[nasirkaka]

Last saturday, we finished first service of the Spresso. The car had just about 1.2k kms on to odo due to covid lockdown, but it was time and dealer kept calling and pestering for service, so eventually we obliged. It was first free service, and costed just 240rs towards covid related sanitization efforts. Infact, one the same day i got the 2nd free service done for my Royal Enfield Interceptor, which costed 3300Rs (basic service, no extra spares or work). Maintaining a Maruti is even less than a two wheeler.
So the spresso first service took just a few hours and the entire process was well managed from covid related regulations. They said everything mostly seem to be in shape, as car has hardly run. Could not make much difference in the drive after the service, may be a tad bit smoother.

From whatever we had driven so far, we are happy with the car. Its mainly for Wifey's commute to work and she is been very happy with it now. Prior to this, she was driving a 2007 alto manual. Changeover to AMT took little time, and now she cant think of going back to manual. I find spresso to be peppy, light, and easy to maneuver. Its decently built too with decent fit and finish for the price one pays. The AC is chilling. The suspension feels a bit on the stiffer side, and the engine noise and general spirited driving gives the feeling of a slightly rougher product, not sure if thats intentional to go with the projected masculine identity. And yes, the looks seem to slowly grow on us. Initially, we did not really like how it looked, and now its started looking nice to them same pair of eyes.

[smooth indian]

Generally I thought the car has a lot to offer Indian customers.

• It seems spacious for 4 people (good for a nuclear family).

• It is still compact for easy maneuverability and still has high ground clearance which makes it suitable for small towns and rural areas.

• It is also economically priced so that a middle class/lower middle class salaried person can aspire to own.

• The 1000cc engine seems adequately powered for regular use.

What I dislike is

• The appearance of the rear. But I suppose that is by design (Jassi Jaisi or Ugly Betty become popular in this age).

• They could have added AC vents at the rear; this could make it more comfortable

[PrasannaDhana]

Test drove the S-presso AMT Vxi+

Positives -

1. Price tag
2. Leg room
3. Maruti A.S.S

Negatives -

1. AMT is pathetic. It whines, jerks and complains if you are right foot heavy. The only other AMT I have driven is Nexon diesel. Nexon felt a hundred times better compared to S-presso.

2. The 1.0 mill is a tried and tested unit (I have 4 years experience with it in my Celerio 1.0) but the power isn't being put forth (or doesn't seem to be felt) because of the AMT. Car felt sluggish

3. Most surprising negative. This car IS BUMPY!! It was a shock. It fell sharply into even minor potholes and bumps. The sales guy justified it as an alignment issue, but I know, the S-presso is NOT the car if you are after ride quality.

4. Shoulder room is tight.

Some pics with my 2016 Kwid 1.0 (which I planned replacing with the S-Presso). Kwid looks a lot better in my opinion.

[S15]

Originally Posted by Stribog

Just saw a Red one on the road and it must have been a lower trim because the tyres looked like they didn't exist.

A request to anyone purchasing the car, skip all accessories, drive it to the nearest tyre store and upsize the tyres. It would improve both the aesthetics as well as the performance.

Looks like someone actually did take your advice. And I agree, it is indeed sound advice.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Alloywheels...07712366040481

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

[i]This review has been jointly compiled with SDP & Suhaas307. Thanks to them for the expert observations!

I must say, the most comprehensive review of the S-Presso, period! After buying the car and driving it for around 600kms I was about to create an ownership thread when I found this thread and it covers all the points I had in mind and then some. So will just stick to my purchase experience, initial but short ownership experience and a few pictures.

The need: Due to the current situation the Mrs needed the smallest car in the market to drive to and from office. It had to be small with and automatic gearbox, would only be used in the city. Considering her office doesn't have a car park facility we first thought of picking up a used car.

Used car choices:
Honda Brio CVT
Alto A star AT
Renault Pulse CVT
Brio CVTs were either too old or priced over 5 lakhs while the Alto A stars were too few and not worth the price quoted. The Mrs doesnt like the Nano so that was out of the question.

