[volkman10]

This is my second ownership report after joining T- BHP, and about 4 years after my last purchase, a VW- 1.6P Polo.

Prologue

Recap October 2014
We always had 2 cars at our disposal and it was Maruti Suzuki's Zen a 1999 model which was the one accompanying the Polo. Japanese Reliability Vs the German build was truly tested.

At times when the Polo has its initial trouble (Unable to release drum brake,etc) it was the Zen which we always relied on.
Now the time had come to part ways with the Zen to a friend who needed a vehicle badly, gladly sold the the Zen to him.
Now having only one vehicle, the search was on for the second vehicle. Now the dilemma - What Car?

Yes everybody will look forward to a perfect car, knowing fully that there’s no such thing as the "perfect car." From an ideal perfection to be more realistic the perfect one for me has to have the following qualities.
Reliable : Going by history of ownership ( perceived)
Handling: 98% in city and a 1% in a semi- paved road and 1% on highways,
Cost of ownership - Parts availability, Service friendly, proximity of service centers

Requirements-

Need to be diesel (daily commute covers ~ 50km)
Build Quality -(Vento and Polo are to my liking)
ABS and Airbags(no compromises here)
Decent acceleration, handling and ride quality- City driving
Acceptable fuel efficiency
Good A.S.S
Reliability
Front and rear seat comfort - for 4
Decent ground clearance, - at least 180 mm
Service Center accessibility

While the above were absolute requirements, there were some to nice to have features,

Touch screen infotainment music system( a miss in Gen 1 Polo)
Leather seats.
HID headlights
Cruise control ( useful when on highways)

Present ride - 4 years and still the best!


Alternatives and Decision

Very conservative in approach and would rather go in for the proven rather than the untested ones. For me, considering the Vento was the first choice. News of face lift was on during last festive season and booked the Vento 1.5TDI -MT, the DSG option was too lucrative after the TD but went against it as I did felt it being risky due to reports on its reliability.
The Vento 1.5TDI even after a month of booking showed no sign of arrival as the stocks of the 1.6 TDI was to be exhausted. From reliable sources came to known of a forthcoming face lift in 2015 and hence cancelled the booking and decided to wait till early 2015.

Democratic Process:
Family direction - On further scoops and news the story of Maruti Suzuki's Crossover was around. Since we really did not need a sedan,but a bigger car, with a higher seating position, decent interior space, ease of handling and ground clearance suiting the notorious Bangalore speed breakers.
Since it being a new car in the guise of a crossover, we decided to give the Vento a skip and try the Crossover. The news of the powertrains were out and 1.6 MJD - was it.
I was the first to ask RNS Motors on the S Cross and they( even me) were not aware of Nexa and were willing to take the bookings though!!
The Nexa story unfolded fast and was assigned an RM ( he said I was the first customer).

First look of the S Cross -DDiS320 on display at Garuda Mall on 12th July. Liked its muted looks and interiors and subsequently booked the S Cross online ( variant kept optional) on 27th July.



Nexa Experience - 26th July
In summary for a brand new concept and a new car launch the experience was more than satisfactory. There was always a single point of contact for reference and most important the response was quick.

Visited the showroom when under construction and later when the car was on display. RM's were very courteous but the car to them was not familiar in terms of features and varaints- guess none can beat a BHPian! RM was very optimistic on the pricing and I kept insisting on Alpha variant of pricing DDiS 320 should be at 14 OTR Bangalore for me to consider this car.

First day at Nexa - No Cars, less people


And the second visit to see the display car


And the third to see the car in Granite Gray( Phoenix Mall)


And Nexa Today ( 10th October) - More Cars still less people



The assigned RM kept me informed on info he could get but was more interested in selling the DDiS200, which at this stage never of interest me. I have never over a car with the national engine ( 1.3 DDiS) but still, for that matter never a diesel too.
We were shown the car in all colors and was not much of a concern at this point of time.

