[Tanu3000]

Originally Posted by Varun7774

One correction here GV is definitely spacious than Taigun and not worth spending 24 lac on a underpowered car.

The Grand Vitara is a bigger car than the Taigun, I whole heartedly agree with that. But I would still debate the point that it is more spacious (Interior space wise) than the Taigun.

Spending 24 lakhs OTR for the strong hybrid is a good option if someone wants a mid size crossover for city use with brilliant fuel economy and the peace of mind that a Maruti ownership offers. To each their own I guess.

Cheers.

[RRU]

Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!

After having test driven (review link: https://www.team-bhp.com/news/toyota...rs-perspective) the Toyota Urban Cruiser (UC) Hyryder Strong Hybrid with overall exhilarating experience save the higher NVH, compromised middle seat of second row and boot space, I was waiting for a ride of either Maruti’s (MSIL) Grand Vitara (GV) Smart Hybrid (or Toyota’s NeoDrive). This Sunday (Oct. 23, ’22) got a chance to drive the SmartHybrid version of GV – courtesy Varun Nexa, Hebbal, Bangalore. Honestly, with so many reviews and feedback out in the open about the blunted performance of K15C series engine tuned solely for mileage, my expectation was very low from the planned test drive, but just wanted to rule it out and also have a feel of GV as my focus since unveiling of this hybrid in July 2022 has been the Toyota version (love the badge). Just to give the background – started hunting for a replacement of my near 9-year-old Etios petrol 1.5 NA (~50K on odo and can carry on for another 2 years if nothing suits me – no complaints other than NVH) in July 2022 and have test driven Ertiga, XL6, Carens, Seltos, XUV700 and Brezza (all 2022 facelifted/new versions in petrol/hybrid) – extensively and multiple times. Don’t want to get into the details of each but suffice is to say that the MSIL pack with K15C series engine definitely lacked grunt even though it is an extremely refined, reliable and efficient engine and buyer of any of these will not complain. The characteristically different Kia sisters are a fun to drive vehicles – their sales numbers speak that. I wish Kia (and MSIL as well) were smart enough to make the structure of their cars robust enough to earn better NCAP ratings than they actually earned for the Indian versions. No pun intended, but I find myself at my wits end to fathom why would I crave for features that are of secondary importance to a car while giving short shrift to the important aspect – “safety.” XUV700 is an absolute beast when it comes to performance and road presence – the length of the TeamBHP thread is a testimony of its craze and popularity. That being said, while the mStallion 2.0L turbo petrol engine could be a beast, the engineering/mechanics of the vehicle left me wanting during my test drives. Since I am specifically interested in MT (over AT) given my new car will be the last one before being replaced by an appliance-like EV or some AT ICE-hybrid (with no availability of MT) and want to keep my mechanical connect with car while driving even if that means straining my left leg a bit (in Bangalore’s crazy traffic), I really want a car with absolutely no complaints whatsoever on clutch, engine, gearbox, brake, etc. and mileage too – happy to compromise on sunroof and iPhone/ MacBook/iPad kind of features in a car. I found the MT petrol version of XUV700 (in 3 test rides, cumulatively driving over 50 kms) quite compromised with notchy gear lever that vibrates, extremely long, vibrating clutch play and not-so-inspiring brake. The tractability of gear is also not good. Part of the problem could be attributable to the turbo nature of the engine, but I did not feel anything like that when I test drove the Carens 1.4 turbo petrol MT – it was butter smooth. Now futuristic features, such as ADAS, lane assist, ACC and so on are fine, but you need to get your basics right. Nonetheless, moving on to the subject car GV SmartHybrid, with limited hope I drove the car a good 21 kms with a mix of bumpy service and city roads, as well as highway (NH44). Much to my pleasant surprise, the ride was not only comfortable absorbing all potholes, speed breakers with aplomb but also fun. It was nowhere felt underpowered, and I easily cruised up to 110-115 kmph while climbing and driving on the elevated expressway to Bangalore international airport. This was achieved without pushing the vehicle hard – I did not push further as I got a sense that I can easily cross 140 kmph, but that was not the objective. This experience was contrary to what I read so far and actually experienced with XL6, Brezza and Ertiga. Just to make sure I got it right and it was not a magic or talisman, on my return, it tried again, and it did not disappoint on performance. All through this TD, the engine was quiet, no NVH and the ride was extremely sorted. Now, I was not sure if this was just a perception or actually the performance was good. I immediately did another TD of XL6 MT on the same road and in same conditions. This ride was disappointing – on the same stretch XL6 struggled to reach/cross past 80 kmph and NVH level was higher. These are cars of two different segment, but I am comparing just the performance given both have the same k 15C series engine. Why my experience with the performance of GV SmartHybrid (and impliedly Toyota Neodrive as well) is contrary to the consensus here and my other TDs of vehicles with same engine is quite inscrutable to me, but I am not complaining and quite happy with the TD – seriously considering – perhaps Toyota Neodrive – but will do a TD of that version before concluding.

