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      Maruti Suzuki SX4 Ownership Experience

       Aditya Chatterjee

      Aditya Chatterjee

      Opening

      Maruti Suzuki SX4 Ownership Experience

      Maruti Suzuki launched the SX4 in 2007. Immediately after its launch, the sedan became very popular with the enthusiasts as it was one of the very few cars in the C segment to have such a powerful engine. In addition, it also was a bolder looking Maruti Suzuki which broke the somewhat stereotypical image of the manufacturer. Macho looks, powerful engine and a trustworthy brand, the SX4 seems to have it all.

      SX4 went on to become the segment leader before the Honda City stepped in and took the market by storm. The City had plush interiors and a premium car feel which Maruti could not provide. The SX4 got a midlife facelift in 2013 where the company updated the sedan with minor changes. The YL1 sedan which will debut in Auto Expo 2014 will be a replacement to the present generation SX4.

      This week we catch up with Mr. Harjyot Singh, a businessman, who recently bought a SX4 ZXi variant. We understand the reasons why he selected SX4 over other options available in the market.

      Question: What made you go for the SX4 precisely even when there are so many other options?

      Answer:  I have always been a seeker of performance cars but then since I have a family too I could not go for an outright performance car and thus had to settle for the SX4 as I believed it was the only practical performance car I could have bought.

      Technical Specifications of Maruti Suzuki SX4

      Make Maruti Suzuki
      Model SX4
      Engine  16V DOHC VVT
      Engine Displacement/No. of Cylinders 1586/4
      Power in PS/RPM 104.7/5600
      Torque in NM 145/4100
      Transmission 5/M
      Dimensions in mm
      Length 4500
      Width 1735
      Height 1560
      Wheel base 2500
      Ground clearance 200
      Minimum Radius 5.3
      Tyres 205/60 R16
      Fuel Tank capacity in Liters 50
      Mileage in KMPL 16.51

      Question: Can you compare your new car experience with your earlier cars?

      Answer:  We had the Ford Classic earlier and it was a lovely car. It was our daily car from office to home. It gave a fantastic mileage. It was with us for 6 years. The only issue was that post 3 years it became high on maintenance. The SX4 comparatively feel a lot lighter to drive and has a very peppy engine. Since it comes from Maruti Suzuki we are assured about its spares and servicing.

      Question:  Tell us something about the present status of your car?

      Answer: It has been 3 months we got the new SX4 and are very happy with the car. We also did a round trip from Nasik to Goa and it did not let us down. We are getting a mileage of 12-14 Kmpl. The ride quality is decent and the practicality of the car is great.

      Question: How about cost per service?

      Answer:  Our car has done only 4,000 Kms so we are yet to find the service costs.

      Question: Any accident repairs done, insurance claimed?

      Answer:  It is a brand new car so no such instances yet and we hope we don’t encounter such occasions in future.

      Features of variants of Maruti Suzuki SX4

      Features Vxi Zxi
      Air Conditioner (manual) Yes No
      Auto air conditioner (single zone) Yes Yes
      Electrically adjustable outside rear viiew mirrors (R/L) Yes Yes
      Electronically foldable ORVMs Yes Yes
      Centre room lamp Yes Yes
      Map light (twin) Yes Yes
      Trunk room light Yes Yes
      Remote operated fuel tank lid Yes Yes
      Remote operated trunk lid Yes Yes
      Power steering (EPS) Yes Yes
      Adjustable steering column tilt Yes Yes
      Power windows (front) Yes Yes
      Power windows (rear) Yes Yes
      Driver' seat height adjuster No Yes
      Material of front and rear seats Fabric Fabric
      Rear seat centre arm rest Yes Yes
      Adjustable head rests (front and rear) Yes Yes
      Rear defogger Yes Yes
      Central locking Yes Yes
      Keyless entry Yes Yes
      Ex Showroom price Mumbai (Rs.) 779566 864776

      Question: How about the overall mileage in city and on highways?

      Answer: We are getting mileage of around 12 kmpl in city and 14 kmpl on highway.

      Question: Can you tell us your experience on long drives in the SX4?

      Answer:  Like we mentioned earlier, we had takes the SX4 for a trip to Goa and it was a fantastic experience.  The 1.6L engine of the car generates enough power to take on highway traffic with great ease. It has a ground clearance of 200mm which is considerably tall and thus was not an issue taking the car on rough patches too.

      Question: Any breakdown faced and how was it solved?

      Answer: No Brake down faced till now.

      Question: Any good and bad experience at service station?

      Answer: We visited the service station for a detailed car wash and the experience was very satisfying as the engineers were very prompt and delivered the car well within the promised time.

      Question: How do you rate the overall ownership, would you recommend the same to others?

      Answer:  It is little too early to comment about the overall ownership but even then I have been very happy with the car till date and would surely recommend it to all.

      Competition of variants of Maruti Suzuki SX4

      Make Maruti Suzuki Honda Skoda
      Model SX4 City Rapid
      Variant Petrol (Zxi) Petrol (VX MT) Petrol (Elegance)
      Ex-Showroom  Price Mumbai (Rs.) 864,776 1,041,430 8,60,068
      Engine Displacement/ No. of Cylinders 1586/4 1497/4 1598/4
      Power in PS/RPM 104.7/5600 119 / 6600 105/5250
      Torque in NM/RPM 145/4100 145 / 4600 153/3800
      Transmission 5/M 5/M 5/M
      Dimensions in mm
      Length 4500 4440 4386
      Width 1735 1695 1699
      Height 1560 1495 1466
      Wheel Base 2500 2600 2552
      Ground Clearance in mm 200 165 168
      Turn Radius 5.3 5.3 5.3
      Tyres 205/60 R16 175/65 R 15 175/70 R14
      Fuel Tank Capacity (L) 50 40 55
      Mileage in KMPL 16.51 17.8 15

       

      Question: If you wish to choose another make and model which one would it be?

      Answer: I would definitely like to go for the new Skoda Octavia RS which would come in few months. I have been a big RS fan and the earlier generation RS was my favourite. I am sure the new Skoda Octavia RS would be a treat too.

      Question: What’s your opinion about choosing between petrol and diesel cars?

      ===15===

      Answer: It all depends on one’s own needs. I wanted a sedan which would be great on performance and practicality too. It also should be very much in my budget. We planned a petrol car because our monthly running does not justify a diesel car. Also, personally I prefer petrol cars to diesel alternatives.

      Conclusion:

      Mr. Harjyot indeed is very happy with his new car and definitely recommends it to all. The SX4 scores well in performance and comfort.  Maruti Suzuki had a wide spread dealership network and thus servicing cars anywhere in India is not difficult. The spares too are competitively priced. If you need a practical performance sedan for daily commute the SX4 is a strong recommendation. In 2014 Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki will display the YL1 sedan and also there aer strong chances of the YL1 being the successor of the SX4.

      Gallery:

       

      Maruti Suzuki | SX4 | Maruti Suzuki SX4