[momsonlydriver]

Introduction:

This vehicle was purchased in the month of November in the year 2009. During those days we have a limited choice. Either be it Honda City or a Suzuki Sx4. Since ground clearance was a major point during the decision making, we had to go with the Sx4.

2023 Update:

As you might be aware this car was a flood attacked car but had no mechanical issues. So I restored the car by myself mainly the interior work. For instance, the main flooring carpet now has a new sound insulation padding just like the factory and the list continues. The car is caring the 'beaters car' tag. Any narrow lanes or places where I do not like taking my Seltos Gt around. Sx4 carries out the duty flawlessly. Despite it being an old car I love this car more than any other car. Just because of the memories I have.

'Men are Back' and yes he is back!

Let us get into the pros and cons of the car:

PROS:

• Chunky tire and high ground clearance does not give it a cheap car feeling
• Design is non-offensive and has aged gracefully
• 1.6 Petrol engine is powerful and has a great low end torque which makes driving easy
• Spare wheel is an alloy
• Feature list is good for its time when compared to the Honda City
• The built quality is very impressive and solid around the car

CONS:

• Missing boot cladding is not acceptable
• Missing features such as auto dimming mirrors (next future mod) and auto turn mirrors
• Rear space is cramped for a car of this size and that includes the center transmission hump
• Interior plastic quality is just fine
• Bad fuel economy from a 'Maruti' car

Please note that the car is mildly customized. These parts are not available in India but I have managed to pick them up from stores and a scrapyard when I stayed in Paris.

Exterior


The car now comes with a lightly tinted headlight to match my new pair of laser LED foglamps which come in black from the package. The headlight unit is a full LED unit that consists of Philips


Initially the windows were just UV tint by 'Vkool' but I have now added darker films for the rear windows and that includes the rear windshield

'V' is vanished from 'Kool' after all these years


This car has a rear fog lamp which my Kia does not have. Great for blinding rear drivers who use their high beams during night


Featuring a broken clip on the left side of my bumper. Installed LED light for the number plate. These bulbs were from OSRAM.

Closer look reveals a new boot lid camera for parking and scraping other expensive cars around me. I personally do not like the bumper drilled cameras


The eye sore and lack of boot lid cladding. How much would have this costed Maruti to provide? Suzuki models do get a boot cladding from the factory


Massive boot of 504 liters. This can swallow at least four suitcases for a holiday trip.


I am a fan of the muscular body style of this car. Anyone is selling a MGA boot lip spoiler for sx4. Please contact me!

Interior

I have done a few interior changes. The first notable change is the new touch screen system which is an android system. Funny enough it booted up in French I had picked this from Amazon which included a high resolution boot lid camera. The seat covers were installed when the car was new. The steering is now leather wrapped along with hand break lever. The steering mounted controls had failed so it needed a new replacement. All the AC vents, interior door handles are now chrome, I had picked these from a scrapyard in France. Lastly placed the new Elegant floor mats, been under service for around a year and is shows its durability. These changes have really uplifted the cabin.

The tint difference between the front and rear windows


New chrome door handles. The lock button has been faded. The car has a speed lock at 20km/hr


'No trespassing' sticker


'Sx4' scuff plates on all four doors


Door opening not as wide as Tata Altroz, maximum and minimum legroom showcase


Ample space for my mother who enjoys the backseat more than the front seat


AC is a chiller and does not require rear AC vents but has an ashtray which is used for keeping coins and toll receipts


The rear seats are not foldable as there a barrier between the interior and the boot compartment. Good for safety reasons. Only two head rests provided, a third one would have been a good addition as it is provided in the international spec


New gear lever and gear shifter leather. Additional leather wrapped hand break lever gives a premium feel


Steering mounted controls work flawlessly with the new infotainment screen


The kilometers covered and the time taken differs in a city car. Kolkata traffic jams are chaotic.


These AC vents are really beautiful compared to the standard silver ring


These AC vents have chrome garnish but unfortunately they were not even provided in the 2013 facelifted Sx4 so the vents are black from the donor car but now matches the other vents


The new leather wrapped steering wheel is a dream come true as I was searching for a leathersmith in my city who could do a professional OEM style work on my beauty


Stock fake wooden armrest. Has no ambient lighting like modern cars. Not interested to add such accessories to make a car look cheap


Map lights works independently. They do not sync when the door opens. Does anyone have a solution or a work around for it?


Very humble lighting system on the roof. I love warm colors in the interior as it complements the leather color and the rest of the plastic colors. LED would have been an overkill here

The blog will be continued in the next post. The future mod that I am considering is to get an auto dimming ORVM from Maruti Suzuki Baleno and an interior foot lamp that is sold as an accessory in Maruti Suzuki Arena for Celerio (orange).

[momsonlydriver]

Smaller yet significant


The key ring is illuminated


Auto Climate Control, segment first in 2009. Car supports wireless android auto and apple car play so everything is neat


The car has a 12V socket, a USB for wired android auto and carplay


The passenger side has a vanity mirror with a cover (Listen Kia and Hyundai!)