D-day of launch - August 5th
was nervous and excited and decided to watch the unveiling at office, but Murphy's law was at play and was called in for a meet exactly a few minutes before the launch and lasted an hour after the launch. Opened Team BhP to check the prices and reactions to the pricing poured in and the rest is history. Only saving grace for us in Bangalore was the DDiS200 Zeta pricing being kept under INR 10L( ex-showroom)

Discussed with family( Wife and Son) on the same , though affordable -DDiS320, did not see the need considering the OTR prices in Bangalore and the car being the family workhorse and mainly to driven in the city.

Here were the options -

Option A - Buy the S Cross DDiS320 on my own availing loan and proceed.

Option B - Buy The S Cross Zeta DDiS200 availing the company purchase of the car. Tax deductions on fuel and maintenance is very lucrative to ignore. Why DDiS200 ?, since company has capped 10 L as ex- showroom price for this scheme.

Checked the variants in detail and though Alpha was the target, it was now beyond the limit and hence DDiS200 Zeta comes to picture. On scrutinizing the features it did seem to be the most VFM variant.

Mentally decided on the DDiS200 considering the intent of this car for us.Anyways we decided to test drive the DDiS200 and decide.

Again at Nexa - Test Drive ( August 8th)


Here are my impressions after the TD ( all comparisons of drive to the 1.6P Polo) . RM agreed to a long drive (~ 30 km) with a mix of asphalted and broken roads( not hard to find in Bangalore city)

- A bit slow to take off ( guess it is the characteristics of a diesel heart )
- Suspension is simply awesome for high speed drives
- Seating, ergonomics and drive dynamics is commendable
- A bit gruff on noise, seepage into the cabin
- Engine is responsive and power build up is linear
- Braking performance is good
- Some plastic seemed of parts sharing was evident

Well even if you call it a BIG hatchback with space and comfort of a sedan and semi UV type credential it very well earned to be called a Crossover

My wife too did a TD and we were convinced and DDiS200 Zeta it is to be!

Option B it was and asked the RM will go-ahead with the purchase once the finance part is through. Yes decided to be less poorer by 3 Lakhs by opting for DDiS200 instead of the DDiS320 ( knowing the purpose of getting this car)

The process took a weeks time, and handed over the cheque promising a delivery within in 4 weeks (since was pre-booked, normally this variant draws a 8 week waiting period)

Waiting time and some planning-

Color selection was not a brainier as in past we had white cars and decided to break this with the S Cross. Not my department and Granite Gray was chosen. This did not bring down the waiting period as Granite gray and Caffeine brown were in demand.

The road in our layout was re-asphalted (thanks to the BBMP elections) in record speed ( Quality compromised!) and was a real boon, but a painful process.



Asked the RM for getting the car, to be sure its parking path is clear and need to modifications. Was obliged in a couple of hours time and coincidentally our friendly neighbor had a TD on the same car and booked one ( his wait continues on delivery)



Alloy/ tire selection : Was determined to change the OEM alloys and tires the very first thing . The most time consuming process too.
Literally scanned and met most tire dealers - Goodyear, Bridgestone, Pirelli and Michelin.

Goodyear being the cheapest both in terms of new and good buyback for the JK Elanzo. However was more inclined to Michelin. With feedback from esteemed TBHP members and users, decided on Michelin Primacy 3ST. Another challenge was availability and that too must co-ordinate with the alloy dealer! Cost - 9.8k/ tire



Alloys: Was more easier since narrowed down on OZ/MSW wheels.
Three were shortlisted( listed in order of preference), and selected the one which was available.

1. MSW 85 - First Choice, but not readily available ( ~ 75k for a set of 4)




2. MSW 24 - Second choice and readily available ( 50K for a set of 4, waiting period 2 months, min) - selected for procurement



3. MSW 25 - Third preference - but did not esquire further as #2 was met



Key Fob - Silicone cover 199 INR



Micro Fiber cloth- Glass/Paint/Dashboard



The Final Lap

The wait for unexpectedly short as the RM informed on the arrival of a lot of cars from where the Granite Gray can be allotted to me. Great news but insisted on a PDI ( Pre-Dispatch inspection) before allotment. RM obliged to the request.

