SX4 is the Most Value For Money mid sized sedan in India

 

Exterior Closest U can come to buying a sensible SUV crossover type vehicle.Strong Muscular Stance, large wheel arches, Big Boot. Even with 5 people and luggage the ground clearance is commendable. Fender benders are cheap to repair compared to Honda's and Hyundai's. Alloy wheels give a sporty look. My mettalic beige colour has not aged much.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort Tall design with large windows and doors gives a roomy feel. Unlike Honda City n Civic even 6 feet guys can get in and out without applying hairoil on the roof. Many small but important features like auto door lock at 20 Kms, head lights-on warning sound, seat belt indicator, electric adjustment of ORV mirrors etc...were segment firsts. Drive Shaft tunnel is a pain in the back (pun intended) as is the commode seat(middle seat) in the rear as it contains teh arm rest. I know guys who chose S Class over 7 series becoz 3 people could not be seated at the back. But front seats are very comfortable and drivers seat has height and recline adjuster. Pre-tensioned Seat belt can also be height adjusted. Again industry firsts. Integrated Stereo is good but not for serious audiophiles. That is too much to ask at this price point. Window lock, door lock etc conviniently positioned. Child safety lock standard in Zxi.Switches and knobs are well positioned. Steering mounted stereo controls are a plus. Nice fit and finish with high grade plastic in black and silver two tone. Much better that Totota etios and VW Polo, both of which have a hacksaw, indica type plastic interiors finish. Quality reading lights and two map lights at the front are another well thought out add-on. Standard black mats are cost savers. (free from dealer) but dont go with the overall feel of thiis car. Look forward to Bluetooth enabled interiors. Get mysterious squeaking sounds from dashboard after long drives over bad roads. Never tried to get it rectified as it disappears if I drive on good roads.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox - Engine has grunt and I never felt the car was under powered. Having said that, I regularly get whupped on the expressway by Honda city's and Hyundai Verna's. I beat the fords though. Feel much of the power is concentrated on the lower rpm's and car needs more torque in third also. The fuel economy is not something U can write home about. In city I get 10 KPL and I drive like a environmentalist.  I still feel there is room to tune for better mileage with this engine.  The Gearbox is nice and solid and it is easy to imagine you're slotting gears in a Ferrari Style Gate. clutch not too heavy either. Overall, does the job it was intended for.

 

Ride Quality & Handling-  High stance gives considerable body roll and advise Shumacher types against trying hard apexes with this car. But Power steering makes it a dream to drive with tyres following steering inputs in fairly precise manner. This car is a family sedan and it does that responsibly well. Drives to Matheran and Mahabaleshwar are a breeze.

 

Final Words In 2007  I had shortlisted Honda City Gxi and Maruti Suzuki Sx4 Zxi. The honda was an older model on the verge of being phased out, with poor back seat space, difficulty of entry and exit and was still 1 lakh costlier on-road. Add high cost of ownership to that. My decision was easy. Sx4 Zxi is the Most Value For Money mid sized sedan in India today.

 

Areas of improvement Add bluetooth interiors. Get rid of A pillar blindspot, rear commode (Middle) seat and drive shaft tunnel in rear(Big Ask). Parking sensors would be a good idea as they are not that expensive. Elctrically operated ORV's. And that small rubber mat to cover the drive shaft tunnel in rear is amateurish. Better mileage would be appreciated but I have not experienced the new K -Series engines.  

 

Ease of entry and exit, Large Doors, SUV like ground clearance, Large Boot, Spares are cheap.A Pillar Blind spot, Body roll,