[msprabhakar]

Originally Posted by sids911

...you cant DISCERN the intended benefit of ABS,... Airbags????...

Thank God I can discern... else, every insurance salesman would have sold me some insurance policy...!

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by finneyp

For your kind info, the safety features in SX4 is available only in the top end model only (ZXI), the same case with Palio 1.6 GTX in 2002-03, and there very few takers that time too!
If you feel SX4 is a jackpot, please go & buy one!
For me, Swift and SX4 are not the only 2 cars available in the entire Planet Earth!
There are plenty of fantastic & excellent Cars for me to choose from!

Did ya comprehend or understood my post... even if you think you did, i would love if you could read it with an "open" mind and while you are at it, also read what you posted above again, i have quoted you for your convenience!
We are not proving each other wrong.... we are having a discussion and let it be that way only.

[devarshi84]

SX4 styling is not the best. Honda's styling feels much contemprary in comparison.

Plus honda enjoys an image in India which Suzuki can only dream for.

But for the features and price, sx4 is a complete steal.

Expect this to hit on NHC and fiesta sales which are two of the largest selling sedans in this segment.

[autoenthusiast]

Guys guys, I thought this was just a discussion for "NHC Variants vs. SX4" and have been reading it diligently for the past few days.

Looks like we have now even gone to insurance salesman.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Fine. Go to the TD section and see if people have actually mentioned how many kms the cars have clocked before they took a TD. You will know what I am talking about. I remember TD the SX4 when it had clocked just 9kms and hadn't gone to the RTO for registration(could be the same case with others too as there is too much demand and MUL doesn't want customers to be disappointed). Atleast most other cars (new) that I had TD had run atleast about 200 kms+. TD the car once its clocked atleast 200kms atleast, that the standard RNS complies to before handing the car out to TD.

Unfortunately, this is India. Where safety features dont matter to most. And, knowing the sales chart atleast from my dealer I can say that there are as many Zxi's for sale as Vxi's. And gizmo's being present in one and not the other is cost cutting and we all know that. Its like saying why doesn't FIAT give 1.6L engines in all cars? Why 1.2 then? Answer is simple, its to cater a particular category. I need ABS, EBD, Airbags. But my dad surely thinks he doesn't.

MUL has atleast taken this initiative in the higher end model at a very reasonable price. I dont think Honda, Fiat, Mahindra or most other manufacturers have done it in under 10Lakh categ.

Wait till SX4 comes with a diesel option, then it will blow out all competition. Not because its just from MUL but mainly because its a diesel. And we Indian's (most) still prefer diesels to petrols to save fuel expenditure.

Rahul, I think across the board no one is doubting that SX4 is reasonably priced, has provided awesome safety features and is a reasonably good product.
The point you are missing though is that like all products SX4 has some shortcomings. For someone who has a 7-9 lakh rupee budget, fit and finish are important. I think a majority of folks have found the following shortcomings in the car:

• Due to the power to weight ratio the car feels underpowered and dissapoints slightly in performance dept. (I personally vouch for this)
• The quality of interiors is not in the same league as Honda City Gxi. Go sit in both cars back to back, you will figure it out
• The ICE is not comparable to the Alpine system available in Honda City Gxi
• The looks of the car are strange from certain angles. Specially the rear looks out elevated thanks to the crossover roots
• The fit and finish of the complete car is more fit for Swift category than an 8 lakh rupee car
• The engine noise even at 4k RPM is not tolerable

In all, Sx4 comes out on top for being the most loaded car at the price, however its the car itself leaves a lot to be desired. Honda City still commands more road presence and premium resale.

Having said all that, Maruti does need to be applauded for hotting up the scene in this segment and forcing the likes of Honda to provide more goodies, safety features and hopefully price their cars more competitively. At the moment though Honda, are not providing any discounts.

These are all my self felt observations after having driven Honda City and SX4 back to back at least twice. I am not partial towards Honda, as I own a Swift and am in love with my existing car. Hope this clears the air....

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by aseem

Due to the power to weight ratio the car feels underpowered and dissapoints slightly in performance dept. (I personally vouch for this)

• The quality of interiors is not in the same league as Honda City Gxi. Go sit in both cars back to back, you will figure it out
• The ICE is not comparable to the Alpine system available in Honda City Gxi
• The looks of the car are strange from certain angles. Specially the rear looks out elevated thanks to the crossover roots
• The fit and finish of the complete car is more fit for Swift category than an 8 lakh rupee car
• The engine noise even at 4k RPM is not tolerable

THe SX4 is anything but underpowered... what would you say abt the city.. its "only" 77 bhp.
The GXi version is more expesnive than the ZXi by a hefty 40-50 k's inspite of the fact that its sparsley equipped and provides zilch when it comes to safety.
The ICE isnt integrated in the dashboard in case of Honda city, neither do you get steering wheel controls.
Dont tell me city isnt stranger.
The fit and finish is anyday better than Swift, and I can vouch for it. The doorpads are a little more than iffy but apart from that I see no problems with the quality of interiors.
People have complained noisy engine at higher revs... but its certainly not as bad as u put it, "not tolerable".

