[nixie89]

Excellent review buddy, and I loved the articulation of sentences. A very detailed and relevant write up.
On a separate note, MSL yesterday has announced a price cut of approx 2.05 lacs across the S-Cross 320 variants in 2016.
Also, there were heavy discounts on these variants until floods happen in Chennai, post which they refused to offer the discounts. I myself was interested to book one your the Nexa dealership on mount road offered marginal discounts after the flood.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

Excellent ownership review mate, once of the best i have read on TBHP i must say. There is something about this car, i always give it a second glance whenever i find one on the road. This maruti is really well built, specially the interiors.

Congrats again and drive safe !!

Good news Rahul - Maruti has announced price reduction for 1.6 in the tune of 2 lacs. Time to get your hands on it now

[Mi10]

Originally Posted by DevSoms

Scratches . normally I would say get it fixed as soon as possible.

Planning to get it done during the first service / checkup which is another 250 kms / 10 days away

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Any idea how this happened in the first place? I mean is it possible that you did not notice this while taking your car out?

More importantly, I don't know if its the angle of the pic but its looks like the sheet metal has been cut through cleanly

I have absolutely no clue, how it happened. For sure, it didn't happen when i was inside the car (driving or not).

Looking at the impact closely, i think, some metal has brushed hard. The angle of paint peel, suggests that. the moron must have scythed it from wrong side

Yes, there is a deep cut - however it is not metal. That entire part is the bumper (ABS-Plastic)

[nivatakavacha]

Hi MI10, If you are planning on a service soon, I'd suggest you talk to the MASS in your area soon and try and gauge the volume of cars they have.

I recently had a problem with my Dzire (which thankfully we were able to save during the floods) and the MASS (Popular Motors, Keelkattalai) in my area is totally non-cooperative saying that they have about so many flood affected cars in the shop and any checkup/fix will take time. They are asking me to leave the car with them for a few days.

So please talk and work out a deal in your area, even if it is Popular motors from whom you bought the car.

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by Mi10

Day 49 (Tue, 19th Jan 2016)
For no fault of mine, i had to bear this! Lots of my friends and fellow enthusiasts told me about the Evil eye. The Maleficent, Obnoxious and the horrendous Evil eye. But, tell me guys, is my S cross so good looking to attract evil eyes? I really doubt.

People around me sympathized, but I don’t need sympathy! I just need a good ‘pain’ter!

If my post is of any consolation, you should be happy it's just a scratch. Chennai is notorious for callous driving and I see an inherent hatred towards cars from bikers, auto fellows and bus drivers. While I had parked my Lodgy by the curb and had gone into an ATM, a drunk biker skidded right beside my PARKED Lodgy and completely dented my rear right door.

Attaching a pic for reference. Within 5 months of ownership my car had been rear ended (but no damage!), dented (see pic) and the front left fender left with dings after another turd biker leaned on my car!



My honest suggestion is not to worry about it but just move on and enjoy your ride. This scratch is in no way gonna spoil the way your car drives. So enjoy that!

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Not to be compared but Suzuki India killed the Kizashi in a similar way. A shade over 22 lac for a Suzuki! Yes; it was a cbu which would attract huge amounts of duties and whatever taxes associated. Then you had the one engine option which was a gas guzzling unit. A few bits and pieces taken from a Swift, even on their flagship model, was unacceptable. As a customer, one always looks around at options and the car was sitting right in Skoda's territory. In my opinion, the Skoda was a better built car and they had a engine that takes in cheaper fuel. Even the 5 lac discount did not help.

Sorry for going off topic, but as an owner who considered every option including mercs and skodas before zeroing in on the product, I just wanted to take the time to point out that the Kizashi is far better built than the Skodas on offer then. My car has completed 50k kms and has zero vibrations when compared to a friend's Laura which developed minor (could only hear it if you were looking out for it) vibrations from the dashboard after 10k kms (followed by a compressor failure ). Secondly, the Kizashi's safety rating is far higher than any of the cars on offer then including the 3 series, A4, C-Class, Passat etc. its small frontal overlap crash test results were only matched by the Volvo S60. When it comes to comfort as well, the seat shape and cushioning were more comfy than everything else out there excluding the Teana. Barring the power window and mirror adjustment switches everything else reeked of high quality, sound insulation was again much better than Accord, Camry, Superb etc., braking was the best in class even in comparison to the german trio, grip levels and high speed stability and overal dynamic capability were phenomenal too. Infact many including myself, yearned for more powerful motor and the car was actually initially developed to run with general motors sourced V6. I am not simply saying all this because I am biased as an owner but I have friends from backgrounds where prestige really matter who own several other expensive cars and thought exactly like you did and they were all surprised to find out and experience this themselves and quite a few infact the majority, wanted to even buy the car after having experienced mine over an extended period of time but were sad to find out that it was long since discontinued. Suzuki poured in thrice the amount of money in developing the car than they usually do and it showed. Apart from indian journos who had a mental block, the car received rave reviews across the globe and many considered the price it was introduced at, to be justified for what it offered in comparison to its competition (apart from the badge that is). We have a member on our forum who has had a very bitter ownership experience with his Kizashi and even had to end up letting it go but he still maintains that it was worth its initial non-discounted price, I know of another owner in Bangalore who say he has been spoilt by the car and is simply struggling to find a worthy replacement for his car even though it is more than 4 years older than the competition. This was never a car that needed anything to prove as it was clearly as accomplished if not more in a few areas than its competition. Suzuki should have simply marketed it better to attract customers. If one actually researches the quality, parts and manufacturing processes that went into the car, they would not have such misconceptions. It bombed simply because it was an expensive Suzuki which the majority was not willing to accept. This made people fantasize their own reasons for why it didn't sell I even read somewhere that even if the car had sold well, Suzuki projected that it would take them more than 9 years (far more than an average product lifecycle) to recover the costs incurred in making it so this is simply not the same as overpriced examples like the S-Cross.