Yesterday (Oct. 25, ’22), got a chance to do TD of the new Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol NA MT and Carens 1.5 diesel MT just to get a sense of how the Carens in 1.5 petrol MT would feel (not strictly comparable other than the engine of Seltos and Carens) given that no TD vehicle of this version is made available by Kia for Carens (really bad on Kia’s part). A brief about the Seltos TD – quite an impressive machine and there was nothing really to not like. Comfortable ride, refined engine with smooth gearbox and clutch, features loaded up to brim in higher variants, new version has standard 6 airbags with other safety features, strong road presence and so on…

Since, GV SmartHybrid/Toyota Neodrive (yet to drive this one) and Kia Seltos are the closest comparable that I drove on the same stretch and under same conditions, here is a brief comparison of ride and performance from a driver’s perspective. Looks, features and other aspects are not covered much.

1) Overall ride quality: Both are good, but GV scores better due to more sorted suspension, lower NVH level and the ability to handle bumpy roads and potholes was superior in GV.

2) Performance: Both are very good and will not give you any reason for complaint in either city or highways, but Seltos has an edge – not because I tested it to higher limits – pushed it to 150 kmph for a while and was pretty planted and there was no nervousness – used this opportunity to test braking – 120 to still – worked as expected. It is just that I feel GV will do better in B2B Bangalore city traffic with smart hybrid technology while Seltos will do better in highways – but combined both, I would give a little higher score to Seltos on performance.

3) Steering feedback, dirver’s position, view and comfort: Again, neither gives any reason to complain. GV’s steering was slightly more responsive though.

4) Mechanicals: Both the SUVs have very tractable gear – on 5th gear both the cars were able to run at a crawling speed of 20 kmph without any problem and pulled easily to higher speed. The gear shifts are butter smooth and clutches were soft – you will not miss AT. I, however, found the Seltos’ better. Braking was acceptable in both. Also, with Seltos having 6 gears, cruising around 120 will likely be more relaxed – I noticed both the SUVs were revving at ~2500 RPM at >100 kmph speed. However, not have the sixth gear in GV is not a biggie - MSIL is smart enough to keep the ratio and range optimized. Even Crysta has just 5 gears in MT.

5) Mileage – As I always do, I set the trip meter to 0 before both the TDs. GV SmartHybrid returned a mileage of 18.5 km/l while Seltos returned 15.9 km/l. GV trip covered 21 kms while Seltos trip was 13 kms. A point worth highlighting here – when I stopped in traffic signal twice during the TDs, the GV MID displayed that engine idling is unavailable. If the 18.5 km/l is without the 12v battery supported engine idling then it is indeed an impressive mileage. If I wanted, I could have easily eked out an additional 2 km/l mileage from both the SUVs but was testing multiple things and mileage was just one criterion.

6) Sore Points: One sore point in GV is the middle seat in second row due to floor hump and rear AC console obstructing the leg room – not sure how to manage this. Besides this, I personally don’t think anything else will be a deal breaker for most of the buyers who are considering this car as a serious option. In Seltos, I did not get time to understand the second row and other aspects of seating, features, but prima facie did not find anything that I would call a deal breaker. Headroom in both the cars was adequate with Seltos’ design making better optimization of space even in sunroof enabled version. Legroom (excluding the rear seat middle passenger) in GV/Toyota is more when compared with Seltos.