Sept 13th morning, armed with notes from TBHP pre-inspection points reached the stockyard along with RM.

My S Cross - First view



Did a thorough visual inspection(~ 2 hours) thoroughly as possible. ODO meter at 35.8km seemed reasonable.



Ah, here is the first point, Fuel tank cover seemed damaged ( manufacturing defect ?)- what QA check from Maruti Suzuki?
Solution requested : Change the cover, which was done on spot by the service guys.



Confirming the receipt from Gurgaon plant from latest batch.
Seen the functions, everything else seemed fine. Noted the Chassis and Engine number and given clearance for registration.

[volkman10]

This section is dedicated to all who knowingly/unknowingly contributed to my decision on buying the S Cross. A special thanks to S2!!! for the beautifully documented official review which further cemented the buying decision.
Also thanks to many members, some of who are now proud owners of the S Cross, in having a healthy discussion, from which I could drawn many cues and upgraded my knowledge on the car.

The day had come when the S Cross would be mine. Yes Nexa had officially a holiday on 17th September, but since that day was auspicious they promised delivery of 5 cars - 4 DDiS200's( Granite Gray's) and one DDiS320( Caffeine Brown)!

We arrived Nexa at ~ 10:00 and were the lucky to be the first customer that day as could have the rest of the activities as planned. change of Alloys/Tires were the highest on the priority list.
Handed over the 'gift' to the RM as not to forget, since excitement and tension was building up. Yes tension as the car seemed to be driven directly from the yard and the clean up process was in Nexa. Reminded many times to hurry up as I decided will do a clean up at 3M later.



Rest in pictures of the delivery process!

Car History file- Guess can call it the Birth Certificate, RM explained the contents and the pending accessories were recorded.



Cleaning in progress- mud flaps was taken as an accessory and fitted too.( INR -580)



The 10L diesel being filled,



Customary 'Ferraro Roche' and Bouquet - to match the Premium tag.



And the Final take-off from Nexa and all its employees!



Informed the Alloy guy on the status- driven ~ 8 km in stock alloy/tires!

Maruti Suzuki 'Stock' S Cross DDiS200 Zeta



Checking the alloys- MSW 24 , before final say,






And the 'transformed' S Cross!




Gets used to the parking accompanied by the 'German'- VW Polo.







Large rear glass -thumbs up


Interiors & first 230+ km

Mileage figures with 100% AC on and city driving and with Running in precautions!




Steering wheel should have been bigger, stalk position confusing from the European design!


Unfriendly glove box- practically useless


Handbrake position though towards the passenger side is not an issue


AC vents seem robust - compared to the flimsy VW ones


All Black seat covers for the DDiS Zeta


OEM carpet Mats and plastic mats seem good - (accessory) INR 1090 for a set

Carpet Mat-Rear

Driver's side

Plastic Mat (cover) - Rear - INR 1050 for a set

Plastic Cover - Driver's side with Clip ( non-slip)

[volkman10]

If you love your car you need to show it - some visible and some unseen. Time for a 3M visit!

1. Paint Sealant ( for new cars < 6 months)

Vacuum cleaning

Pressure wash

Shampoo

Drying and Protection before Sealant


Polishing

Final product


2. Protection Film - Rear bumper, front bumper ( minus cladding),door edges and door handle pockets.



Clocking some miles








ODO meter and mileage now!




Some Bling - Illuminated door sill guard ( accessory)- looks good!



