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-   -   Maruti S-Cross 1.5L Petrol : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/226342-maruti-s-cross-1-5l-petrol-official-review-2.html)

@ChiragM Compared to Duster RXZ 1.5P, does SCross (Zeta) score (apart from features) in terms of ride, handling and interior space?

A 5 star for the review.

I feel that :deadhorse smiley is specifically for the S-Cross and a few other products by Maruti. They've been flogging it since a long time and now it's dead on arrival. Every other manufacturer has moved on, this is heights of laziness. Or maybe we will see something more from Maruti in near future.

Facelifted S-Cross should have come with the 1.6 diesel as well as this 1.5L petrol since day one. But firstly, they introduced the 1.3L and that too with SHVS. My brother always says that the pull of S-Cross is nowhere close to Brezza. That turbo pull is not seen in the new S-Cross. S-Cross is the most sorted out car handling wise and it always deserved the 1.6L diesel, although with a better price. There will be buyers for this and this is actually a fantastic car. But Maruti has treated it's flagship as an orphan.

If someone where to compare this with XL6; I know they are two very different car's cater two very different genre but for the sake of comparison and practicality and most importantly value for money, which one should one go for?

XL6 gets my vote - for the overall airy feeling inside plus how well the interiors are packaged generating more usable space.

S-Cross is a plush 5 seater only whereas the XL6 has a third row catering two more passengers (mainly children or adults for a short drive inside the city).

It's simple really. If you need the 5 + seats in XL6 then don't go for scross. If you can manage with 5 seats, it's scross all the way. Scross has better build quality, ride/handling combo, braking, GC, parking friendly etc.

I would like to answer this in a slightly different way. Cars like SCross, even though good in build quality, still gives the feeling of sitting in a Hatchback.

I would advise you to go for a CSUV, if you dont need 6 seats. Taller cars gives you a relaxed drive when you go out on a vacation or a long drive. Cars like Scross do not give you that much needed head room like CSUVs or MPVs like XL6. Over a period of time, you and your family will appreciate the feeling of airiness in CSUVs and MPVs if performance or build are not the key criteria. Besides, the Scross is dated and will be replaced soon in the market.

IMHO this is really subjective if not inaccurate. I use the Terrano, Harrier and Scross on a regular basis. I haven't felt a lack of head room or airiness on Scross in comparison to the other cars that i use. The seating position for the Harrier is significantly higher though and the view outside is better but with significantly more blind spots.

In general there is a trade off between ride comfort/stability and seating position in high center of gravity cars. Body roll and vibration is generally higher for a taller/shorter vehicle which is what a CSUV like Brezza or Nexon is. So in case of long drives, you will probably be more relaxed/better off in a car with lower COG.

Nice review Chirag. Overall this was all expected. Maruti was never going to give any pleasant surprise and we all knew it will get the 1.5L engine with SHVS and the same 5 speed MT and 4 speed AT.

There's no ways Maruti would go for a new gearbox in MT or AT for the S-cross.

I would actually recommend the S-cross to anyone over the XL6 or the Brezza.

For one the XL6 just feels too tinny and flimsy. The S-cross is a Euro spec crossover and everything about it feels solid. The dynamics, the ride and overall feel are far superior.

Infact anyone looking at a compact crossover like Nexon or Brezza, I would tell them to look at the S-cross for a little bit more.

The Venue, Sonet and Ecosport buyers are difficult to convince for S-scross as they want the funky styling as well the new turbo petrol engines.

If S Cross was not badget a Maruti, it would have sold a lot less than what it actually sold. Sure it was not like a regular Maruti in terms of build, suspension, dynamics, but mass market doesn't care about these.

A major criteria is looks, followed by 'SUV'. It looks just OK (though facelifted one did look a bit better) and doesn't have high seating of a Brezza or Ecosport to give that SUV feel. No automatic at launch. Even today, its just an old 4 speeder. The price at which it came didn't match the boot space either. And then there are competitors like Seltos, for which people will willingly pay 2-3 lacs more.