The fact is SX4 is a better overall car than the City at a very reasonable price... there would be some blemishes but they arent as bad as you have said.

[BUSA]

there would be some blemishes but they arent as bad as you have said.

Exactly. I too have test driven the SX4 twice and can vouch for that. The car i drive leeds the benchmark for cabin noise but i wont call the engine noise in SX4 above 4000RPM untolerable,

And Honda comes with only CD player in GXi and Vtec has MP3 outdated model of Alpine which has just pre-out. Stock Stereos are never good and integrated system is the trend (Look at Aveo, Corolla, Optra, Civic)

[aaggoswami]

We all know that Indians love FE(Fuel Effeciency), but then we Indians also love VFM(Value For Money), which the SX4 has. In fact SX4 is the winner of VFM.
The positioning is perfect. And about NHC Idsi. For just city driving 77hp is enough, but as soon as the car hits highway with 4-5 people and luggage, you can feel the pressure on the engine. Overtaking above 120 takes dangerously more time. And some one with Swift can simply drag you and give your ego a huge punch !
But if you have Vtec, thing changes, but at that price level, the Corolla and Cedia are better and both, Cedia and Corolla are better than city.
So the SX4 has everything. Perfect amount of power for Highway trips, good torque for city, decent FE and great ground clearence and better handling.
And those who will be using cars for long highway trips, stay away from City Idsi, i.e. because when it comes to consistent stretches of high speed cruising, City Idsi simply fails(I am comparing SX4 with City Idsi because of the similar price level), and here the SX4 is the champ.
Other thing is that the SX4 has really good engine that can perform better with modifications. Even small modifications like K&N filter and better spark plugs can make a good difference in both FE and performance.

Also the safety features are really good in SX4. Just think, the NHC even lacks ABS let alone Airbags .And the SX4 has a really tough chasis. From the begenning only the chasis was made very stiff because it was to hit Rally championships, so the SX4 feels better on the road than City Idsi.

Overall the SX4 is an allrounder and is the winner

[aseem]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

THe SX4 is anything but underpowered... what would you say abt the city.. its "only" 77 bhp.
The GXi version is more expesnive than the ZXi by a hefty 40-50 k's inspite of the fact that its sparsley equipped and provides zilch when it comes to safety.
The ICE isnt integrated in the dashboard in case of Honda city, neither do you get steering wheel controls.
Dont tell me city isnt stranger.
The fit and finish is anyday better than Swift, and I can vouch for it. The doorpads are a little more than iffy but apart from that I see no problems with the quality of interiors.
People have complained noisy engine at higher revs... but its certainly not as bad as u put it, "not tolerable".

The fact is SX4 is a better overall car than the City at a very reasonable price... there would be some blemishes but they arent as bad as you have said.

And who determines whose FACTS are right... forum are opinions, and you might have a different opinion than mine, doesnt mean that you represent facts.
Ok, now where did I say Honda City Gxi is more powerful than SX4... all I stated was that SX4 power dissapoints, specially when you look at the figures and performance, one feels somethings a miss. Now Honda City Vtec, lets not even go there...

I am not discussing or debating the price here, as a prespective buyer with a budget of 9 lakhs, I want the best car in that price range, I dont argue that SX4 is cheaper and has more FEATURES than Honda City. But its not features alone that build a car. For eg, gimme stereo, airbags, abs/ebd, climate control in Getz Prime 1.1, would I go for Swift Vxi or Getz Prime.. well I will choose Swift anyday, caz I dont like Getz Prime no matter how many or lucrative features it might have.

Why would I compare SX4 interiors with Swift, if I am paying 8 lakhs I compare them with Honda City, Optra, Aveo, and SX4 comes short... Its more fit for a car in segment of Swift.

Well engine noise at high RPMs or high speed is tolerable, but engine noise at 4 k RPM for me is not tolerable. It can be ignored, but its still a flaw. Please do appreciate that diffent ppl have different tolerance levels.

Lastly, not for one second I would not appreciate MUL for bringing SX4 and making the competition look pricy and have less features in comparison. I do expect a strong response from likes of Honda and applaud Maruti in triggering the likes of Honda to not take us Indians for a ride...