[speed crusader]

Originally Posted by Mi10

Day 38 (Fri, 08th Jan 2016)

...Hence, I Alloy and tyre change was there from the very beginning. A Quick search in google got me couple of options in 16” as well as in 17”
Decided on 17” since, I would anyway be going for a Remap in near future and 16” will have limitation from a tyre size perspective. Also 17” was likely to offer much better stance and rooted road manners. Decided on 225/50 tyres as these offered the best possible tolerances when compared to OEM dimensions.


....My first encounter with Hankook started way back in 2012. Ever since i replaced the stock with Hankook Ventus V12 Evo (stock size - 195/55/15), my life around a corner was never the same. Each tyre offers a different value proposition. Some are aimed at comfort, some are aimed at Noise reduction, Some longer life and a few on Grip level. The Hankook Ventus v12 does one thing so good that you can easily forgive the other aspects like Noise and Life. Phenomenal grip and just incorrigible for a spin, however hard you try. My friend had these on Figo and later on Swift each time, I drive a car with these on, the drive is elevated to a different platform altogether!

Thanks Mi10! I booked the 1.6 Alpha day before (yes at the reduced price )...want to change the boring stock alloys and tyres...wanted to know are there any 16" rims with a tyre combo such that the tread is wider at 225 but the side wall is same as in the stock tyre...for this the tyre would have to be a 225/55 R16..do not want to compromise on the ride quality thus the same side wall height

Thanks for your help in advance!
SC

[Mi10]

Originally Posted by speed crusader

Thanks Mi10! I booked the 1.6 Alpha day before (yes at the reduced price )...want to change the boring stock alloys and tyres...wanted to know are there any 16" rims with a tyre combo such that the tread is wider at 225 but the side wall is same as in the stock tyre...for this the tyre would have to be a 225/55 R16..do not want to compromise on the ride quality thus the same side wall height

Thanks for your help in advance!
SC

Congrats,

If you are sticking with 16", then the best size would be 225/55/16 . Go with it .

The side wall will be slightly higher than the Stock, but unless you're a Alonso cornering at 100 mph, one wouldn't really feel the mild increase SW height.

[speed crusader]

Originally Posted by Mi10

Congrats,

If you are sticking with 16", then the best size would be 225/55/16 . Go with it .

The side wall will be slightly higher than the Stock, but unless you're a Alonso cornering at 100 mph, one wouldn't really feel the mild increase SW height.

Thanks! Yup the slight height increase would be less than 1mm. Any suggestions for tyre brands?

Thanks
SC

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I just wanted to take the time to point out that the Kizashi is far better built than the Skodas on offer then.

I am not a Kizashi owner but I did guide and support by buddy FM Bluu who did end up buying one when he was in the market for a new car. The Kizashi had everything going for it and the 5 lac discount could not have come at a better time for Bluu. At the price Bluu paid for it, there was no Skoda in sight. Even the Cruze was priced a couple of lacs higher. However; if I were to compare it directly to the Skoda and at the non discounted price, you'd have to be a fool to pay so much, no matter how good the car is. Yes; the badge matters and the question will arise, should I pay so much for what is supposed to be a budget car brand. It had crossed Bluu's mind too. There is no doubt that a Suzuki will be more reliable than Skoda. However; when it comes to quality of materials inside the car, I did not get the impression that the Kizashi had the kind a quality one associates with, especially for a car that is placed in the premium segment and is a cbu. It most definitely was not in the league of a Skoda, atleast to my eyes. The entire top section of the dashboard (maybe the feel and texture) looked low rent to me. Yes; none of it may rattle and it sure has held up well in your car. This is a testament to the effort Suzuki have put in on their flagship.