Glove box rattle issue has been fixed with a tape around the mouth of the latch


The aftermarket screen has a GPS tracker that has been neatly installed next to the A-pillar


Height adjustable seat belts


Ovion leather


Only driver side has seat height adjustable feature and not the passenger side


Thickness of the touchscreen system to avoid sun glare. Steering wheel is only height adjustable and not reach


No cupholders on the armrest. More comfort oriented


The quality of rear camera is 720p


LED turn signals resulted in 6 bulbs changes (2 rear, 2 side, 2 front)


VVT badge


1.6 Petrol engine produces 103bhp and 145Nm@4100rpm. Comes with a 50litre tank capacity


Conclusion

There are many things I do hate about this car but the hassle free ownership experience makes this one of my most daily driven car. It is comfortable and gives good high speed stability with its wide chunky tires. The steering wheel does feel a bit heavy in low parking speeds but none the less it gets the job done. It is a man amongst the cars.

I am very proud of my old man!

[car-go]

That was a fantastic read, and made me nostalgic. I had a 2009 SX4 ZXI, and had to part with it while getting (my current) Jeep Compass.
Could not hold on to it, as I do not have really a basic need to keep two cars; I am the only driver in my family, and have one parking space.
Thanks for sharing.

[gt_bhp]

Nice to see your post. I too owned a 2008 SX4 Zxi which I let go last Sep when I bought a Seltos HTK+. It was a toss between retaining SX4 or Beat diesel. The mileage and small size was key factor that tilted in retaining Beat for city runs.
In all the years of ownership, never faced any major issues and have lots of memories of many wonderful drives in it. My son, who is 5 years old, is always overcome with longing and his eyes fills up with tears when we see a SX4 on road and invariably starts questioning me on why I sold his fave car.

[Rajeevraj]

Nice review and made me nostalgic. I had the exact same model - 2009 Silky Silver SX4, even the model month was I think October or November. I had purchased it pre-owned in 2011 and sold in 2013. Fantastic car and one of the rare Maruti models that looked and felt very solid.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by gt_bhp

Nice to see your post. I too owned a 2008 SX4 Zxi which I let go last Sep when I bought a Seltos HTK+. It was a toss between retaining SX4 or Beat diesel. The mileage and small size was key factor that tilted in retaining Beat for city runs.
In all the years of ownership, never faced any major issues and have lots of memories of many wonderful drives in it. My son, who is 5 years old, is always overcome with longing and his eyes fills up with tears when we see a SX4 on road and invariably starts questioning me on why I sold his fave car.

I do feel your statement. This car has the capability of providing an emotional attachment. I do love your silver pre-facelifted Sx4. Those alloy wheels and front grill is very sporty and appealing!

[OffRoadFun]

Nice to read this review.
I also have a 2008 SX4 ZXI but runs very rarely since we bought another car.

With only 82k kms done and 2023 being the year RC expires, I am in a dilemma. Never had any issue with the car and did many long drives to KL/TN/AP.

Part of me does not want to get rid of the carbut my wife says it is too old, no features.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

Nice to read this review.
I also have a 2008 SX4 ZXI but runs very rarely since we bought another car.

With only 82k kms done and 2023 being the year RC expires, I am in a dilemma. Never had any issue with the car and did many long drives to KL/TN/AP.

Part of me does not want to get rid of the carbut my wife says it is too old, no features.

A practical decision will be that keeping a second car for backup incase your daily driven car is not available. A Japanese car is far more reliable than a german car. In case of an emergency you wouldn’t be dependent on cabs.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by momsonlydriver

This car has a rear fog lamp which my Kia does not have. Great for blinding rear drivers who use their high beams during night

I absolutely LOVE this idea.
Could you please share more pics of the same? I am unable to fathom where it is installed.
Also, was it OEM or DIY?

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

I absolutely LOVE this idea.
Could you please share more pics of the same? I am unable to fathom where it is installed.
Also, was it OEM or DIY?

The Sx4 has a quirk if you ever noticed one on the street while tailgating. This car is having asymmetric tail lights. Where the left side of the car houses the reverse light and the right side has the rear fog lamp. They are very bright at night and can blind people. This was standard in all Sx4 from the factory.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Nice review and made me nostalgic. I had the exact same model - 2009 Silky Silver SX4, even the model month was I think October or November. I had purchased it pre-owned in 2011 and sold in 2013. Fantastic car and one of the rare Maruti models that looked and felt very solid.

I do remember back in the days when you bought a so called used Sx4 with black leather seats which was purchased in a mint condition. Sad to see it go

[revsperminute]

Massive respect for keeping your old man on the road. From the looks of it, he is being treated very well. Brought back some memories, this one. We owned a SX4 briefly in 2008 in Kolkata. I was 6 back then yet I remember begging dad to get our car equipped with the “Terra” OEM body kit. We sold the car within a year since my dad was obsessed with the Civic at the time. Well, who can blame him but I still ogle at Terra SX4s anytime I spot one on the road.

Good luck mate, the car seems to be in good hands.

[nyt2090]

Great read , good photos and kudos to you for putting the time and dedication to restore it, hoping to see more updates in future

[AKSarkar1]

Thanks for sharing! This car IMHO happens to be one of the best all-rounder packages to have ever rolled off the Maruti line in India. Back when it was released, the car was an absolute attention grabber especially the ZXI models with the 'Star' alloy wheel design.

The Ciaz is definitely a worthy contender in terms of size but lacks the sexiness of the SX4, oh how I wish we get a SX4 2.0 in the coming years!

I still remember, as a kid my family used to own a Swift and then came along the SX4 and I used to pester my dad almost everyday to upgrade! Thanks for sharing once again, this post reignited many sweet memories!

[rajshenoy]

Having owned SX4 in the family, one thing I always loved was the ground clearance. This car could easily put any pseudo SUV to shame !!

We had to sell the car due to the gearbox issue that was seen on multiple diesel cars (90hp) of that time.