[a4anurag]

Oh Boy, I just saw the thread post the repairs.

Man, the car looks sexy and the fit finish is fantastic. Complementing is the denting job work. Congrats for the reverse sensors.

Why didn't you get the one that has a display in the IRVM instead of the small display on the dashboard?

Cheers,
Anurag.

[RavenAvi]

Thanks a lot for the good wishes, guys. I have been super-busy with my job and my 19-month old princess, so apologies for the late reply and updates.

Originally Posted by mkpiyengar

Regarding the repair work, did they replace the whole panel ? I'm asking this because upto 6months any damage to the metal work is considered for replacement than repair.

Hey MKP my friend,

They replaced the fibre-plastic front section (grille-cum-bumper) which is an entire one-piece unit. Damage to the metal panel just behind the right headlamp (in front of the driver door) was repaired by denting/painting. It had suffered scraping and scratches and no real damage had occurred there. Thanks to the magicians in the MSIL A.S.S. workshop, the whole area is now as good as new.

Originally Posted by mkpiyengar

Now a days courtesy in driving is fast disappearing and for ARMY/CRPF heavy vehicles, the less said the better. Here in Pune they drive as they own the road, with "NO OVERTAKING FROM LEFT" Written clearly at back and they would not budge from Right lane whatever you do. Might is right !!

Sounds like they are the real bullies of the road. And we blame the poor SUV drivers/owners for that!

Originally Posted by Reinhard

The promptness shown by the MASS guys is worth mention.

Thanks, Reinhard.

Yes, I was really impressed by the promptness shown by the dealership guys. The whole process went smoothly, except for the delay in delivery of the front grille-bumper part from the factory. Excellent stuff and a big 5-star rating to them for their efforts and finished work!

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Oh Boy, I just saw the thread post the repairs.

Man, the car looks sexy and the fit finish is fantastic. Complementing is the denting job work. Congrats for the reverse sensors.

Why didn't you get the one that has a display in the IRVM instead of the small display on the dashboard?

Cheers,
Anurag.

Thanks, Anurag.

The sensors set was Dad's choice. He wanted one which he could easily see and something within his sight. His vision and reflexes are slowing down, so he gets attracted to bright displays easily, hence the LED one. I have noticed that he has trouble reversing my City (using the reverse camera), and keeps peeking behind, through the ORVMs and IRVM, and out of the window alternately. A sure-shot sign of him losing his confidence in his vision and feel.

He keeps saying he doesn't feel comfortable driving a car anymore, but drives Sylver & Pegasus because I insist for him to drive. His eyes had been weak through the last 10 years of his service and now, 5 years after retirement, it's getting worse. How do I know? His glasses have increased numbers. Plus, these days he gets the motorcycle out for his trips, instead of hopping into Sylver. He might not say it, but I can sense it that either he really doesn't like driving anymore, or he might not be feeling as connected to Sylver as he was to Herbie (our '98 Esteem, which we had exchanged for Sylver).

I'll see. I might take a call on this situation by next year. We are already talking about having a single car for our daily use (wife doesn't drive). Maybe we will get ourselves a single, all-purpose urban car like the EcoSport and sell off both the cars in our garage right now.

The bike (Apache RTR 160) is definitely going next year, in favor of a scooter, most probably the Wego.

---------------------------


Second Free Service Report: (3174 kms)


Availed - 26th June, 2013.

Work to be done -

All general check-ups/top-ups of the 6 month/5000 kms 2nd Service,
Washing & Cleaning.

Time Spent - Around 4 hours.

Charges - NIL.


Again, I must commend Maruti Suzuki for their excellent reminder service. I received 3 calls after 20th June as reminders of my 2nd service which was due on 24th June, but due to some urgent work I could not avail it by the due date. I called the workshop manager and confirmed if I could avail it after the due date and he said it wouldn't be a problem if it was availed after 1-2 days.

So, once I got some free time on the 26th of June, 2 days after the due date, I was promptly off to the Sky Automobiles Service Center.