In GV – SmartHybrid – I think the MT gives better punch compared to AT as the machine is programmed more for mileage than for performance, thereby upshifting earlier than required and blunting performance. In MT, I noticed the MID was always pointing me to upshift earlier than I usually do based on my experience and driving style. Guessing, in AT – you don’t get that freedom if you are in D mode��. Moving to manual mode or using paddle shifters frequently to supersede the inbuilt programming then defeats the purpose of having an AT.

To conclude – both the SUVs offer great value with styling, comfort and safety. Lower variants in GV/Toyota (Sigma, Delta, E, S) offer better VFM quotient while mid and higher variants of Seltos continue to command edge. With Seltos adding more safety features as standard across variants, its safety rating can only improve from previously 3* while GV/Hyryder is expected to get at least 4*.

Between the strong hybrid/intelligent hybrid and Neodrive/smart hybrid - I would prefer the latter as my annual run will not be more than 10k kms and will trade off better NVH, headroom, boot space and simpler and more refined engine with a little better mileage - say 16 km/l vs 23 km/l. In my case, split between city and highway ride will be 80/20.

Thanks to Varun of Varun NEXA, Hebbal and Ravi of Epitome KIA, Yelahanka – Bangalore, for helping me with all my probing questions and organizing long test rides.


Disclaimer: My reference to and opinion on “performance” of subject car (s) are based on and relative to my experience of driving certain vehicles extensively – Etios 1.5 petrol NA, MSIL Dzire 1.2 petrol NA, Honda City 1.5 petrol NA, MSIL Alto 800, etc., as well as the test drives of aforementioned vehicles done in the recent past. Of course, I was not interested in 0 to 100 kmph in x.xx secs and similar statistics as it would be puerile on my part to look for these in an NA petrol engine.

[SJ1211]

Visited the Nexa Showroom in Alwar (Raj) to check the Grand Vitara.

Overall Impression (W/O Test Drive) -

Exteriors - Build quality seems on par with Creta & Seltos. I am no expert in safety but quality of the plastics & sheet metal isn't different from the Koreans. Looks are subjective and only rear appeared to be attractive. Front grille is loaded with too much chrome & the absence of fog lamps is glaring. Green Tinted glasses on the Top Spec variants looks nice while Alloy wheels are too simple for a car costing about 23 Lakh on road.

Interiors - Getting in & out of the vehicle is pretty easy. Steering on the Top Spec variant is nice & is the only premium feel besides the soft-touch materials on the dashboard. Switchgear being shared with Baleno & Brezza doesn't do justice to the asking price of this vehicle plus the orange backlit interiors in 2022 are an eyesore. Panoramic Sunroof lets in a lot of light & i am unsure of how this will maintain the cabin temperature in hot days (with extremely low quality sunroof cover).
Width & space inside the cabin is definitely lower than that of Creta / Seltos.

It may have the reliability of Maruti backed by brilliant fuel efficiency figures but for the asking price, Maruti's Big Boy will fall short of expectations when the hype settles. Also, the next iteration of Creta / Seltos will pack even more premium features & will leave Maruti wanting for more.

I dare say - No one, literally no one will be able to dethrone the Koreans! Maruti / Toyota had a brilliant opportunity but they have fallen clearly short especially since the segment is bustling with options.

[AnujKapur]

Originally Posted by RRU

Yesterday (Oct. 25, ’22), got a chance to do TD of the new Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol NA MT and Carens 1.5 diesel MT just to get a sense of how the Carens in 1.5 petrol MT would feel (not strictly comparable other than the engine of Seltos and Carens) given that no TD vehicle of this version is made available by Kia for Carens (really bad on Kia’s part). A brief about the Seltos TD – quite an impressive machine and there was nothing really to not like. Comfortable ride, refined engine with smooth gearbox and clutch, features loaded up to brim in higher variants, new version has standard 6 airbags with other safety features, strong road presence and so on…

Since, GV SmartHybrid/Toyota Neodrive (yet to drive this one) and Kia Seltos are the closest comparable that I drove on the same stretch and under same conditions, here is a brief comparison of ride and performance from a driver’s perspective. Looks, features and other aspects are not covered much.