New car choices:
Its funny how most manufactures loudly advertise "Starting from 3.xx only" or something similar only for you to find out those prices are just to get you into to the showroom where they can then try to brainwash you into going a few variants above and you realize even the cheapest automatic car is around the 6 lakh price point. Though on the bright side it narrowed down the playing field to two options
Renault Kwid
Maruti S-Presso

The Kwid was the first car we checked out. My automatic gearbox experience starts and ends with the 7 speed DSG albeit in different cars so I didn't want to inadvertently make any such comparison and end up rejecting an AMT/AGS transmission. Hence decided to let the Mrs take the test drives while I sat in the back seat. 5 minutes.. that's how long I lasted in the KWID before I got a splitting headache and had to get out. No offence to current owners but I have never sat in a car that sounded so coarse.
So now with only one option left decided to try out the S-Presso. Blackwasp mentions this multiple times in his review and I agree. It is surprising how an entry level car can exceed your expectations on multiple counts
Ingress/Egress - I literally jumped for joy when I first got in the car. You open the door and magically you find yourself inside the car, same with getting out. Zero effort.
NVH Levels - It is by no means silent but compared to the competition and a few other cars in segments above it is very forgiving and not headache inducing
ICE - I had no clue this car had only two front speakers until I read Blackwasps review and that too after 600kms of driving it! Its that good for an entry level car.

The buying experience : This is a cut throat market with multiple dealers trying to sell the same car, though there is a limit to how low they can go with regards to the on road price. The only place they have some leeway is with accessories. So after checking out with three different dealers it all boiled down to who had the color of my choice in stock. This is where two dealers said they needed a couple of days time while another dealer (Bimal) assured me a next day delivery. I had categorically mentioned that the only reason I was picking the car from them was because of the assured delivery date. I'm not sure if the sales person was being over optimistic or was trying to close the deal at whatever cost but he could not deliver on the committed date. Thankfully I only had to wait another day. Before I could voice my displeasure I was given free floor mats and mud guards. Which for a Maruti is a big deal in my book so I didn't make an issue of it. I loved the Orange colour but the Mrs wanted a sober color and decided on the Granite Grey option.
All in all paid ~5.78 lakhs for the top end model (VXI+)which included their extended warranty and 2 years service package (MCP). I opted out of their accessories package as I only wanted the floor mats.

The driving experience :
Blackwasp has already covered everything you need to know about the car and I concur with all his observations, nevertheless some points from my side.
- I love the suspension tuning, I dont know how to explain it but its almost like you can feel the tyres squish before the suspension does its part and that lets you know exactly whats going on with the front end.
- Bangalore roads (Craters) can be dealt with aplomb with the suspension tuning and ground clearance
- Non centering steering is downright unnerving and scary
- The steering does give you pretty good upper body workout
- Steering goes limp above 110kmph
- I can never predict the gears and end up getting caught in the wrong gear. At least it lets you know why you pay the big bucks for a DSG.
- Non dimming (not even manual) rear view mirror is huge omission though courtesy of the seat height you don't catch the glare from every vehicle behind you (Used to be horrible in the K10)

Birds eye view to give you and idea of its footprint. Flanked by a Honda Jazz and a VW Polo



Its funny, Maruti chose to classify this car as an SUV/MUV and not a hatch


So I decided to test that claim by going off the beaten path as soon as I got the car and I must say, I had fun and was mightily impressed















Got to love that ground clearance. It can literally skip over broken roads like a mountain goat









There are some tiny design elements to break the monotony. Diamond shaped borders on the headlight, brake light and on the door sill and top of the dash!








Rear seatbelts have a holder and unlike some cars they stay in place and dont pop out at all.


In the official review this slot was said to be kept for a fire extinguisher but I think its now being used for the jack. There is no where else in the car the jack would fit in.




Very thoughtful holes to hold the mats in place but Maruti forgot to include the hooks to go through them


Driving over rough roads - Check
Highway manners - Drove from Bangalore to Salem and back ~500kms. It can hold its own on the highway but I would recommend using this car only in the city. Highway usage should be restricted only if you have an emergency and no other option.

[Leoshashi]

Congratulations on your new car. S Presso makes immense sense if you need a no nonsense practical car. While buying my first car, it was on my top list until I drove it out on the ring road, and found the handling at higher speeds a touch too nervous. Hence dropped it.