I reached there at around 11:30 AM and a free SA was assigned to Sylver immediately. The only problem I was told (by Dad) that they had left out a small, round plastic bit which fixed the interior plastic panel of the driver door to the door's metal sheet, and which could cause rattling (it wasn't rattling at that moment) during the repairing process of Sylver's accident. Other than that, it was just general check-up and washing. (I waived off changing the oil - more on this below)

The Service Center seemed crowded for the day, but my SA got Sylver up on the washing ramp within 30 minutes and the washing/cleaning was done by their official lunch time.

After lunch was over, Sylver was driven into the service hangar where they checked all her electricals and mechanical functions. Liquids and fluids were duly topped up like last time, but I was not charged for the same. All charges were waived off.

I inquired about one big question most of us Ritz owners have been wondering about in recent times - what sort of engine oil is the 2012 facelifted Ritz carrying? The technicians told me the details - it is a semi-synthetic engine oil which is also used in the Swift/DZire/SX4 facelifts and has a recommended lifespan of 10,000 kms. So, there's absolutely no need of changing it before the 10K reading on the ODO. But, from what I understood from their mutterings, this engine oil might be costly (~1400/1500 per liter). We will see when I clock 10K kms.

Sylver was out and ready for her trial run by 3:30 PM. She was as smooth as silk and I left the Service Center thoroughly satisfied after handing over the Gate Pass to the attendant.

In between, the dealership people also emailed me the long (read "LOOONG") pending official photos of our delivery day as well. Took me at least a dozen calls from January 2013 for them to search through their photo collections and (finally) find ours.

Current ODO reading - 3414 kms.
Current F.E. - 19.9 kmpl. (almost exclusively in-city driving with AC on 75% of the time)


She's a fantastic workhorse. No complaints, no niggles so far (touchwood!), and does her duty as faithfully as a loyal steed.

Would I recommend the Ritz to everyone else? YES!!

The Ritz is a great example of the saying - "Never judge a book by it's cover alone." Folks, don't go by it's one big letdown (rear looks), but look at the Ritz as a complete package. If you are tall and have a family with tall members, this car is tailor-made for you. Not to mention, the superb VFM pricing and Maruti's A.S.S.

You simply couldn't ask for more.

Pictures

On the ramp, getting washed.



Lowered from the ramp, ready for polishing.



Inside the service hangar.



Official photo from the delivery day - 24/12/12. I am on the extreme left.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Official photo from the delivery day - 24/12/12. I am on the extreme left.

You mean white shirt with stripes? Why are you standing so far away from your car?? Don't mind, just kidding.

Great to see that you were also given access to the service areas. When I had a Maruti, I was only allowed a peek from the waiting area. Haha. The photo from service hangar shows a swift tilted on side. Reminds me of auto-rikshaws being serviced. And never seen a car going for wash before entering the service area. Strange.

As for the engine oil, shouldn't it be anyway the same in all cars that use that engine? Generally the engine manufacturer / designer (FIAT in our case) recommends the engine oil & replacement cycles. Its 10k (or more in some cases) change cycle on all MJD cars IIRC. Good that you opted not to change it.
Wonderful FE. Nearing 20 in city is really pleasant & a testament to the MJD's qualities.

[9thsphinx]

My brother has a Petrol VXI Ritz and he too is very happy with his ride. I have driven it and I can safely say it's truly a fill-it shut-it forget-it car.

I was wondering how the diesel fares against the petrol. Have you TD'd both? How is the low-end torque on your diesel when compared to the petrol engine? Is it fun to drive in bumper to bumper traffic? Turbo lag?

[ajay_satpute]

Hi Avinash,

Great to see a post after long time. So you ARE experiencing the much talked-about bullet-proof reliability and after sales experience of Maruti. Good for you.

That FE of 19.9 in city is phenomenal. This is much more ROI than expected I feel. Since the new Swift was launched 2 years ago, I always felt that Ritz makes more practical sense than the Swift anyday. The rear seat of Swift and that joke of a boot totally kills the deal IMO.

