Techno Esprit Apline

Stylish, well equipped, & comfortable, but feels flakey

Chosen for style, equipment & value, mine is an ex demonstrator, bought when 6 months old. I'm not a demanding driver, so its handling & performance are quite sufficient for my needs. It feels more stable on the road than my previous Kia Niro. Fuel economy is excellent & can easily deliver 60mpg, though that has dropped to around 50mpg during the winter months. It is comfortable with a decent driving position - the powered seats make adjustment easy. I like the display screen graphics & features, but welcome physical button for heating, heated seats & steering wheel. Like I said, well equipped.
I've not had any problems with the car, but there are times when things occasionally go awry. Particularly in colder weather, the car is very prone to steaming up inside & the engine seems to rev more than I would like, which is a bit unnerving when you are slowing down, but the engine continues to rev. Talking of which, the B position on the auto box is brilliant as it allows almost one pedal driving. The more you do, the better you get at judging when to slow down without touching the brake pedal. One small gripe is how easy it is to inadvertently touch the steering wheel buttons with unexpected consequences. The speed limiter kicked in on a few occasions at 20mph, until I figured out what had happened. The buttons are too sensitive.
Rear seat space (not much used) is fair; the boot space is great with the sliding back seats moved forwards (no occupants though). Another nice touch is the powered tailgate. Storage places are good; the centre arm rest is movable, though rather meanly there is no rear arm rest. I also like the keyless door lock system (though I guess that brings some vulnerability), but the remote fob is far too bulky & is a nuisance in your pocket.
All in all, I'm pleased with the car, but as yet can't speak for longer term reliability. My previous Niro only ever saw the garage for servicing over 5 years of ownership. We'll see how this compares!

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