To conclude – both the SUVs offer great value with styling, comfort and safety. Lower variants in GV/Toyota (Sigma, Delta, E, S) offer better VFM quotient while mid and higher variants of Seltos continue to command edge. With Seltos adding more safety features as standard across variants, its safety rating can only improve from previously 3* while GV/Hyryder is expected to get at least 4*.

Between the strong hybrid/intelligent hybrid and Neodrive/smart hybrid - I would prefer the latter as my annual run will not be more than 10k kms and will trade off better NVH, headroom, boot space and simpler and more refined engine with a little better mileage - say 16 km/l vs 23 km/l. In my case, split between city and highway ride will be 80/20.

Thanks to Varun of Varun NEXA, Hebbal and Ravi of Epitome KIA, Yelahanka – Bangalore, for helping me with all my probing questions and organizing long test rides.


Disclaimer: My reference to and opinion on “performance” of subject car (s) are based on and relative to my experience of driving certain vehicles extensively – Etios 1.5 petrol NA, MSIL Dzire 1.2 petrol NA, Honda City 1.5 petrol NA, MSIL Alto 800, etc., as well as the test drives of aforementioned vehicles done in the recent past. Of course, I was not interested in 0 to 100 kmph in x.xx secs and similar statistics as it would be puerile on my part to look for these in an NA petrol engine.

Very nice review and I guess this is the one I was looking for. Before I go into the depth that how your review helped me, let me add a point to it.

I have observed that Grand Vitara 2022 has bigger boot than its Korean competition.

I have posted it in - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...our-car-4.html (Measuring the actual boot capacity of your car)

Now I will come to my understanding about the Grand Vitara Mild Hybrid MT 2022 and how your review has helped me.

See we can only buy cars that are there in the market. Yes there are times we wish that we could have a combination of different cars but that is rarely going to happen.

If one is looking for a family SUV/MUV then we have XL6/Grand Vitara/Creta/Seltos....etc options.

And we can only compare cars with cars not with our wish.

So if Grand Vitara is comparable to Seltos / Creta in performance and if the platform is 4 star then one can put his money in.

From your review I am assuming that it can handle steep incline in stop and go traffic with 5 people and full luggage with some efforts.

I mean one may need to rev little bit more than some better powered cars ( like Honda City Petrol 2020 or Nexon Petrol)

As far as VW is concerned if someone is willing to invest time and money for it then I would say it would be a good option but it requires attention and VW is good for personal use not for family.

I may go for City or Virtus if I plan a car strictly for my personal use.
But Virtus/Taigun for family is an issue if its chauffer driven and your driver is not that technically sound and educated.

We have seen cases of cheating by VW in past where they sometimes charge hell lot of money from a car like the polo.

Now I have still not test driven Grand Vitara but my dealer is saying maybe he can give test drive in month of November.

If everything goes fine then I guess I will also narrow down to Grand Vitara Zeta MT (Mild Hybrid)

My Wish (1.4 Litre Turbo Charged Suzuki engine + TATA car + 450 L of boot + Driving modes + Hill Hold + all 3 point seat belt + all 5 headrest + 200 MM GC + Harman music system 8 speakers + Cruise control + MT)

[AnujKapur]

Originally Posted by SJ1211

Visited the Nexa Showroom in Alwar (Raj) to check the Grand Vitara.

Overall Impression (W/O Test Drive) -

Exteriors - Build quality seems on par with Creta & Seltos. I am no expert in safety but quality of the plastics & sheet metal isn't different from the Koreans. Looks are subjective and only rear appeared to be attractive. Front grille is loaded with too much chrome & the absence of fog lamps is glaring. Green Tinted glasses on the Top Spec variants looks nice while Alloy wheels are too simple for a car costing about 23 Lakh on road.

Interiors - Getting in & out of the vehicle is pretty easy. Steering on the Top Spec variant is nice & is the only premium feel besides the soft-touch materials on the dashboard. Switchgear being shared with Baleno & Brezza doesn't do justice to the asking price of this vehicle plus the orange backlit interiors in 2022 are an eyesore. Panoramic Sunroof lets in a lot of light & i am unsure of how this will maintain the cabin temperature in hot days (with extremely low quality sunroof cover).
Width & space inside the cabin is definitely lower than that of Creta / Seltos.

