[kunalsb]

On 12 May 2010, I bought a Ritz Zxi and after a year with 9470 kms on the odo, I am penning down my experiences. As many have already brought out the technical details about the car, I’ll just restrict to the pros & cons & what a potential car buyer should expect from the Ritz.

What I like
Great engine
Precise gear shift
Safety offered by ABS + Airbags
Great value for money (Zxi comes fully loaded)
Sporty interiors
Tall seating position
Height adjustable driver seat & adjustable steering
Big ORVMs
Incomparable service network
Steering mounted audio controls
Keyless entry
Tubeless alloys

Beauty in the eyes of the beholder




What I didn’t like
Restricted rear view (Small rear window & thick C pillars)
Thick A pillars hinder view while turning
Ride quality (maybe due to the thinner sidewalls on the Zxi)
Limited boot space
Review of stock JKs not good
Stock music system does not have USB connectivity
Absence of a dead pedal

Restricted view


The experience
I had a budget of Rs. 4.5l & wanted a petrol car with safety features (Airbags + ABS) on top of my list. I had narrowed down to Maruti Suzuki Swift/Ritz & Hyundai i10. Lack of airbags ruled out the i10. Choosing between the Swift & Ritz became easy as the Ritz Zxi was about Rs.50000/- cheaper than its Swift counterpart. The second ‘aye’ in favour of Ritz was the fresh & sporty interiors that were lacking in the Swift. Thus with a clear mind, I went ahead & booked the Ritz Zxi.

Pleasing interiors


Oodles of headroom



The car cost me approx Rs. 4.7 lakhs (inclusive of regn, extended 2 year warranty & insurance) which included Rs.15000/- as cash back. Heeding to the advice on TeamBHP, I got the stock tyres replaced with Michelin Energy XM1+ (got four tyres for Rs.6000/- in exchange for the JKs). I went for the ‘Silky silver’ as very limited colours suit the Ritz (personal opinion) & the Blazing Blue shown on the internet was not matching the actual product. There was a waiting period for 15 days & on the D day, I took the delivery of the car in Ahmedabad.

The Excellent Michelins



After a thorough PDI, as soon as I started the ignition, the Airbag sensor showed a malfunction. The Ahmedabad service station people were very helpful & said that it would take two days to repair the same. But I had to drive down to Bhopal the same day & got it repaired in Bhopal. After this first niggle, I never had any problem with the car.

Brief overview
The engine is very peppy & great to drive in city as well as on highways. The gear shift is smooth & precise & the gear lever position feels great. The interiors are very spacious with generous headroom & adequate space for rear seating (comfortable for 4, bit of a squeeze for 5). The sporty tacho, waterfall console & the blue-grey combination make the interiors very pleasing to the eye. The tall height adjustable driver seat offers good view & the steering is also adjustable.

Cubby holes



Adequate legroom with front seats fully retracted


The boot is at par with cars of this class (bigger would have been better) & the rear seats do a 60:40 split. There are a couple of cubby holes for storage in the front with a parcel tray below the co-driver seat. The fog lamps (F+R), defogger & rear wiper are handy. The tubeless alloys add to the styling & the aircon is a chiller. The Nippon music system with steering controls caters well for the layman but may leave much to be desired for the audiophiles. The fuel efficiency is 12kmpl (city) & 15kmpl (highways). FE will increase on the lower variants due to thinner tyres.

Not much to 'boot' about the boot


Ride quality is not very comfortable & long drives on potholed highways can result in a sore back (though ride quality of the Vxi/Vdi is considered better due to thinner tyres with thicker sidewalls). The Zxi has a heavier & responsive steering & the car just sticks to tarmac, credit to the 185/70 tyres.

Good steering cluster


Who should buy the Ritz
The Ritz does not have the personality of the Swift (neither the cost!) but has better interior quality & it also stands out due to its unique styling. If you are the kind of person looking for a car with a great engine, better interiors, ample headroom, large enough to accommodate your family & are ready to live with moderate ride quality, then look no further. This is a car which appeals to the mind rather than the heart, but believe me, it has a tendancy to grow on you. This one year has been a great experience for me with the Ritz & am truly ‘Living the moment’.

Miles to go ahead

[SPARKled]

Nice review of the ZXi. I have recently booked a Glistening Grey Vdi and expect it to be delivered in a week. I was floored by the practicality of this car over anything else and personally think its a pretty smart car for what it does. Have you driven a non alloy wheeled Ritz, if yes, is the steering a lot harder on the alloy wheeled version over the standard steel rimmed version?