Recently when we got the delivery of my brother's Alto 800, I was pleasantly surprised by one thing. The SA took a nice snap of keys being handed over, sprinted inside and came back in 2 minutes with the photo nicely framed and gave it to us. From my experience, for sure, Tata and Chevrolet don't do this. Don't know about other car companies. Even though its a small thing, its a nice gesture on part of the company/dealer.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

You mean white shirt with stripes? Why are you standing so far away from your car?? Don't mind, just kidding.

I had to, or I would have covered the entire photo alone!

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Great to see that you were also given access to the service areas. When I had a Maruti, I was only allowed a peek from the waiting area. Haha.

Normal customers aren't allowed in there either. The dealership manager happens to be an old contact of Dad's, so I can roam around the area freely.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

The photo from service hangar shows a swift tilted on side. Reminds me of auto-rikshaws being serviced.

I think it was because all the overhead ramps were occupied, and the Swift had come in late and needed some minor work in her underbody.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

And never seen a car going for wash before entering the service area. Strange.

The washing bay was free, and moreover this was the 2nd free service where there's only general check-up/top-ups done. Since Sylver didn't have any issues which needed attention in the service hangar and there was no engine oil/oil filter change to be done, no problem in getting it washed and cleaned first.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

As for the engine oil, shouldn't it be anyway the same in all cars that use that engine? Generally the engine manufacturer / designer (FIAT in our case) recommends the engine oil & replacement cycles. Its 10k (or more in some cases) change cycle on all MJD cars IIRC. Good that you opted not to change it.

Yep. The change at 10,000 kms is standard & common for the Ritz, Swift, DZire & SX4 2012 diesel facelifts, I am told. Any owner of the 2012 SX4 facelift can clarify more on this.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Wonderful FE. Nearing 20 in city is really pleasant & a testament to the MJD's qualities.

That too with AC on most of the time. I remember, during January-February, when the AC was off most of the time, Sylver was clocking 21, sometimes 22 kmpl on a regular basis. It is a very fuel-efficient car, considering it's 1248 cc engine.

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

I was wondering how the diesel fares against the petrol. Have you TD'd both? How is the low-end torque on your diesel when compared to the petrol engine? Is it fun to drive in bumper to bumper traffic? Turbo lag?

The petrol has better low-end torque which makes it somewhat peppy in the lower gears, although it also suffers from a bit of turbo-lag initially. The steering is more light, and the clutch is pretty light as well. Acceleration is linear and the pull is strong post-3rd gear.
The diesel ambles through the 1st and 2nd gears and only comes on it's own post-1500 rpm, and as soon as it crosses 2000 rpm it roars forward like a steaming bull! That turbo "whoosh" is really addictive, and every time I am driving I make sure to touch 2000 rpm in the 2nd gear just to feel that sudden pull.
There is some turbo lag below 800 rpm but it's negligible.
B2B driving is okay, not great but decent. The initial gear ratios are short so that helps getting the initial surge out of the way.
3rd gear is where it's the best at, for in-city pottering. It has a nice clean pull and doesn't get bothered when you slow down for bumpers, potholes, etc. But yes, slow down too much and you have to downshift to keep it on the boil.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Hi Avinash,

Great to see a post after long time. So you ARE experiencing the much talked-about bullet-proof reliability and after sales experience of Maruti. Good for you.

Hey thanks, Ajay my friend.

Well, the Maruti A.S.S. will be really tested (and known) once the paid services start. But till now, all three experiences with them has been excellent.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

That FE of 19.9 in city is phenomenal. This is much more ROI than expected I feel. Since the new Swift was launched 2 years ago, I always felt that Ritz makes more practical sense than the Swift anyday. The rear seat of Swift and that joke of a boot totally kills the deal IMO.

I have to agree with you - initially I thought we might have gone for the Swift VDI at just 20-25K more since it commands more resale value and is the better looker of the two, but now, thinking back, I am really glad we went for the more practical option. The Swift variants, specially the diesels, are overpriced and also we couldn't have got the discounts on it either.