Pending updates:

1. HID/LED Park light ( Alpha) - Accessory
2. Leather Wrap - Steering - Karlsson

Some First's for me:

1. First Diesel ownership
2. First car bought at vehicle launch
3. A Car other than white
4. First car to be bought of a lower variant and not the top end

Reflections as on date:

Distance covered - 600+ km ( on 12th October)
Usage pattern : daily ~50 km, 25 km in morning within city ( less traffic) and the 25 km in evening is in dense city traffic, weekends on highways ~ 50 km. Long distance not yet, but plans are there!
Person in car - One or max 2 in weekdays, 3 in weekends.


What I like in S Cross:

- European design - low slung and looks planted
- Build & good quality, compared to usual Maruti products is commendable- but not close to the Germans!
- Practical interiors, spacious cabin and good seats and great lighting
- Mature ride & handling
- Feature rich -, cruise control, 7" touchscreen ICE, Disc brakes, ABS
- Low stance - great stability
- Very roomy cabin - large glass areas make it very bright
- Lots of lighting - foot wells ( driver and passenger ) and below console
- Park sensors well protected( placed a bit inner not flush with bumper )
- Manual on/off for the park sensor 'beep'
- Programmable options available - (Door lock/unlock-Lane change blink count--foot lights- anti-theft)
- Promising mileage ( guess will open up> 1000 km)
- Good paint quality, even panel gaps and interiors
- Tire Size is great, no reason to upgrade.
- Smartplay HU - works like a charm
- AC effectiveness
- Rev happy engine - but restricting it due to the initial run -in period
- Light clutch, boon in city traffic
- Dead petal placement


What could have been better:

- Turbo lag until~1900 rpm, need to get used to the national engine
- Noise filtration into cabin a bit high.( coming from a petrol back ground!)
- Reverse gear slotting - 2 out of 3 times need to go to first and back
- Non Practical Glove box
- Some 'Plasticky' areas in dash
- Small steering wheel - deserves better
- Control ( windows, etc) look to be of inferior quality
- Cladding quality looks suspect ( silver portion shows a bit discoloring- faint black steaks)
- Meek Horn
- Rear seat posture
- OEM alloys - Less said the better it is!
- Fog lamp housing - dirt trap and difficult to clean
- Front wiper quality not robust
- Switches on door etc , seems a carry over from- Need to be more premium
- Two Slant Grill - chrome is not to my liking

Initial observation of the car - Overall - Today

Engine - This being the most discussed a topic in the S Cross , understandably as it depicts the 'heart' of the car. Some points reflect as I am still new to the diesel car ownership and could be irrelevant.
To start with the engine sounds refined at start , a bit of clatter is audible. This infiltrates a bit in the cabin, especially if the music system is off. There is absolutely no action till ~ 1900 rpm after which you can feel a bit of surge.
In second and third gears, with 4 people on board, you don’t feel that the engine is under powered, but if you are the type who like to move from standstill in the 'Race' mode, you will be highly disappointed.
Gears have a nice feel of the lever, they slot well- except on reverse. Not sure if this is a design issue or engaging method. Happened a few times. The first gear ratio is designed only to move the car from dead stop.
Second third and fourth gears are in city driving. A few times used the fifth but not much there. Need to experiment more once the 1000 km running in is complete.
Frequent shifts of gears will be needed for overtaking and maneuvers , in city. Also note when encountering speed breakers and after you need to be in the right gear, or else could end up stalling.

The clutch is light and easy to use.
In summary, coming from a petrol background, the gear needs to be worked more frequently to enjoy your drive.

