SX4 is clear choice

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