It may have the reliability of Maruti backed by brilliant fuel efficiency figures but for the asking price, Maruti's Big Boy will fall short of expectations when the hype settles. Also, the next iteration of Creta / Seltos will pack even more premium features & will leave Maruti wanting for more.

I dare say - No one, literally no one will be able to dethrone the Koreans! Maruti / Toyota had a brilliant opportunity but they have fallen clearly short especially since the segment is bustling with options.

Pricing wise if you see koreans charge a lot for some basic stuff like all 4 wheel disc / 5 headrest

And Grand Vitara has edge with 4 star platform / boot capacity / fuel economy / ground clearance.

Yes its little less in power but we need to see how people respond to that.

And honestly speaking people are liking lower varient of Grand Vitara and that is its usp.

And if you talk about 6 airbag then Grand Vitara Zeta is still cheaper than Creta SX(O).

Now how many people go for ADAS and ventilated seat etc that we need to see when Creta is relaunched and its price.

And my above comments don't means that Grand Vitara price is justified. If one has to look or its rival I would say Nexon and Brezza are its real competition when it comes to Sigma and Delta variants.

While Zeta fights with Creta SX(o).

So if someone wants bigger car than Brezza and Nexon then they would jump to Grand Vitara and if they want better safety than Creta and they would jump to Grand Vitara.

While if someone's budget is tight but needs power then Nexon and if one has budget and wants power ( little bit more ) then they would go with Creta.

Now the sales figure will tell us what people want in India.

Note - Only Creta SX(O) has all 4 disc brakes- not all the varients.

[SJ1211]

Originally Posted by AnujKapur

Pricing wise if you see koreans charge a lot for some basic stuff like all 4 wheel disc / 5 headrest

And Grand Vitara has edge with 4 star platform / boot capacity / fuel economy / ground clearance.

Yes its little less in power but we need to see how people respond to that.

And honestly speaking people are liking lower varient of Grand Vitara and that is its usp.

And if you talk about 6 airbag then Grand Vitara Zeta is still cheaper than Creta SX(O).

Now how many people go for ADAS and ventilated seat etc that we need to see when Creta is relaunched and its price.

And my above comments don't means that Grand Vitara price is justified. If one has to look or its rival I would say Nexon and Brezza are its real competition when it comes to Sigma and Delta variants.

While Zeta fights with Creta SX(o).

So if someone wants bigger car than Brezza and Nexon then they would jump to Grand Vitara and if they want better safety than Creta and they would jump to Grand Vitara.

While if someone's budget is tight but needs power then Nexon and if one has budget and wants power ( little bit more ) then they would go with Creta.

Now the sales figure will tell us what people want in India.

Note - Only Creta SX(O) has all 4 disc brakes- not all the varients.

People looking for a bigger car than Nexon / Brezza would find the GV / Hyryder to be quite bare bones at that price. Its the top end variants of both these cars that have a rich feature list. For ex - Top end Brezza would have a 360 deg camera whereas similarly price GV would not have the same.

Also, If you see the top spec variants of GV / Hyryder - the quality for sure is compromised compared to top end Creta / Seltos. All this with a compromised boot space.

No offense but people don't want to spend 23 lakh just for a city car. Highway performance at this price is also essential.

In terms of sales, it will take a couple of months for the things to settle for GV / Hyryder. Sales may be one part of the story and may not always define the true success or failure of a product.

[AnujKapur]

Originally Posted by SJ1211

People looking for a bigger car than Nexon / Brezza would find the GV / Hyryder to be quite bare bones at that price. Its the top end variants of both these cars that have a rich feature list. For ex - Top end Brezza would have a 360 deg camera whereas similarly price GV would not have the same.

Also, If you see the top spec variants of GV / Hyryder - the quality for sure is compromised compared to top end Creta / Seltos. All this with a compromised boot space.

No offense but people don't want to spend 23 lakh just for a city car. Highway performance at this price is also essential.

In terms of sales, it will take a couple of months for the things to settle for GV / Hyryder. Sales may be one part of the story and may not always define the true success or failure of a product.

I agree with what you said and if you read my comments i am saying the same thing but I am adding a point of big car.
Some people want big car for show off / space etc.
And as far as 23 lakh is concerned we have far better option than creta in that bracket.
I am considering 12 to 16 lakh bracket where all these options lie.
If I have a lot of travel on highways and 23 lakh budget then scorpio n petrol is one good choice for me instead of GV or Creta.

