Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha AT First Drive Review

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 looks to be the Indo-Japanese automaker’s most significant step forward in terms of moving its offering up the ladder. The Ertiga was always a strong product and starting with that as the base has worked in Maruti’s favour. It's got the looks and interiors but now, nearly two years on, it lacks some of the features offered by its rivals on both sides of the price scale. This combination of the 1.5-litre petrol engine with the four-speed AT is useable but if you enjoy your time behind the wheel you should choose the five-speed manual.

The only engine on offer for the XL6 is Maruti’s 1.5-litre hybrid petrol producing 103bhp and 138Nm of torque. It can be had with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic which is what we have reviewed. As a part of the deal, you also get Maruti’s SHVS smart hybrid system which sees it get a lithium-ion battery to help boost torque and provide an auto stop-start function.

On the go, the engine feels energetic and eager to be pushed with the action starting up post the 2000rpm mark. The bottom end is quite strong and in city driving conditions you won't feel the need to try too hard to extract some performance from the engine. With what is quite a strong engine, the old school four-speed automatic gearbox feels a bit behind.

In city driving conditions it's fuss-free and likeable with not much effort needed to potter around town. However, the lack of grunt can be felt when you need to make a quick overtake. Step down on the throttle and the gearbox revs the engine hard by dropping the cogs and there is a noticeable lag before you get the surge in momentum. It also gets very vocal at this point.

There's also a function to disengage the overdrive if needed and it's very useful if you need a jump in speed while already going fast. There's no manual mode but you do get the option to hold second gear as well as a low mode which is useful if you are ascending an incline with a full load. It is best then that you build up momentum and plan overtakes in advance if you have opted for the AT. Out on the highway, cruising at three-digit speeds is not much of a task and the trick is to get up to speed and then drop the RPMs to get a decent balance of speed and economy.

We tested this engine and gearbox combination and the results were as we expected. It did the 0-100kmph sprint 12.67 seconds while in terms of roll on times, the 20-80kmph kickdown was completed in7.54 seconds while the 40-100kmph kickdown was cleared in 9.60 seconds.

The XL6 gets the same underpinnings and even the same wheels and tyres from the Ertiga. This being Maruti Suzuki you get a superb low-speed ride with the XL6 taking almost everything in its path without a struggle. However, if we may add, the ride is a tad bit on the noisy side.

At triple-digit speeds, the car feels surprisingly planted with a decent weight to the steering. A high roof and MPV origins mean you do feel the weight when going hard around the bends but it's predictable in its response if you plan your moves. The steering needs 2.5 turns to go from lock to lock and feels light at low speeds making tight manoeuvres like parallel parking a breeze to complete.

The biggest change in the XL6 is in the second row. In place of the Ertiga’s bench seat, you get two leather captain seats. They are identical to the front seats and offer similar levels of support. The headroom and knee room is very good and you get good side bolstering but could have also done with a little more under-thigh support. The seats don’t fold up like the Ertiga’s bench but do recline and slide forward for access to the third row. One of the aims of putting the captain seats is to make this car a better prospect for those that want to be chauffeured around with a little bit of exclusivity. With that exclusivity, we would have expected an expanded second-row feature list over the Ertiga.

You get a roof-mounted AC vent, seatback pockets, 12V socket, 1.0-litre bottle holders in the door pockets and armrests. We however expected Maruti Suzuki to include features like window blinds, coat hooks, USB charging point or even individual cup holders for the second row. Nonetheless, you get ISOFIX child seat mounting points but only two airbags irrespective of the variant.

The third row remains unchanged from the Ertiga with the seats folding flat for additional boot space and they can also recline to give the occupants just a little more space to sit. However, it is still cramped and is best suited to children or adults if the journey is a short one.

The front row seats are the same as the second-row seats and you get similar levels of support and space but in the case of the driver, you also get height adjustment which is segment standard. At this price point, we would have liked Maruti to add reach adjustment for the steering column. The whole cabin has been trimmed out in a sporty black with this nice stone finish for the dashboard giving it a premium feel.

The two major highlights of the front are of course the instrument cluster and the touchscreen infotainment system. The former gets dual bezels, a lovely ocean blue colour scheme and of course a full-colour MID which provides a wealth of information but is only accessible via these two knobs behind the steering wheel. Functional as they are, we would have expected steering mounted controls for better access.

The infotainment system is accessed via this 7.0-inch touchscreen system running Maruti Suzuki’s smart play studio. You get connectivity options like Apple Car Play/Android Auto as well as Maruti’s own dedicated smart play app that lets you access things like media, maps, geofencing and even car health information. It gets internet connectivity via your cell phone and while doing the job of offering connected tech capably, it feels a bit basic especially when you look at the rivals.

All versions of the XL6 get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounting points and three-point seat belts for all occupants. As a part of the feature list, you also get power windows, power mirrors, a sunroof and a reverse camera.

Now, this list is what we would call the minimum standard for the car to qualify for its price and segment. But since the XL6 was launched in August 2019, the competition on both sides of the pricing game has expanded both in terms of numbers and offerings. As compared to them, the XL6 lacks lots of feel-good features that would help raise its game. This lot includes sun blinds for the second row, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, air purifier, cup holders for the second-row occupants, rear USB charging ports, expanded connected car features and a digital instrument cluster.

If it’s a premium Maruti Suzuki you want then the XL6 is a good offering. On the nay side, yes it lacks the features and the old-school four-speed automatic feels a generation behind but on the yay side, it is very spacious and decently practical. There is of course the fact that you get the Maruti Suzuki badging for after-sales and service which in any Indian car buyer’s books is very reassuring when you are putting down so much money for a car.

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 range is priced from Rs 10.98 lakh to Rs 13.35 lakh (on-the-road Delhi). Its rivals include the likes of the top end in the sub-four SUV range like the Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 as well as the mid-level version of the SUVs like the Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos.

Photography: Kapil Angane