A reliable family car

 

Exterior Exterior styling and appearance are quite good. The body is very sturdy and well built. The car has got a very good ground clearance which u can bank on while riding through bumpy roads. The door handles have been copied down from swift. Considering the cost of the car, this should have been changed or made to look more stylish.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interiors remind us constantly of the swift hatchback. Right from the dashboard to all controls and even the steering wheel have not been changed. Right from  Alto k 10, all lower end maruti cars have the same steering wheel. The fabric looks ok but still the interiors are very average for the luxury sedan. Front driver and passenger lights have been added which look good. The car looks spacious from inside but however the leg space for a tall rear passenger is a bit of concern. Tall passengers seated at the rear have to keep their legs folded tight all the time. The seats at the rear are however very comfortable and there is ample thigh support. Long drives were not tiring at all. The arm rest for the rear passengers can now be folded back fully unlike the previous versions of sx4. This makes way for a fifth passenger to be comfortably seated. The leg space for the fifth passenger however is reduced and not very comfortable because of the central tunnel which is positioned a bit higher. The car however feels safe from inside. The air bags, ABS and immobilizer have all been provided which enhance the safety and trustablility.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The diesel engine is very smooth and refined. The VGT unit is very good and the turbo lag is barely perceptible. The throttle is smooth and highly responsive and overtaking even within the city is effortless. The car however feels underpowered as the engine is only 1248cc. The engine becomes just a bit noisy above 2000rpms and the vibrations can be felt over the throttle. Upto 120 kmph, the car feels good. Above this speed the whole body including the steering wheel start vibrating excessively. At 130-140kmph, this slightly reduces but the car starts feeling unsafe. I personally feel that the car like its petrol counterpart should have been provided with a 1.6L diesel engine. Simply putting on the same engine which power Ritz and Swift is really not appropriate. This car which costs 10 lakhs on road should have an engine different from those which power sub 5 lakhs cars. The only good thing about the engine is that it is already a hit in the market and is very reliable. The fuel economy I now get is around 14 kmpl within city limits, 15 kmpl on highways driving at speeds around 110-130kmph and 17 kmpl driving at 70 - 90 kmph. The gear box is excellent and very smooth.

 

Ride Quality & Handling The handling is easy but the ride quality is not upto the mark for a 10 lakh car. The suspensions have been tinkered with and are definitely better than the previous petrol sx4 cars. The ride is smooth but even small rough patches on the road make the car jerky and we can sometimes feel the jolts even from very small bumps. Long drives on good roads are however effortless.

 

Final Words This car is meant for the person who is looking for a luxury sedan with low operating costs.

 

Areas of improvement Suspension, interiors have to be improved. The car feels underpowered. Suzuki should definitely replace it with a better engine.

 

Good fuel economy, easy handlingInteriors not very luxurious less leg space for rear passengers