Grand Vitara in strong hybrid is no brainer as it's costlier than Hyryder so any one who is buying it in strong hybrid is putting unnecessary money.

Grand Vitara means mild hybrid nothing else apart from it or max allgrip.

As far as quality of cabin n material is concerned Maruti puts cheap product.
I have one Maruti and will never ever buy it for personal use.
If it's for family I can think about 4 star platform of Maruti nothing below that.

If i have to buy a new car for my personal use then I would go with City vx with tyre change or virtus.

I am not a suv person.

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

- 0-100 time if 12.82 seconds versus the Seltos Diesel AT’s 12.91 seconds and the Creta IVT’s 13.63 seconds
Top speed if 180 kph versus the Seltos’s 175 kph and Creta’s 170 kph
- City fuel economy of 23.77 kpl versus 10.31 for the Creta Petrol and 12.9 for the Seltos Diesel - that is almost 130% better than the NA Petrol and nearly double that of the Diesel
- Highway fuel economy of 20.39 kpl versus the Creta IVT’s 13.78 kpl and Seltos Diesel’s 17.8 kpl - 50% better than the NA Petrol and 16% better than the Diesel
- 0-60 comes up in 5.37 seconds versus 6.27 seconds in the Creta IVT and 5.53 seconds in the Seltos Diesel
- 20-80 in kickdown takes 7.11 seconds on the Hybrid, versus 7.68 seconds on the Creta IVT and 7.54 seconds in the Seltos Diesel.
- In 40-100 kickdown, both the Petrol IVT and Diesel AT overtake the hybrid - this takes 10.37 seconds in the Hybrid versus 9.67 seconds in the Petrol IVT and 10.04 seconds on the Diesel AT. Not a huge margin but I think the gap will widen post 100kph.

I have to say that this is mind-blowing. Even when you consider the additional 1 lakh for the Toyota Hyryder V Hybrid over the Seltos HTX D AT, that kind of mileage and performance will be quite the game changer. I was under the impression that the torquey diesels would wipe the floor with the petrols and hybrids when it came to performance. Apparently Not. Really, really shocked to see the figures, and I have newfound respect for the Strong Hybrid platform. I guess all that tech for reducing the engine load and friction also means there's more performance to go to the tarmac.

What happened here? Is it that BS6 has basically crippled a good diesel motor from Hyundai/Kia, or has the Hybrid tech come that far ahead? Or is it both? Probably.

Previously, I was not even considering the strong hybrid Grand Vitara or the Hyryder, but this actually makes the strong Hybrid variants a more powerful and economical upgrade to the Grand Vitara /Hyryder mild hybrid variants.

Consider this: The cheapest super-4m diesel compact SUV is the Kia Seltos HTX D AT at 16.49L. (You do have a proper SUV, the ScorpioN Z4 D AT at 15.95 lakhs, but that's "intro" pricing and the car itself is not available as readily, and tit's FE is just about 2 digits so we'll forget it for now). The cheapest hybrid CSUV is the HyRyder S Hybrid at 15.11L. That's almost 1.8 lacs difference in on-road price here in Kerala. Even if you consider say, 1 lac Rs. for accessories and aftermarket kit to make the equipment levels equal to the HTX, you're still getting lower running costs as well as better performance. I'd say that even if you spent about 1.1 lakhs extra for the G Hybrid, you'd make up the difference in fuel costs within no time, especially if your usage is primarily in the city.

I hadn't TD'd the Hybrid variant yet, but this makes me want to.

[DImPo]