Cabin - This is an USP of the S Cross. With wide areas covered by glass it gives a very bright and airy feeling. All controls are ergonomically placed, though the handbrake is placed as in the LHD vehicles. The high seating position helps compared to the low seated sedan/hatchbacks. With all the seat and steering adjustments it is within seconds you will get the right seating position.
All black interiors looks refreshing after seeing beige being used in most new launches. Seats are very supportive and ample place for 3 at the back seat. Rear seat posture as discussed by many seems a basic design flaw.
Boot space is okay for me but seem compromised compared to the International variants due to the full size spare wheel?
Beading quality of glasses seem to be a suspect in quality, time will confirm the same.
The rear quarter glass is very useful when changing lanes and the rear glass gives ample coverage to see the 'rear' action! Side mirrors could have been larger and looks small for this segment.
Lighting at the foot wells and below the console is a good thought. Dead pedal position seem perfect in position. Lots of storage space and you will not need anymore for sure.
Glove box is poorly designed considering its utility. Spit design of rear parcel tray to ace the boot from inside is a nice feature.
Doors open nice and wide. Closing of doors does not have the 'THUD' as in VW's and can noticeably feel a bit lower in gauge thickness than the Polo.

Brakes- The brakes are very good . With the change of rubber to Michelin;s gives an added confidence to it. Have not yer encountered a situation to test its capability.

Suspension- Nothing different to report here other than the T-BHP review. the bumps are well soaked in at higher speeds and lesser in slower speeds. It handles well in broken roads as well as when encountering pot holes. Observations is based on city driving only.Even the suspension is silent when going over pot holes and joints on the fly overs. Did not encounter noticeable body roll, but I drive respecting the Crossover concept!

NVH- As stated earlier the engine noise is audible at idling speeds and at higher RPMs. But if your music system is on ( low volume too) the noise is non existent.

ICE- To my taste the Smartplay system very good and extremely responsive and works well so far. I am yet to find any quirks with it. All controls are well laid out and work as expected. For most folks, it will be a no brainer to figure out the functions. The screen and settings are un- cluttered too and the fonts are easy to read. Camera works well on reversing
Not planning any upgrade and happy with this set up.


Fuel Efficiency- As seen it gives ~ 16 Km/l per liter . Not much bothered but relief when re-filling in petrol stations- less damage to wallet. Distance covered 600+ to date.


Overall- The engine is responsive and power build up is also strong.What is commendable is the brilliant dynamics, the suspension simply absorbs everything. It is in looks and handling very European and that is the best I like in this crossover.
The S Cross slowly grows on you. It could be a slow starter in sales, but I guess it will pick up by word of mouth!

I am not covering more impressions of the features as it is well documented in the official reports as well as in the ownership reviews already posted here.

FAQ's
Well after driving the S Cross for less than a month, here are some FAQ's asked by some strangers, friends and colleagues, with answers below each.

1. Is this Maruti's New Crossover? What is the OTR in Bangalore? (Strangers,
friends)
On hearing the pricing body language indicated it seemed overpriced to
them!

2. Why is this car available only in diesel? ( Friends , colleagues)
I dont know - Maruti believes this segment is primarily diesel

3. Why not buy the ' Perfect SUV' - looks good ( Colleagues)
I believe nothing can be perfect, so suspect the SUV itself

4. Nice interiors, many notches up from the regular Maruti's (Friends)

5. The alloys seem like made for the Granite Gray S Cross . (Owner - Hot Tracks)
A pic was taken for his reference/ advertisement.

6. I will buy your Polo - for sale? will you buy the Baleno? ( Friends, Nexa RM)
Nope not yet- Will always have a 100+ PS car as the second one.


Well, this pretty much sums up the journey of owning the Crossover as of now. The car as stated many times suits its purpose for me but if your requirements are otherwise you might have a different view. To each his own!

When at times on to Team BHP , is the only time I feel the car is under powered and then i am reassured having the below car if ever I need more power(105 PS) and performance!



Future : If all goes well, will be in the market for the next car in 2018. Will be keenly looking at VW's portfolio for India , i.e in case they do not de-prioritize emerging market products, given the current situation it is in globally.

[ampere]

Beautifully composed log of an amazing product! It should make awesome long distance cruiser, with all those features (cruise control esp).

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by volkman10

This is my second ownership report after joining T- BHP, and about 4 years after my last purchase, a VW- 1.6P Polo.

Congrats volkman10 on your latest acquisition and really looks sweet.

