Maruti Suzuki SX4 User Reviews

Hi !!!!! Pushpendra/all, Gr8 reviews on ur blog..... all these would definitely help in excellent choice amongst the "C-SEGMENT" war. Amongst SX4/HONDA/CITY/FIESTA/ VERNA/AVEO my personal choice is MARUTI's SX4 Zxi....... why not, since, its providing u with the luxary of a 9 Lakh sedan(Gurgaon price). Prior to SX4 my liking was Honda City VTEC, for gr8 honda's engine/ odometer/alloys and 100bhp- 8.0 Lakh, a clear diff of 1.10 Lakh and that too without gr8 SX4 features. Its the only sedan in C-segment which thinks for necessary safety features, as ur life is precious (Twin air bags/ABS-EBD/iCATS) and luxary features(Integrated stereo/Audio cont. on steering/16"alloys(TT)/auto AC/CL/Int. stereo/EPS,etc)& rest are in Merc/BMW/RR, etc not in a sedan @ 6.90 Lakh. For me the plus is max ground clearance (190 mm) in a sedan running on Indian roads. Well I have been planning to buy a sedan (7-8 Lakh price range) since early 2007, but was eagerly waiting for new launches of 2007, till the muscular SX4 was launched that too with EXCELLENT ADD-ONS which dazzled me and left me with no second option/choice at this price tag. NOW FOR ME SX4 IS CLEAR WINNER WITH 3 cons: MILEAGE, REAR CENTER SEAT & LEG ROOM AND BACK VIEW FROM INSIDE ??????? for me mileage is not a big concern, since my city usage would be around 300-400 kms and a single highway run in a month(Gurgaon-Shimla-Gurgaon) about 850 kms. Still please educate me wisely for mileage(C/H both)... I have already taken 3-4 test drives of SX4 and that too including a 60 degree uphill with 4 passangers and on 3rd gear. tested it from rest on 3rd gear and surprised me with an ease. Guys can u comment on these areas or suggest MUL for a solution since almost every review says these 3 cons.. Waiting for a wise & quick reply, since I have booked my METALLIC SUPREME RED ZXI three weeks ago in Gurgaon, its about to be delivered......... Best Regards, DIPESH SINGHA SHIMLA dipeshsingha@gmail.com dipeshsingha@rediffmail.comGreat Style & Muscular look, Latest norms and technology used, GR8 car, if ur in COCKPIT...........MILEAGE, REAR CENTER SEAT & LEG ROOM AND BACK VIEW FROM INSIDE ???????

Bought Zxi, last month and have driven it for about three weeks in Bangalore now. Was one of the first 5 Cars delivered in Bangalore. Before buying SX4, I had test driven almost all the Cars in sub 10 Lacs range and postponed my decision for about three months for SX4 launch.

So, big quaestion, post purchase what does it feel like??

Good things first:

The Car is just overloaded with features that are missing on most other comparable cars...ABS, Airbags, Alloy wheels(16")................well the list goes on and on and I am sure all of us are quite familir with this by now. Combine all this with a competitive price and it is just amzing VFM.

I am quite tall and(so are the rest of family!!!) and need more than average space and am quite happy with the space inside the Car. The high seating practically craetes a bit of extra space, Driver seat/steering adjustment combi is quite usefull and provides for just extra bit for good comfort.

Music quality is nice and very easy to use, more so with the option of remote and music control on steering to select from. Nice bit is that the rear speakers are in door itself and music is not subdued by any small bgs etc that one might like to keep behind rear seat.

Big boot, good ground clearance and overall nice and smooth drive.

A few disappointments:
Definitely not the car for three adults to take the rear seat on a long drive. The arm rest and raised middle portion, while very comfy for two on the rear seat make it quite uncomfortable for third person in the middle.
So far over last three weeks, I have got a mileage of around 9.5, with drive being limited to withing city in Bangalore mostly in peak traffic conditions. I hope it improves after forst couple of service and run-in (read my driving  habitsl!!!)
Not much on negatives other than this.,....so far at least!

The other day I was told by a friend that only one of the reverse lights(Left Side) is working and I promptly called up the dealer, thinking that there is somthing wrong with the car...it was too soon for my Comfort.

The dealrer responded that this is a design feature in which only Left side tail light is supposed to work while reversing, the other side is supposed to work(with different colour cover) as Fog light!!.........needless to add, the rest of the call was quite embarassing...and I read through the manual the same evening!


OVERALL
Overall, quite pleased with the Car, and If had to take a decision again.......with this first hand knowledge, would go for it again without a doubt!

Great VFM and feel good Car at this price point!!