I took delivery of my Grand Vitara Zeta AT on 13/10/22. The Odometer was showing 50 KM. Filled fuel upto auto cut off and parked at home.
Had to go on office trip and returned couple of days back. I had a chance to take my car for about 350 km (Chennai to Venkatagiri and back). The distance is represented in car log as below 3 trips:


a) Trip 3 - Chennai to Venkatagiri - (route OMR - Guindy - Ashoknagar-Annanagar- Redhills-Tada-Kalahasti - Venkatagiri) Early morning start from Chennai and hence not much city traffic. Stopped at 3 to 4 location enroute for photos.
Distance covered - 170 km
Time taken - 3.5 hours
Speed Range - 40 to 60 KMPH in City and 70-90 KMPH upto TADA (Toll Road) and 60-70 KMPH in balance distance with frequent slowing down due to speed breakers, villages, photos
Mileage as per MID 21.5 KMPL

b) Trip 4 - Venkatagiri to Chennai (Padi) - (route Venkatagiri-Nayudupeta-Sullurpeta-Tada-Redhills-Annanagar(Padi) - Started at 6.30 pm and Reached at around 9.30 pm. Lower than usual traffic (due to Eclipse?)
Distance covered - 155 km
Time taken - 3 hours
Speed range- 40 to 70 KMPH upto Nayudupeta due to broken roads and speed breakers, 70 to 90 KMPH in balance distance
Mileage as per MID 23.8 KMPL

c) Trip 5 - Chennai Padi to Residence - (Annanagar - Ashoknagar - Guindy - Tidel Park - OMR)
Distance covered - 27 km
Time taken - 45 minutes
Speed range- 40 to 60 KMPH (It was around 10 PM, lower than usual traffic)
Mileage as per MID - 22.1 KMPL

In order to confirm the MID figures, towards the end of the trip, I filled fuel upto first cut off and the car took in 19.41 litres giving a mileage of 19.22 KMPL (when refilling ODO reading was 430 KM and when last refilled ODO reading was 57 KM, so distance travelled is 373 KM) .

Before the trip, the ODO was at 80 KM with average economy of around 8 KMPL. After the trip, the ODO is at 439 KM and cumulative average economy of 21.2 KMPL.

I am quite happy with the fuel economy as I would get around 15.5 KMPL in my earlier drive (Etios Liva Petrol MT) in the same route. As this included around 25 KM of running before the trip and lots of idling in home to explore the car media system, I feel mileage of 22 KMPL in highways can be easily achieved by driving in the speed range of 70 to 90 KMPH. My decision to go for Mild Hybrid over Strong Hybrid is justified considering that 80% of my travel would be in Highways.





My decision making process:
I started evaluating the options for upgrading my 2011 Etios Liva G (Petrol) since last 1 year.
a) Booked the MG Astor base variant in Jan'22 as it was priced below 10 Lac and had all essential and desired features. But, I was not very happy with my test drive due to sluggish pick up. Cancelled it immediately after price increase.
b) Booked Kia Carens Prestige 1.5 NA (ex-showroom price was below Rs. 10 lac) on the first day of opening of booking and was allotted the vehicle in mid march 2022. However, did not take delivery expecting implementation of BH Series registration in Tamil Nadu. Cancelled it after price increase in April'22.
c) Booked Ertiga 2022, XL6 2022 and Brezza 2022 and all were cancelled as by that time it was clear that Toyota cum Maruti compact SUV is about to be launched. Booked Hyryder and Grand Vitara on the very first day of opening of bookings. I was not able to make up my mind between Hybrid and mild Hybrid. After price announcement, changed my Hyryder booking to Hybrid S variant and Grand Vitara to Zeta Manual variant(mild Hybrid). I was allotted Grand Vitara Manual variant. Immediately I took action to sell my Liva and registered with Spinny, Cars 24 and OLX Auto. All 3 made their assessments and the offered price was 2.25 lac by first two and 2.60 lac by OLX Auto. Nexa was offering 2.25 lacs towards exchange. Finalised the deal with OLX and handed over possession. For my office commute, I had to take my co-brother's Grand i10 AMT variant and travelled around 1000 km. The ease of driving an automatic car influenced me to request for change of variant Manual to Automatic. Nexa sought some time and then confirmed that Zeta AT was available in Blue color whereas my preferred color was Grey. I agreed and the allotment was changed. Overall, the experience with OMR Nexa was great and they were really accomodative, responsive and eager to convert my booking. I could not see that eagerness with Toyota Dealer.