[rrahul_2778]

Nice review. I am in the process of booking a Ritz VDI, I also think the looks kind of grow on you. These days on the roads whenever I see a Ritz I dont feel like its the worst possible thing on 4 wheels

[libranof1987]

Nice review there! The car looks in mint condition.

Coupla things though : Why'd you want a dead pedal; considering this is a MT?

About the ride quality, you mentioned the difference in tyre thickness. Are the stock tyres different in the VXi and VDi as compared to the ZXi?

I'd taken a TD of Ritz years ago; the car is indeed peppy and the gearbox has a nice feel!

Happy driving!

[kunalsb]

Originally Posted by SPARKled

Nice review of the ZXi. I have recently booked a Glistening Grey Vdi and expect it to be delivered in a week. I was floored by the practicality of this car over anything else and personally think its a pretty smart car for what it does. Have you driven a non alloy wheeled Ritz, if yes, is the steering a lot harder on the alloy wheeled version over the standard steel rimmed version?

Congrats. I had taken a TD of Ritz Vdi & it was confirmed by the Maruti serviceman that the steering on all variants except Zxi is lighter.
Actually the steering on Zxi is heavier & not harder & hence gives good feedback.

Originally Posted by rrahul_2778

Nice review. I am in the process of booking a Ritz VDI, I also think the looks kind of grow on you. These days on the roads whenever I see a Ritz I dont feel like its the worst possible thing on 4 wheels

Good choice.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Nice review there! The car looks in mint condition.

Coupla things though : Why'd you want a dead pedal; considering this is a MT?

About the ride quality, you mentioned the difference in tyre thickness. Are the stock tyres different in the VXi and VDi as compared to the ZXi?

I'd taken a TD of Ritz years ago; the car is indeed peppy and the gearbox has a nice feel!

Happy driving!

I want a dead pedal as for MT, one has a tendency to ride the clutch if dead pedal is not available.
The Zxi has 185/70 R14 tyres whereas all other variants have 165/80 R14.

[sajo]

Great review Kunal!
I bought a Swift ZXi around the same time last year, and have clocked around 8.3k on the odo. When I took a TD, I noticed that the 1.2 Ritz was better insulated sound wise, and hence feels a bit more refined, than my 1.2 Swift.

Good choice there, swapping the Vectras with Michelins. I find the tyre noise the Vectras make on tarmac quite irritating.

[kunalsb]

Originally Posted by sajo

Great review Kunal!
I bought a Swift ZXi around the same time last year, and have clocked around 8.3k on the odo. When I took a TD, I noticed that the 1.2 Ritz was better insulated sound wise, and hence feels a bit more refined, than my 1.2 Swift.

Good choice there, swapping the Vectras with Michelins. I find the tyre noise the Vectras make on tarmac quite irritating.

Good buy. Swift Zxi is one of the best hatchbacks in our country & has a great fan following.

[rrahul_2778]

In Chennai, Ritz or Swift with ABS Airbags and ABS has a 2 month waiting period!!!. Its very frustrating. Petrol or Diesel for both its the same story

[ank1477]

Originally Posted by kunalsb

What I like
Great engine
Precise gear shift
Safety offered by ABS + Airbags
Great value for money (Zxi comes fully loaded)
Sporty interiors
Tall seating position
Height adjustable driver seat & adjustable steering
Big ORVMs
Incomparable service network
Steering mounted audio controls
Keyless entry
Tubeless alloys

What I didn’t like
Restricted rear view (Small rear window & thick C pillars)
Thick A pillars hinder view while turning
Ride quality (maybe due to the thinner sidewalls on the Zxi)
Limited boot space
Review of stock JKs not good
Stock music system does not have USB connectivity
Absence of a dead pedal

Ride quality is not very comfortable & long drives on potholed highways can result in a sore back (though ride quality of the Vxi/Vdi is considered better due to thinner tyres with thicker sidewalls). The Zxi has a heavier & responsive steering & the car just sticks to tarmac, credit to the 185/70 tyres.


Who should buy the Ritz
The Ritz does not have the personality of the Swift (neither the cost!) but has better interior quality & it also stands out due to its unique styling. If you are the kind of person looking for a car with a great engine, better interiors, ample headroom, large enough to accommodate your family & are ready to live with moderate ride quality, then look no further. This is a car which appeals to the mind rather than the heart, but believe me, it has a tendancy to grow on you. This one year has been a great experience for me with the Ritz & am truly ‘Living the moment’.