I'm sure it will serve you for years to come.

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Very thoughtful holes to hold the mats in place but Maruti forgot to include the hooks to go through them

Hooks are provided with the mats. Even in my case dealership had thrown them. I asked them for mat set whose plastic cover is sealed. They also gave me couple of extra hooks.

Pics of the hook and manual(Point 4): Link (My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review)

Regards,
Shashi

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Congratulations on your new car. S Presso makes immense sense if you need a no nonsense practical car. While buying my first car, it was on my top list until I drove it out on the ring road, and found the handling at higher speeds a touch too nervous. Hence dropped it.

I'm sure it will serve you for years to come.

Also S Presso looks best in this shade. I don't know why they officially advertised that orange color, may to to make it look big (Big like an SUV, light colors generally enhance the looks and make things look bigger than dark colors, same with interiors too).

Had they advertised this grey shade, I'm sure there will be many takers for S-Presso. Also that Jeep'ish front grille should go, and they should design something more subtle (like a Nexon facelift grill).

[hmansari]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Its funny, Maruti chose to classify this car as an SUV/MUV

In your photos of it in the jungle, it might just pass as one! Looks stunning in your choice of color. A few of your pictures can be used in the promotion of this car. Brilliant, I must say.
The post just before yours in this thread has a few pictures with the wheels upsized. Not sure if your wife would agree with them though, as you said that she wants a sober looking car. But some food for thought.
Cheers,
hmansari

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Congratulations on your new car.
Hooks are provided with the mats.

Thank you very much for your kind words! And once again you prove for all things related to Maruti you are a one stop solution, many thanks for the heads up on the floor hooks. Sometimes the dealers are guilty of making the company look silly, in my mind I assumed Maruti had not thought this through.

Originally Posted by hmansari

In your photos of it in the jungle, it might just pass as one! A few of your pictures can be used in the promotion of this car. ......
hmansari

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! She categorically mentioned no accessories, she has set her sights on the yet to be launched apple phones

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

- Non dimming (not even manual) rear view mirror is huge omission though courtesy of the seat height you don't catch the glare from every vehicle behind you (Used to be horrible in the K10)

You can fix this easily by getting IRVM from XL6. Part Number: 84703M55R10-6GS

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

You can fix this easily by getting IRVM from XL6. Part Number: 84703M55R10-6GS

Something tells me you wont be able to get me out of your hair as long as I own a Maruti . Thanks for this useful tip!

[model-t]

Originally Posted by WhiteSierra

Also S Presso looks best in this shade. I don't know why they officially advertised that orange color, may to to make it look big (Big like an SUV, light colors generally enhance the looks and make things look bigger than dark colors, same with interiors too).

Had they advertised this grey shade, I'm sure there will be many takers for S-Presso. Also that Jeep'ish front grille should go, and they should design something more subtle (like a Nexon facelift grill).

+100 to the point on the color of the car.

I do not know why Marti chose to overdo the Orange color. The color of the car I see in the pictures is the best and is subtle. The car looks much better in this shade.

Congratulations on the new car. Wish you many joyous miles with it.

[RavSam]

Originally Posted by model-t

I do not know why Marti chose to overdo the Orange color. The color of the car I see in the pictures is the best and is subtle. The car looks much better in this shade

Because Orange color catches attention. The 1st Gen Ford Figo in Green Squeeze, Grand i10, Harrier and Tiago in Orange which is now discontinued were the launch colors. And few cars in yellow. I've hardly ever seen a subtle color car on Ads except for sedans like City, Ciaz and few others like some SUV/MUVs.

On the road also, Orange and Blue of Spresso, Yellow of current gen Tiago catches a hell lot of attention (love/hate both) for such a small car which is otherwise easy to miss.

[mayank0782]

Excellent car and shade choice. Congratulations !

As part of accessories, did you consider adding reverse camera ? If not, are you satisfied with the rearward visibility along with reverse parking sensors (with only 2 of them) ?

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki's S-Presso enters the top 10 cars sold/dispatched in October:




Link