Plus, the Ritz is a superb VFM option to the Swift. People dismiss it from their lists maily because of that atrocious rear, but once they get into the car, they will realise why the rear is designed so. Most folks forget that the Ritz shares the same heart with the Swift, and it's only the body which distinguishes both cars. I whole-heartedly recommend the Ritz VDI to anyone with a budget of 6-6.5 lacs OTR and is looking for a solid, spacious, mid-segment option in diesel cars.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Recently when we got the delivery of my brother's Alto 800, I was pleasantly surprised by one thing. The SA took a nice snap of keys being handed over, sprinted inside and came back in 2 minutes with the photo nicely framed and gave it to us. From my experience, for sure, Tata and Chevrolet don't do this. Don't know about other car companies. Even though its a small thing, its a nice gesture on part of the company/dealer.

Haha! Well, in our case, it took the dealership guys more than 6 months to deliver our photos. They can be forgiven for this bungle because they are a relatively new dealership but yes, you are right - small gestures like this go a long way in cementing relationships. Let's hope they improve with time.

[RavenAvi]

Been a while since I updated, but there's not much to report when you have a hassle-free workhorse in the garage.

Sylver goes about her daily duties faithfully, whether it be runs to my office, shopping, weekend trips inside the city, and a few highway runs to nearby places. She's absolutely smooth and easy to drive, and the commanding view of the road plus her compact dimensions makes her a lovely in-city car.

Crossed the 5,000-km mark in the first week of September, and she has done a bit more than that by now.

FE stands at 19 kmpl, mostly because of the super-heavy rainy season this year when glasses had to be rolled-up almost all of the time and AC was on full-blast inside, due to the humidity.

The engine has settled down nicely now, there's still that familiar "WHOOSH!" in the 2nd gear as soon as you cross the 2K RPM mark, and she pulls away very smoothly in the 2nd gear over normal speed breakers quite easily. No need to downshift at all. The turning radius is excellent, and very helpful for on-the-spot 180 degree turns.

I am disappointed in the reverse sensors, but I should have seen this coming. All through the rainy season, they were beeping and blaring even when there wasn't any obstacle behind. Reason? They were wet! Every time we had to drive out after a rain shower, first thing we have to do is wipe the sensors clean. Quite a bit of hassle, that. I have decided that our next car won't have any sensors. Camera yes, sensors a strict NO!

Overall, we are very satisfied with our Ritzy. Next service is in December so barring any incidents before that (touchwood!), I will be posting the next update then.

ODO count as on 06/09/13:-



Trip inside city till then:-



FE for the kms traversed:-



And, there's always an idiot around who likes to use a clean bonnet as a slate.

[RavenAvi]

Third Free Service Report: (7461 kms)


Availed - 21st December, 2013.

Work to be done -

Engine oil/Oil Filter to be changed,
All general check-ups/top-ups of the 12-month/10,000 kms 3rd Free Service,
Washing & Cleaning.

Time Spent - Around 5 hours.

Charges - 3,675/-.


I had received the service reminder call from Maruti A.S.S. center about a week prior to the due date (24th December). Since 21st was a Saturday and I didn't have much work at office, I asked Dad if he would drive Sylver to the Sky Automobiles Service Center. I would follow in my Pegasus and pick him up from there.

Dad has been traveling with his grand-daughter to all parts of the city in the mornings in recent times. It is an integral part of his daily routine now. Colleges, railway station, bus stand, temples, cricket grounds, schools, even his SBI branches are not spared from our little princess's visits. That Saturday was no different. Isha and Dad piled into the Ritz and I followed them to the service center.

The first thing I noticed upon reaching Sky Auto was a huge banner and lots of chairs getting arranged and readied. Apparently it was the first day of a 3-day Maruti Mega Camp, complete with customer interaction, free services, on-the-spot exchange schemes, etc. The Manager greeted me and I casually queried about the arrangements. He explained the details to me and promptly hailed a Service Advisor to come and receive Sylver.

I noted down the work which was to be done. Sylver has been a fuss-free, trouble-free car till now so there were no major issues with her. Since she was nearing the 7,500-km mark, I asked them to change the engine oil/oil filter.