Price - Feature equation, well thought thru tiny bits3 People Rear Seating, Mileage(1-2 more)

Hi
I was looking for a good car in the range 4-7 lacs.
cars i considered and dropped
fusion and fiesta - dropped bcoz its a ford, meaning a deep hole in your pocket and a headache for their after sales services
optra srv - not fitting in my budget
palio 1.6 - loved its built and performance.no car matches it in built  priced below 10 lacs. reason for dropping - really poor A.S.S. and odd un-symmetrical dashboard design and may be phased out in near future.
swift - performane is very good, but built is poor, a typical jap tin box. the suspension was a lot noisy of the test drive car.rattling problems.I booked this car and waited for 6 weeks before cancelling the delivery 3 days back.
my father insisted on a maruti, because of its very reliable and cheap A.S.S and good resale value.so I landed up buying an sx4, its looks i didn't like at all, so high rear :(
and finally i took the delivery today
SX4
pros -
1.solid built and powerful engine from a reliable brand unlike its all other tin-boxes.
2.15" wheels to tackle bad roads.
3. A.S.S. and resale value

cons -
1. looks(are subjective)
2. zero rear view,  you dare put the car in reverse on a busy road where bikers show up from no where all of a sudden.
3. bad fuel economy, maruti does not boast of its fuel economy.
4. dont think of cornering at high speeds.remember its a crossover car, not a pure sedan. adding a third box does not convert an alomst-SUV to sedan

I'll keep updating this review.

Thanks
Gyanesh



Maruti, high ground clearance,solid builtits a 4 seater, fuel economy, rear view

The car is a real fun to drive, excelent pick-up, good to drive in slow speeds as well. the engine is super smooth and totally silent. Even at high speeds the only noice you would hear is rubbing of tyres against the road. Excellent steering gives absolute confindence while driving in city as well as at high speeds. Space is ample for four. Only the fifth person in the rear centre seat will be little uncomfortable but other four will have the maximum space possible. Music system is just OK, nothing gr8 but good enough for listening while driving, not good for using it in picnincs etc. My distance with zxi has been 1600 kms and overall mileage was 12 KMPL (all in city with AC on for 50%).
The two minuses besides central rear seat are

• The rear visibility while parking. this coupled with the fact that only one light glows while reversing makes parking that much more difficult.
  
• Due to high GC, there is significant body roll when turnng at high speeds.
  

Engine refienment and performa style, Slient cabin, high GC, decent fuel Econ. Spacious InteriorRear centre seat, rear visibility while parking

I picked up a Maruti SX4 Zxi/leather just last week. Arctic White, Dealer is Bimal at Whitefield. I have bought 5 new cars before, 4 in US and one in India 2 y ago so I know a bit about new car shopping.
In general people pay lot more for cars in India compared to US. A Honda Civic should cost no more than max 9lacs but is >13 here. Second, roads and traffic in India are so bad and undisciplined that buying expensive cars is quite dumb. Look around you and see how many dents cars have! I am replacing my Merceded E220 with this car, so!
My 1st rule: Buy the cheapest car that serves your needs. So since safety features, ground clearance and reliable service network were my wants I zeroed in on SX4 effortlessly. I have not enjoyed watching the Hinda City/Civic  beached on a road hump and what's more without ABS and airbags so the choice was a non-issue.
Ride:Quite good. It felt like I was driving a bit high in position similar to my Subaru Outback AWD wagon. There was no pronounced over or under  steer so the height was not too material seemingly. I was ble to corner at 80K without too much trouble. I was not pushing obviously. (For same speed a Bolero or a Scorpio would sway all over the place with lesser ground clearance than SX4 because they are top heavy) Handling felt safe. It was faily quiet although I did hear some wind noise probably from the side mirrors. Engine power was adequate-you just need to rev high to get power if needed which is OK.
Visibility: Front and sides is excellent.However rear is poor owing to high trunk. This is not a show stopper just an annoyance and can be gotten used to.
Comfort: Good. The driver's seat and rear seat were quite good. Plenty of leg space especially if front seat is pushed far front. Controls and features were very good. I liked that the built in audio system accepts an AUX input say from your iPOD-so also the remote-very useful if chaeuffer driven. Plenty of small storage spaces around. Good space for luggage. It is annoying that the headlights do not go off with key removal.
Looks: Leather seats are nice looking and comfortable. White color is stunning. The 16" alloys look nice. Shape is not bad looking.
I know from my Maruti Esteem experience that the Maruti service is stellar.
Features: See the manufacturer's web site. The ones I like are the AUX input in the Audio set, remote control for Audio, and also, a nice flat area that you can sit when you pop the trunk open. This is a very neat feature.
Overall: No brainer-If you want safety, all round comfort/performance/features and best value for money in India look no further. Waiting time is bad of course but all else is good.
Safety features, ground clearance, adequate power, featuresBad rear visibility, bad rear center seat

SX4 is really a best buy in the segment and is truly a value for money.

I have heared a lot of people complaining about the mileage of the car but beleive me not even a single person owns sx4 who cribs about it. and not even a single person cribs who owns it.

The fuel economy of VXi is better than the ZXi as the tyres are less broad in the former and the presence of alloys in the latter.

The interiors are very stylish and the car is really very comfortable to drive. Also, the A/C is veryy effective.

