving.The four-speed automatic version tested felt flimsy with the delayed response and while it was suitable for city and suburban driving, it struggled a little on highways. A manual model, giving drivers greater control over their travels, may be a better option.Just because this South Korean baby is a smaller, cheaper car, it doesn't mean safety has to be sacrificed.The car we tested came with the Protectz package, which adds $1290 to the price of the 1.6-litre model, but is not available on the base 1.4-litre versions.The Protectz enhanced safety pack adds dual front side (thorax) airbags and electronic stability program (ESP) to the standard safety features on the 1.6-litre Getz models, which include an anti-skid braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), four-wheel disc brakes and soft deploy driver and passenger airbags.As with most cars in the small segment, the Getz has that fun appeal to it.Its tall but skinny-ish body looks good from the exterior, but step inside and it's all a little disappointing, really.The dash has a plastic look and is rather unfashionable and basic, while the console panel appears bulky.The front seats leave the driver feeling tall and in an unusual position to the steering wheel, due to the low dash and high seats.The seatbelts in the front are located too far behind the seats, making the driver and passenger reach for them. Space can be, as is to be expected in this sized car, cramped at times in the back, but tolerable in the front.It has adequate storage room for phones and accessories, but more would be useful.It comes with features including airconditioning, power windows, keyless entry, central door locking, steering wheel audio remote controls and MP3/CD player. Metallic paint is $275 extra.The Getz can get more "sexy" if budget buyers have extra cash for the SXi version, which gives pizazz. It adds a rear spoiler, 15-inch alloy wheels and front fog lamps.The SXi also has a better looking interior, with hot red trim on the seats and doors. This is $18,380 for the SXi automatic, and $19,670 including the Protectz package.

These are the smallest and cheapest cars, priced from a mere $13,490, with engines as small as 1.3 litres and baby-sized bodies.Hyundai helped create the class with its original $15,000 Excel, now superseded by the funky little Getz and ageing Accent. It is still a powerhouse, though GM Holden has tapped its own South Korean connection and is doing big business with its new value-priced Barina hatch and sedan.The Getz is now second in the segment, romping along behind the pace-setting Toyota Yaris and comfortably ahead of the Holden Barina and Suzuki Swift.Sales numbers for March are 2079 for the Yaris, 1716 for the Getz, 1367 for the Barina and 1073 for the Swift.And the year-to-date figures show Australians bought 27,027 light cars in the first quarter of this year, 11.5 per cent more than in the first quarter of 2005.But Hyundai is not sitting on its Getz and Accent hand. It has introduced a Getz hero car as part of a major update and is preparing a new Accent for the second half of the year.The Getz SXi is the new star, though its $16,490 price puts it well above the $14,490 bottom line of the starter car, which has a 1.4-litre engine. All Getz models have more safety features, an upgraded cabin and smoother nose.Engines sizes have grown from 1.3-litres and 1.5 litres to 1.4 and 1.6, and Hyundai says its Alpha design now gives more power and torque with improved economy.It is putting more emphasis on the 1.6-litre models in the range, which also have anti-skid brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and active front head restraints.Hyundai is also pushing its "Getz Protectz" pack: electronic stability program, traction control and side airbags for $1290.But the Getz is still pretty much as it was when it arrived in Australia four years ago — a city-focused youth car. This explains why it is available only as a three or five-door hatch.Sedan buyers can take the Accent, which is seen as the car for older customers.The youth push with the Getz ranges from its styling to small things such as MP3-compatible CD sound.The SXi has alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and fog lamps.The baby Getz has always been good, but never great. Our first drive, four years ago, showed Hyundai had the right style to lure younger buyers who had moved away from the Accent after enjoying the Excel, but the car was let down by a basic chassis and a cabin stuck in the South Korean time warp.Not much has changed this year. The Getz still looks good, we love the safety focus, the new nose is less boxy, but the car is still not close to the class leaders on driving refinement or cabin quality.Plenty of people will be lured by the $13,490 starter price, and we would definitely take the Getz over the new Barina hatch, but it is way behind the enjoyable Ford Fiesta, refined Toyota Yaris and the sporty Suzuki Swift.We have seen a lot of improvement in Hyundai quality in the Elantra and impressive new Sonata, but not the Getz.The plastics look and feel cheap, the interior fit-and-finish work is nowhere near a Yaris.We were also disappointed by the car's lumpy ride and board-hard, unsupportive seats.Our test car was an SXi and it looked good, with the bright red splashes through the cabin and the five-blade alloy wheels. The alloy-look on the trim also lifted the cabin and baby car braggers will like the spoiler and fog lamps.The latest 1.6-litre engine is surprisingly strong, pulling from just above idle with good torque. It runs flat beyond 5500 revs, which has been a characteristic of most Hyundai motors, but gives the car fairly lively performance with good economy.The five-speed manual shift is good, and considerably better than the Kia Rio which is up against it with the same running gear.We like the anti-skid brakes and electronic brakeforce system, which will make a large difference to safety, and believe that Getz buyers should go all the way with the Protectz pack with stability control.But we would also like to see Hyundai's engineers do some more work on the suspension, which is still too bouncy and mismatched front to rear.It doesn't take much of a bump to set it rocking and the company can do better, as we know from the Elantra.Hyundai is not making a big prediction for SXi sales but believes the car will be a good bait for the brand at a time when the competition has never been tougher.It will definitely draw people, but they are more likely to go for a Getz starter car than the SXi if they shop and drive it against a Fiesta, Yaris or Swift, which still have a big break over the South Korean baby.The Getz is good value, and Hyundai is doing an excellent job pushing baby-car safety, but it still trails the class leaders.

Sure you do. The marketing department at Hyundai has been all over the show with its latest prize and you'd have to be blind or deaf not to know that the Hyundai Getz has just won Australian Small Car of the Year.Impressive, yes, and it seems the message has spread 'cos they are everywhere. It's a cute-looking car in a smart shape, and packs more inside than you expect for its small size – and price. I was impressed that it came standard with air conditioning, dual airbags and volume controls on the steering column – at this end of the market, you can't expect those luxuries, but here they are and it makes all the difference.Inside, there's ample leg room in the front, and the cloth-covered seats sit high, which gives you the impression that the car is bigger than it really is.But even sitting up high, I couldn't see the bonnet and my judgment for distances became a bit dodgy as a result.Unfortunately, I can't tell you how much room there is in the back seat – this is the three-door model and I couldn't be bothered folding forward the high-back seats and climbing in awkwardly.The boot is compact and it's not likely to fit more than one medium-size suitcase at a time. Enough for a grocery shop, though, or a weekend getaway.The Getz has a 1.6-litre engine, which surely should be enough for its size, but I found I still had to rev it quite hard to get it moving. It's quite noisy too, compared with other cars I've tested, and this would bother me in the long run. And I was disappointed that the power steering wasn't as good as it should be for a small car. Having said that, though, driving around the city was still easy work. However, the side mirrors are shocking – they give off a distorted image and made my vision go wobbly.I hope the makers take a look at this and fix it.On the upside, for a small car there are lots of storage pockets to put keys, phones and bits and pieces – even one of the two cup holders has a removable ashtray for those with the habit.Unfortunately, at this end of the car market there is no real "wow" factor. But the Getz is a convenient, practical and cute car – just perfect for the first-car owner wanting an easy city drive.Hyundai GetzPARKING in the "small car" spots.Easy clean interior.Great storage compartments.It's as cute as a button.SLIPPERY steering wheel – needs to get a better grip.The stereo is nothing to write home about – it kept knocking itself off the signal and has tiny buttons. And there's no cassette.Seat belts are positioned too far back and are hard to reach.