The SA clarified that Sylver carried synthetic oil which was good for 10,000 kms, although Maruti asks for the first oil change to be done at 5,000 kms! Weird stuff, but another SA came forward and cleared things by saying that the initial engine oil poured in is of the semi-synthetic type, which helps the engine and it's moving parts bed in nicely, hence the first oil change is at the 5,000-km mark. Now Sylver will be filled with pure synthetic oil which is good for the next 10,000 kms, so we can travel upto 17,500 kms on the ODO (Sylver read 7,461 on the ODO then) before availing the next service (that will be her 1st Paid service).

No other issue needed to be dealt with, so I asked them to clean the interiors since Dad drives mostly with the windows half-down (he doesn't like the AC's cool air), and the interiors had grown dusty.

The Manager came over by then and reminded the SA to give Sylver a complete exterior wash, instead of the top wash they were giving to the free service availers. I didn't see many cars lined up, maybe because it was a Saturday and probably because they were lazy to call up existing customers to inform them of the Mega Camp (I myself hadn't received any calls regarding this).

Anyway, I was assured that all jobs would be completed by 3 PM, and if I wanted they would deliver the car to my home. I casually remarked that since it was a busy day (for them) and if they were short on manpower, they could call me up to come and pick up Sylver, no problem.

Sylver was driven into the workshop hanger, where the engine oil plug was off and the older oil was drained out. It was around 11 AM then, and Dad, me and Isha piled into Pegasus and were off.

At exactly 3 PM, Dad reminded me to call up the service center. I waited for 30 more minutes before calling them up, to be informed that all jobs of Sylver were done and she was ready to be picked up. They didn't have anybody to drop her off (most of the boys were on extended lunch break, was the excuse given) so we went to pick her up.

The first thing I noticed after opening Sylver's doors was that the interiors were completely untouched! That made me lose my temper. I promptly called up the SA, the service manager and the dealership manager and gave them a real ear-hiding. As if by magic, 3-4 boys appeared out of thin air on all sides of Sylver and they started cleaning the seats, mats and the boot. It took another 35-40 minutes, as we sipped tea in the Manager's office and discussed shoddy service stuff, the manager's problems dealing with the egos of the technician staff, non-cooperation with most of the workers, etc. Too many issues plague this dealership, I thought.

Finally, all was done and billing was complete. Paid up the bill, submitted the gate pass and we were on our way back home - Dad driving Sylver and me following in Pegasus.

Bill details:

Oil Filter - 342/-,
Distilled Water - 13.16/-,
Screen Wash solution - 13.16/-,
Synthetic Oil (5W40 Castrol) - 2855.26/- (@921.05 per liter)
VAT (@14%) - 451.32/-
--------------------------
TOTAL - 3,675/-
--------------------------

As it was the 3rd Free Service, labour charges were waived off.

Current ODO reading - 7618 kms.
Current F.E. - 21.9 kmpl. (all in-city driving with AC off, most of the time)


3rd Free Service Bill.



ODO as of today.



Trip meter A reading (all in-city).



FE reading.




I am expecting the paid service billing to go upto a maximum of 8,500-9,000/- (including labour charges). If that's the case, for a service run of 10,000 kms/1 year, it's a stupendous rate.

A car which is easy on the wallet and gives some mind-numbing, fantastic FE numbers. Can't beat the practicality of the Ritz, folks!

[sauravdc]

Hi all,

Got the 3rd Free Service done on th 30th of Nov with ODO @ 10048.

Changed the engine oil with 15W40 Servo Multigrade oil, as this is what is being supplied by MS in Kolkata now.

Oil filter changed as per SOP.

Nice clean wash & vacuum done.

A good day spent at the workshop.

Electric supply disrupted for 2 & half hrs was the only delay.

Bill: only 1400+

Regards,
Saurav

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by sauravdc

Got the 3rd Free Service done on th 30th of Nov with ODO @ 10048.

Changed the engine oil with 15W40 Servo Multigrade oil, as this is what is being supplied by MS in Kolkata now.