Only positive things about this is that its a Maruti (peace of mind) and is priced not a lot more than Sub 4m SUVs. At the same time, its close to Seltos as well.

Basically, these vehicles which are neither sedans nor have seating height of a Brezza or Ecosport, have a very tough chance to sell well.

I feel Maruti is just testing waters with a premium offering comparable to global markets. If they have to add all the bells and whistles the cost would escalate beyond a "Maruti" range. May be they are trying to emphasize on the mechanical aspects of the car rather than going with the traditional way of adding all the trending accessories. If S-Cross does well probably they will invest more R&D on that segment.

In no way S-cross is a enthusiast's car but for those who are looking for simple car with no hassles and for sedate driving .. guess its a good option

I don't know why but IMHO this is gonna fall flat in the market. There are many rivals in the market at the price point. Some being more superior for the same price. And SCross doesn't offer anything better than them except for solid A.S.S and many started to think beyond A.S.S than before. Safety, fun, VFM, longevity. Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue are proven. Kia gave us a glimpse of Sonet and caught attention. Renault is preparing its Kiger and Datsun is coming with Magnet. These all will definitely be superior than Scross and hopefully almost at the same price point. Maruti needs all of its hands on the deck or it will trip in the segment.

I feel Maruti is just taking undue advantage of Indians now.

S Cross was one of the best cars to come out of the Maruti Stable. The car was very well built (unlike other Marutis), the car used to feel quite stable at high speeds and the interior fit and finish was better than other Maruti cars. Yes the styling was very crossover like but after the 2017 update, i quite honestly liked the design. It used to stand out among st the rest of the SUVs.

But considering that Maruti removed Diesel Engines is bit of a shocker, although it was expected. I still do not get it as to why did Maruti even introduced that beautiful 1.5L Diesel Engine if they had not planned to use it for more than a year. Please correct me if I'm wrong but the 1.5L Diesel Engine was BS 6 compliant right?

Also why cant Maruti give more features in its cars? Maruti could have given a Sunroof, 6 Airbags instead of 2, wireless car chargers, etc. and charge a bit more? I think people would have still happily paid for that.

Maruti service is not as it used to be. It has not only become expensive but the quality has also reduced drastically. I have a Maruti Dzire AMT ZDi (2018). The experience i had with Excell Autovista (ASS) in Navi Mumbai is average at the best. Even after repeated mails and complains to Maruti Company, there has been no response from their side. I finally switched to another ASS of Maruti. Hope this one turns out to be better.

I feel people should start realizing by now that Maruti is not what it used to be. Maruti being a Market leader, it should have done a better job with their new launches. Suzuki introduces such great products in Europe and Mexico. What cant it do the same in Indiaa?

i absolutely agree. MSIL should have put in more time and effort on the interiors in my opinion.

Adding a few features to this decent looking vehicle would have the fight to the Korean siblings viz. Creta / Seltos.

I think they missed the plot here. But its a Maruti Suzuki, so it will sell. :)

Maruti should understand that market is maturing and they have to keep with the competition, this lethargic attitude may lead to lose their No.1 crown.

Turbo petrol engines are storming in and they don't seems to have any plans yet, Its surprising that they are reluctant to bring the booster jet engines. Baleno RS was a half-hearten effort though.

If they had specced similar to the European version with 4WD offering it would give tough competition to most of the Compact SUV's and Crossovers.

Cant agree more, MSIL seems to have a serious problem with engines as they vie for dominance in segment above 10lacs where people look for performance along with economy.

Nice review, when I read the following in summary, felt the same like many others, 'why are they launching this product in this particular segment' agree:

• This 1.5L petrol motor is uninvolving to drive. Enthusiasts, look elsewhere
• 4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated. No manual mode or paddle shifters either

Suggest MSIL should soon start sourcing engines from TKM or Toyota global range, this will make their partnership more meaningful for customers, maybe a step before consolidation of operations