Congrats on completing one year with your car. I agree with you on the bad rear visibility and the thick C and A pillars restricting visibility. The ride quality is also something which could be better. The pot holes and bad roads are really felt. Apart from this everything else is superb. I have a Ritz vxi which I bought 2 months back and I too am enjoying the car

[fuel_addict]

A pretty good review from a satisfied owner. The car looks in pristine condition too. I don't understand why Maruti decided to leave out the climate control option in the Ritz ZXi when that option is there in Swift ZXi. The 60:40 rear seat splitting option and the cubby compartment above the A/C vents in Ritz is really handy, something which the Swift lacks.

[kunalsb]

Originally Posted by ank1477

Congrats on completing one year with your car. I agree with you on the bad rear visibility and the thick C and A pillars restricting visibility. The ride quality is also something which could be better. The pot holes and bad roads are really felt. Apart from this everything else is superb. I have a Ritz vxi which I bought 2 months back and I too am enjoying the car

Thanks. Have you ever fiddled with the shock sensitivity setting of the car. My vehicle is equipped with it but I presume, its not armed. I'm getting it activated.

Originally Posted by fuel_addict

A pretty good review from a satisfied owner. The car looks in pristine condition too. I don't understand why Maruti decided to leave out the climate control option in the Ritz ZXi when that option is there in Swift ZXi. The 60:40 rear seat splitting option and the cubby compartment above the A/C vents in Ritz is really handy, something which the Swift lacks.

May be Maruti is trying to cut down costs as there is no ACC (even optional), the ORVMs have manual adjustment (no option for electrical) & also there is no 'Remote Boot Release Lever'

[fuel_addict]

Originally Posted by kunalsb

Thanks. Have you ever fiddled with the shock sensitivity setting of the car. My vehicle is equipped with it but I presume, its not armed. I'm getting it activated.

May be Maruti is trying to cut down costs as there is no ACC (even optional), the ORVMs have manual adjustment (no option for electrical) & also there is no 'Remote Boot Release Lever'

No remote boot release lever is not really an issue. I believe the Ritz ZXi has an electromagnetic boot release like the Swift ZXi.

No electric OVRM adjustment is something MUL should add in the next version. I really miss that feature. Retractable mirrors is too much to ask for.

Originally Posted by kunalsb

Thanks. Have you ever fiddled with the shock sensitivity setting of the car. My vehicle is equipped with it but I presume, its not armed. I'm getting it activated.

Sorry for the multiple posts. Forgot to respond to the query on shock sensitivity since I was replying through the phone.

Not sure how the shock sensitivity is adjusted but for sure the factory fitted Nippon system has the option. Probably you can look up the Nippon manual which must have come with the car. I recently had some issues with the security system and it had to be reset (the boot electromagnetic release sensor had to be replaced which probably caused the security system to malfunction). The Nippon guy made adjustments to the shock sensitivity so that a moderate to hard impact on the car will activate the siren.

[ank1477]

Originally Posted by kunalsb

Thanks. Have you ever fiddled with the shock sensitivity setting of the car. My vehicle is equipped with it but I presume, its not armed. I'm getting it activated.

Never heard of this. Can you please elaborate. I did not know that there is a shock sensitivity which can be set.

[kunalsb]

Originally Posted by fuel_addict

Sorry for the multiple posts. Forgot to respond to the query on shock sensitivity since I was replying through the phone.

Not sure how the shock sensitivity is adjusted but for sure the factory fitted Nippon system has the option. Probably you can look up the Nippon manual which must have come with the car. I recently had some issues with the security system and it had to be reset (the boot electromagnetic release sensor had to be replaced which probably caused the security system to malfunction). The Nippon guy made adjustments to the shock sensitivity so that a moderate to hard impact on the car will activate the siren.

Originally Posted by ank1477

Never heard of this. Can you please elaborate. I did not know that there is a shock sensitivity which can be set.

1. The shock sensitivity of is a part of the alarm system of the car. It decides the amount of shock by which the alarm will be activated (eg. someone touching the car, etc.) There are 16 levels of sensitivity in the car.
2. Please refer the Chapter 'Before Driving' of the user manual which provides detailed information on setting the same. You can do it yourself, it sounds pretty simple (Though I have not done it, planning to do it tonight ).

[ank1477]

Originally Posted by kunalsb

1. The shock sensitivity of is a part of the alarm system of the car. It decides the amount of shock by which the alarm will be activated (eg. someone touching the car, etc.) There are 16 levels of sensitivity in the car.
2. Please refer the Chapter 'Before Driving' of the user manual which provides detailed information on setting the same. You can do it yourself, it sounds pretty simple (Though I have not done it, planning to do it tonight ).

Oh I thought you were talking about the ride quality ...anyways thanks.