Bill: only 1400+

Hey Saurav, thanks for the update.

Can you clarify on the charges for the bill? Because I paid 3675/- for the same service and am wondering how did this deviation occur? Can you share engine oil and oil filter charges from your 3rd free service?

Thanks in advance.

[sauravdc]

The difference is due to the cost of engine oil. Like you mentioned, you have been given 5W40 oil, which costs nearly Rs 1000/lt.
I have been given 15W40 oil which is Rs 300+ per lt.
Hence, your oil cost is Rs 3000, whereas for me it was about 1000.
Oil filter cost the same. Plus taxes, for you marginally higher than mine because of the higher base figures.
No need to worry. It is OK.

I am not finding the bill, hence could have given you the exact figures.

You have the luxury of changing oil after 10000 kms, whereas for me it is 5000 kms, if I want the engine to last long.

I had done an extensive research on engine oil grades before the 3rd service. This included opinions from the MASS & Anurag on this forum. I will possibly stick to 15W40 every 5000 kms. Which will be 2800 every 10000 kms, still less than 3600, and the engine gets fresh oil every 5000 kms. That's my logic. Well 5W40 every 6-7K kms would have been stringent on my pocket, considering that I run for about 1000 kms a month and get lesser FE in the bumper to bumper traffic of Kolkata. Also, my driving includes a lot of compulsory kms through by-lanes where, 3rd gear is a luxury.

Regards,
Saurav

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by sauravdc

Hi all,

Bill: only 1400+

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Hey Saurav, thanks for the update.

Can you clarify on the charges for the bill? Because I paid 3675/- for the same service and am wondering how did this deviation occur? Can you share engine oil and oil filter charges from your 3rd free service?

Thanks in advance.

@RavenAvi: You have filled in Synthetic oil that costs Rs 1000/Lt whereas Saurav has been on Mineral oil hence the difference in bill amount. According the taxes will go up.

Anurag.

[RavenAvi]

Sold off Sylver on Monday at an excellent price to someone equally passionate about her.

ODO was at 8509 kms, and FE meter showed 20.1 kmpl, the last time I had checked her.

Requesting the Mods to close this thread. Thank you for sharing this 14-month journey with me, guys.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Sold off Sylver on Monday at an excellent price to someone equally passionate about her.

ODO was at 8509 kms, and FE meter showed 20.1 kmpl, the last time I had checked her.

Requesting the Mods to close this thread. Thank you for sharing this 14-month journey with me, guys.

Mixed feeling's here buddy.

Happy but sad to see it go and surprised as why such a decision to sell a 14 month old car?

I am sorry if you have mentioned the reason for sale elsewhere. Can I know it?

The next big question, What is the replacement?

Anurag.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Mixed feeling's here buddy.

Happy but sad to see it go and surprised as why such a decision to sell a 14 month old car?

I am sorry if you have mentioned the reason for sale elsewhere. Can I know it?

The next big question, What is the replacement?

Anurag.

Same, Anurag.

First major reason - Dad had stopped driving Ritzy regularly. He was only going to the bank and to his tax lawyer once a month, and did some local rounds (temple, drive with my baby girl) once a week.

That left me as the sole driver of 2 cars - Sylver and my Pegasus (2012 City). It ended up as my City being driven 2-3 days of the week, and Ritzy being driven for the other days, all by me. Rest of the time, either car stood in front of our home (in turns) basking in the sun and gathering dust. And because of these (very) sporadic turns in driving, both cars had slowed down in munching the miles. In this situation, future maintenance of both of them would have been worrisome, not to mention me getting stuck in this situation of driving both cars in turns.

Long discussions followed. Final decision, to keep one car and that too a diesel. Since the City is the absolute benchmark in comfort for the whole family, both cars had to go.

Got great deals for both of them, luckily, through local friends/contacts, so didn't take much of a depreciation hit. We had paid 5.80L-ish for Sylver, and she went at 5.20L. Excellent price.

And they get replaced by the 2014 City diesel, hopefully by next month.

Details - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...ml#post3378251