I have mentioned this before as well on the S-Cross TD thread and will post it again:

Just Surreal set of Alloys and perfect taste

Wish you a very fuss free motoring and mile munching.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by volkman10

This is my second ownership report after joining T- BHP, and about 4 years after my last purchase, a VW- 1.6P Polo.

That is one ownership review I was waiting for! I started liking this car after following your updates before and after its launch. I am planning to upgrade my car for more than a year now and have shortlisted Storme and S-Cross (Earlier it was only Storme but I added S-Cross because of you ). Hopefully, I will decide by end of this month.

Wish you many happy miles with S-Cross. Please keep updating this thread.

[a4anurag]

Congratulations Volkman10.

The color and alloys go very well and just transforming the car totally.

If only the prices for the DDiS320 Alpha were reasonable, I would have gone ahead with the purchase in a month or so. But have now decided against the S-Cross. I'll be going in for XUV 5OO W8 mostly.

Have a great ownership with this car and hope to see a remap and Projector addition to the car.

[Raulspace999]

Beautiful alloys and good choice of colour.The s-cross is here to stay and you cant go wrong with the engine.

That apart,as mentioned by you the build levels could have been much nor premium coming from a polo owner.

I remember I had seen this car is Bangkok last year and had felt instantly in love with it. It sure has some good stance and looks by its side.

By the looks of it, this car will be your trusted workhorse like they say owners pride neighbours envy!

[srinath34]

Nice write-up and a smashing set of alloys!!!

Have a great ownership journey ahead.

[Shanksta]

Congratulations volkman10!! Wish you loads of (s)miles in the S-Cross. You have a great taste! That is the hottest S-Cross I have seen till date.

You should actually send a picture to Maruti to show that a better set of wheels radically changes the way the S-Cross looks and would ensure a greater footfall into their showroom.

[sandygordon]

Beautiful review. I should have learnt a thing or two from you guys before writing a review. Excellent work. Wishing many happy miles with your grey beauty.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Congrats volkman10 on your latest acquisition and really looks sweet.

Thanks Vik, am following your thread very closely too.

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

. I am planning to upgrade my car for more than a year now and have shortlisted Storme and S-Cross (Earlier it was only Storme but I added S-Cross because of you ).
Wish you many happy miles with S-Cross. Please keep updating this thread.

Thanks again, I guess if your requirement is for a SUV then , Storme it should be.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

The color and alloys go very well and just transforming the car totally.
I'll be going in for XUV 5OO W8 mostly.

Color selection is a process by itself, was having the Premium silver as the primary one, but majority in my family did prefer this.

Originally Posted by Raulspace999

Beautiful alloys and good choice of colour.
By the looks of it, this car will be your trusted workhorse like they say owners pride neighbours envy!

Selection of this ally was more confusing than the car itself

Neighbors envy ? Our neighbor will be getting his Caffeine Brown S Cross shortly.

Originally Posted by srinath34

Nice write-up and a smashing set of alloys!!!

Have a great ownership journey ahead.

Originally Posted by Shanksta

Congratulations volkman10!! Wish you loads of (s)miles in the S-Cross. You have a great taste! That is the hottest S-Cross I have seen till date.

Thanks for the complement, literally a months work in the selection of this alloy

Originally Posted by sandygordon

Beautiful review. Excellent work. Wishing many happy miles with your grey beauty.

Actually was complementing your writing skills from the time your Flow chart appeared in the S Cross thread. Loved your recent updates ( Munar trip)on your thread

[volkman10]

The parking lot at office. Granite Gray seems to be a dust magnet but fin dust is visible only when viewed closely.

[vishal.joshi]

Congratulations!! on the S-Cross. I had planned to buy one, but wifey rejected saying she does not like the design.

Hoping she likes the Baleno when seen in flesh.

[maker_of_things]

Beautiful car. Always liked the look. Though the bonnet should've been a little more straight.

Love the alloys. It has totally transformed the look!

Happy driving!