I also ordered some Maruti accessories online and within 24 hours, the dealer took the car to their showroom and fitted the accessories - Premium floor mat, Window Visors, Headlamp garnish, car cover etc..

some cons observed
a) the indicator / headlamp stalk is not as tactile as was in my Liva
b) There is no safety lock provision for driver side mat to prevent messing up with pedals

[chaudh2s]

Suzuki has launched Strong Hybrid S-Cross in Europe but for this market they have chosen to go ahead with the 4 cylinder K15C motor from Suzuki rather than the 3 cylinder motor from Toyota. Also on offer is the all grip 4x4 system as standard, but on the flip side the gearbox is not e-CVT but the 6 speed AGS system-Robotized manual. Power output from the system is similar with 102bhp from Petrol motor and 60bhp from Electric motor, combined effect 115bhp. Only difference is battery voltage, 140V in Europe and 178V in India.

So, clearly Toyota-Suzuki partnership is very complex with regards to who gets what in which market. For Europe at-least, Suzuki wasn't provided (or they didn't chose to get) the eCVT gearbox mated to 1.5L Toyota engine, so they chose to go ahead with their own 4 cylinder but with AGS gearbox.

[chaudh2s]

Both, the new S-Cross and the Old Vitara have now got full hybrid tech in Europe. So in future, there is hope that the non partnership models of Suzuki Toyota in India too, can get full hybrid tech with K15C motor.

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by chaudh2s

Suzuki has launched Strong Hybrid S-Cross in Europe but for this market they have chosen to go ahead with the 4 cylinder K15C motor from Suzuki rather than the 3 cylinder motor from Toyota. Also on offer is the all grip 4x4 system as standard, but on the flip side the gearbox is not e-CVT but the 6 speed AGS system-Robotized manual.

Suzuki is using the Suzuki Hybrid system in Europe and that always came with the 1.5L K series engine with 6 speed AGS. (The 1.4L boosterjet comes with mild hybrid system). It also gets paddle shifters mated to the AGS. Why Suzuki did not launch their own Hybrid in India can be answered by the top people only. But what I've read about the eCVT is that it is far better than an AGS or even a regular CVT. So hopefully this does good in India.

https://youtu.be/l5bdxwN5vzE

Suzuki Hybrid details.

Vitara variants.

Suzuki A-Cross is a rebadged Toyota RAV-4 to be sold in Europe. So even the Toyota Hybrid is available in Europe albeit in plug-in avatar.

Suzuki Hybrid range in Europe.

[anubhav7286]

Update on the Grand Vitara

The accessories that were fitted by Autoworld Nexa Jamshedpur have started getting peeled off. When I contacted the dealership, they are dilly dallying and a certain Quality person from the dealership states that this is how it is with all Grand Vitaras delivered and they will rectify it when I come to their service center. Definitely not the kind of experience I would expect from a 20L+ car. Maybe I should have stuck with some of the other premium brands. Maruti might have made a vehicle in that price bracket, but its dealers dont know how to deal with a premium customer.

[Chevyspark]

Originally Posted by chaudh2s

So, clearly Toyota-Suzuki partnership is very complex with regards to who gets what in which market. For Europe at-least, Suzuki wasn't provided (or they didn't chose to get) the eCVT gearbox mated to 1.5L Toyota engine, so they chose to go ahead with their own 4 cylinder but with AGS gearbox.

As usual Suzuki launch better power train in developed markets and keep Indian customers high and dry with every possible inferior products. They are offering 3 cylinder hybrid in GA. This means they will offer 4 cylinder strong hybrid and turbocharged 1.4 only on higher priced i.e. 5-10lac more costlier car than GA strong hybrid.

[chaudh2s]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

Suzuki is using the Suzuki Hybrid system in Europe and that always came with the 1.5L K series engine with 6 speed AGS. (The 1.4L boosterjet comes with mild hybrid system). It also gets paddle shifters mated to the AGS. Why Suzuki did not launch their own Hybrid in India can be answered by the top people only. But what I've read about the eCVT is that it is far better than an AGS or even a regular CVT. So hopefully this does good in India.

I think you are wrong here. Suzuki has never had this strong hybrid system in any of its cars here in Europe. Its the 1st time they are launching it. S-Cross and Vitara always came with mild hybrid tech. The ones used in Swace (rebadged corolla) and Across (rebadged RAV-4) are completely different Toyota systems based on bigger engines. So, Suzuki has videos which shows how their strong hybrid system works but that system is being launched just now (and it was jointly developed with Toyota), it never existed in any of its vehicles previously.