Honda city i-vtec is almost 2 lacs expensive than SX4 VXI and its just for the logo i beleive. CNBC and ZEE BUSINESS have compared  the fuel efficiency of City i-VTEC and SX4 and the range they gave is similar i.e. 12-13kmpl

I have driven SX4 VXi almost 810km with 70 litres of petrol in delhi's traffic with A/C on..now just calculate the mileage urself..

great power, excellent comfort and superb looks

 

Exterior Very nice, iconic. Heavy built get respect on the road while driving. Though not bolted 100% accuracy, some gaps and alignment is visible. But easy to repair/maintain because its MARUTI.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Features are upto the mark as per the price. Comparison could be done with VW Trendline Diesel/Linea. Linea is always a beauty for features.

Space is enough and car is wide enough to feel the sedan, long drives are more comfortable with space offered. All seats are wide enough to drive comfortably. space besides clutch is good.

Comfort AC is powerful enough, steering is good though cant compare with Toyota. Drove 250 KM without stopping engine in one strech, and i was fresh enough after stopping. Power provided 90BHP with 1.3 Lt engine gives more comfort to press accelerator hard enough. gear nob is funtastic. Missing rear AC vents, front arm rest.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine Performance is upto the mark, worth to buy to feel the power. any petrol version upto 1.8 Lt Engine not even near by to SX4 diesel to feel the power. Top speed may be higher in petrol cars or VW Vento diesel higher engine. BUT TURBO IS FaNTASTIC. before making any comment on MARUTI you must feel that boost.

Most of ppl have misunderstanding Swift/Dzire & SX4 have same power.

NO its not

swift /Dzire = Power: 75PS@4000rpm, 190Nm@2000rpm, 158kph top speed

SX4= 90PS@4000rpm, 200Nm@1750rpm with NEW VGT [Variable geometry turbocharger]

Fuel economy : approx - 18-20.5KM/Lt with AC, drove 700 KM in total, 400KM at high speed on NH4, 300 KM city driving. I'm sure will get 22+ for city+long driving if you drive max 80KM/H.

Gear box is good enough, provides easy shifting, smooth transition [ dont compare with honda cars].

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is very nice & handling is 100%.

 

Final Words Woth to buy, value for money. If you want economy, less maintenance, easy maintenance, less price with more features along with more KM/Lt this car is for you. Its big so buy if you can handle big cars. On the road you cant ignore SX4, love it or hate it. Sturdy enough to experience on bad road, i personally dont care where m i driving [within warranty :)].

Finally, this is not a show piece, enjoy yourself what you pay for rather than what spectators on the road are saying.

 

Areas of improvement Interior color combination, front arm rest, multifunction display like i20, and of course parking assist.

 

comfort, economic, iconic, sturdymiddle class built

Good things about the car: > Really handsome, especially the rear quarter and the divine C pillar slope, the City looks ugly in comparison with its wedges and curves > Excellent performance, great pick-up, you don't feel the engine is pushing 1200 kgs, bit noisy but really smooth engine > High on ride comfort and takes typical Indian roads on its stride, thanks to segment best wheel size and tubeless tires > Great road holding, cornering and braking, the ABS and EBD are superb > Beautifully integrated audio system and the entire dashboard looks really smart A few things I didn't want to write about: > There is a clutch problem, you feel a judder/vibration when you let in the clutch at low RPM, and it is getting more pronounced by the day. Maruti has not been able to solve this during the first service (is Maruti listening?) > Indicators and milometer not properly visible when steering is in the lower position > Sound level of indicator audio very low, if the indicator doesn't stop after you have taken a turn, you have no way of knowing that the indicator is still on as you can't hear the tick tick. Neither can you see the flashers as the steering blocks the view. So as far as the indicators are concerned, you are deaf and blind > Almost nil rear visibility, reversing is a nightmare A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CAR FOR PEOPLE WHO REALLY LOVE CARS AND CARE ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK AND PERFORM. NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOK ONLY FOR MILEAGE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY CAN CRAM IN OR ARE FASCINATED BY BRAND NAMES. A REALLY SPORTY AND HANDSOME SEDAN YOU WOULD BE PROUD OF PROVIDED MARUTI SOLVES THE CLUTCH PROBLEM.Handsome car, great driving position and view, excellent pick-up and mid range, feature packedSmall defects that have to be ironed out, seems there is a clutch problem

Lt Col Jitendra Sharma writes:

The tall,handsome hunk in town-SX4 ZXi.People just go crazy looking at it.I can vouch, it makes heads turn while i drive past.It is the leader of the pack.Best value for the cost.Very comfortable.Powerful,just wants to 'take off'.Oh!what fuel economy-unbelieveable.Service backup-cannot be compared with others.It is well modified as per Indian roads.The only SPORT SEDAN IN THE WORLD.After along time a world class car has come to India-in this price range.It is a must buy car if you have the money.Comparing it with others,actually you'd be wasting your time.Just buy it and see people envying you.SX4 ZXi will launch you into a different strata of the society.Indulge and be on a high................with SX4 ZXi  of course.

Stunner,very economical,crowd puller,very stylish and comfortablehardly any