But having said that, I dont think SX4 is a kind of car that I would give my 8 lakhs for. If given the choice today to choose between SX4 and City, I would choose City but it would be a difficult decision.. Given choice between City Vtec with ABS/EBD and airbags vs SX4, given that Vtec is 1 lakh dearer than SX4, I would go with City with my eyes closed.

[BUSA]

better spark plugs can make a good difference in both FE and performance

No use throwing away Rs. 4000, spark plugs are totally useless on a not so highly modified engine. Who told you about the above?

@ Aseem - Vtec is one lac dearer even without ABS/Airbags.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by BUSA

No use throwing away Rs. 4000, spark plugs are totally useless on a not so highly modified engine. Who told you about the above?

@ Aseem - Vtec is one lac dearer even without ABS/Airbags.

@ Busa I realize that, but I sincerely hope that Honda is forced to revise its prices or offer ABS at the same price.

And thats my dilemna. Honda City is not VFM for what it offers, Toyota Corolla is outdated but great to drive, Fiesta is slightly cramped on leg room, Optra is not a drivers car, Cedia's A.S.S and resale scare me, SX4 is too Swiftish for me.... and here is a bloke with 9 lakhs to spend and no car in India meets or comes to my requirements :(

[BUSA]

Honda City is not VFM for what it offers, Toyota Corolla is outdated but great to drive, Fiesta is slightly cramped on leg room, Optra is not a drivers car, Cedia's A.S.S and resale scare me, SX4 is too Swiftish for me.... and here is a bloke with 9 lakhs to spend and no car in India meets or comes to my requirements :(

I totally agree with you. The SX4 shares platform and quite a few stuff with the Swift, if i have a Swift i would surely give the SX4 a miss. Cedia's spares are expensive i can vouch for that and A.S.S is poor to say the least. The 1.6 Optra is not a drivers car, gearbox is notchy and it doesnot have the kick in the a** acceleration which one would like. City is no ways VFM and you should not go for it till Honda comes up with something which they surely will, Corolla Just bunk it man, too old in the tooth now.

Looking at your requirements my suggestion would be : -

1. Octavia Rider ~ 11 Lacs but a good discount will get it around 10L or so since petrols are high on discount, just call the Skoda dealer and try and see what he says. Butttt sitting in the rear will be a tight squeeze.
2. The Fiesta is a excellent car and except the rear leg room it has no flaws, is VFM and the handling & braking is excellent.
3. Verna CRDi VGT - A hoot to drive, ecnomical to run and you would love the sound of that turbo and the torque. The SX Version with ABS and 4 wheel discs = ~9lacs

[sids911]

Originally Posted by aseem

@ Busa I realize that, but I sincerely hope that Honda is forced to revise its prices or offer ABS at the same price.

Honda would not do it. Either way they would be proved that they were taking us for a ride. Remember Daewoo?

OTT, If I were in your place, with 9 lacs for a car, I would go blindly for the Cedia. Lancers are a class apart.
But at the price point of 7-8 Lacs OTR, nothing can beat SX4 Zxi VFM.

[Fiero]

Originally Posted by aseem

@ Busa I realize that, but I sincerely hope that Honda is forced to revise its prices or offer ABS at the same price.

And thats my dilemna. Honda City is not VFM for what it offers, Toyota Corolla is outdated but great to drive, Fiesta is slightly cramped on leg room, Optra is not a drivers car, Cedia's A.S.S and resale scare me, SX4 is too Swiftish for me.... and here is a bloke with 9 lakhs to spend and no car in India meets or comes to my requirements :(

wait a while ... does the civic catch ur eye ???

[mclaren1885]

Just a few things I dont believe:
1. The engine is not underpowered. Neither is it too loud at 4k rpm.
2. AC is good, not as bad as its made out to be. However, I guess baleono's is slightly ahead.
3. I have personally heard the ICE in the NHC Vtec, its no better than on the SX4. Then you must also realize that different people have different tastes. I need a 5ch amplifier atleast to play my speakers, my dad doesn't. What he needs is just two speakers. Its subjective.
4. Yes, I do agree the interior quality is not as good as the NHC. But, its not too bad either.
5. Looks are not the SX'4s strong point, they dont make low slung cars anymore.

After going for a drive for over 150kms yesterday I only conclude that its a really good car. A nice highway cruiser, excellent suspension to tackle our potholed roads. However, I would have my car lowered if I were to buy one. And in city, it does oogle a lot of torque. It just has what you need from a car. It wont disappoint you. And with those safety features, you only feel more safe. What that car needs is better rubber IMO.