I was a keen follower of the Kizashi when Bluu was lining up to buy one. We were looking at ways to get the Kenwood rig (USA model) in his car but it all seemed too expensive and complicated. The stock rig had decent sound except that it would not do bluetooth.

I have a similar view for the very car in this thread. For all the praises on the interior, I found it okay.

[Mi10]

Originally Posted by speed crusader

Thanks! Yup the slight height increase would be less than 1mm. Any suggestions for tyre brands?

Thanks
SC

If you are looking for just leech like grip, I would vote for Hankook Ventus v12 / Maxxis MA-Z1.

For Comfort, Less Noise - Check out variants under Michelin and Conti

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by speed crusader

Thanks! Yup the slight height increase would be less than 1mm. Any suggestions for tyre brands?

Thanks
SC

Like Mi10 mentioned, the Hankook Ventus V12 is simply incredible. Actually much better than the Maxxis tyres. Another alternative are the Direzzas

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

However; if I were to compare it directly to the Skoda and at the non discounted price, you'd have to be a fool to pay so much, no matter how good the car is. Yes; the badge matters and the question will arise, should I pay so much for what is supposed to be a budget car brand. It had crossed Bluu's mind too. There is no doubt that a Suzuki will be more reliable than Skoda. However; when it comes to quality of materials inside the car, I did not get the impression that the Kizashi had the kind a quality one associates with, especially for a car that is placed in the premium segment and is a cbu. It most definitely was not in the league of a Skoda, atleast to my eyes. The entire top section of the dashboard (maybe the feel and texture) looked low rent to me. Yes; none of it may rattle and it sure has held up well in your car. This is a testament to the effort Suzuki have put in on their flagship.

Perhaps it is your opinion since one of the touch, feel, smell tests that Suzuki conducted involved blindfolded people getting in and guessing which car they were seated in. Most guessed Acura or Audi forget the Skodas. Most American journos felt that the interior quality was really high and much better than the Volkswagen Jetta for example. The feel of the plastics used in mine and a few of my friend's opinion, was way better than the hard plastics used in the Skoda (this could be down to just preference) past experience with Skoda's show that over time the hard plastics scratch easily and even break (ac vents) and the headliner begins peeling off so I don't know what quality you are talking about here. However just the steering wheel itself felt leagues ahead and the ergonomics like the Audi inspired design for the steering mounted textured volume rocker were much better than the volume wheel on the skoda steering which one could never accurately adjust another addition that contributed to the interior ambiance and quality was the damped motion on everything from the glovebox to the grab handles and the sporty red lighting and white dials looked better in my opinion than the dull dials and green lighting in the Skoda. Like I said, so was the sound insulation the car was much quieter on the inside than a Laura, the safety levels were in the league of a Volvo outclassing any VAG product at the time and the seats were far better in terms of comfort making the Laura's seats look cramped in comparison. Again, it looks like people just take the badge and then try finding faults but apart from interior plastics which is down to personal preference, nearly everything else (except for the number of electronic gizmos on offer) was clearly ahead. This opinion is also shared by my friend who's family owned an Octy, then the old L&K Laura and then the facelifted version. When we're talking quality, heck even the stock comfort oriented Yoko tyres were inarguably better than the silly Apollos or whatever came equipped on the Laura so were the Akebono brakes in comparison to the Bosch units. Funny story is that my friend and I used to hoon around a lot and his Laura had trouble sticking to the tarmac on sharp bends or roundabouts. The grip levels were just in a different league and so was the precision of the steering. So paying for a car that was more comfy, had a quieter cabin, was more dynamically accomplished barring the softer tuning Suzuki gave and which was far safer doesn't seem foolish to me infact ignoring those aspects and letting badge value make up for all of the clear distinctions, seems more foolish in my opinion

PS: you mentioned the efficiency of the motor. I guess your friend had bought the CVT variant since my manual gives me 9-11 in the city (uncle type driving ) and 13-15 on the highway as long as speeds were capped below 150kph. That seems reasonably efficient IMO for a reliable 2.4 liter normaly aspirated lump with an engine note that no tsi can beat. Fun fact: the block and gearbox are rated to handle upwards of 500bhp

[Mi10]

I haven't in detail explored the Kizhashi hence cannot comment on that part. However if you are trying to draw a parallel with the S-cross, i would like to highlight a few points.

Coming from a Skoda Rapid, I can very well acknowledge both the good and bad bits of Scross.

Advantage Scross

• Dash Plastic Quality - Beats Rapid Hands down - Well put together and quite robust too
• Door pads - Very unlike Maruthi and is a tad better than Rapid.
• A Pillar, B Pillar and C pillar - The Quality is simply amazing - The rapid appears robust, but when you touch it, one can instantly understand that its not as good as it looks.
• Gear Level Quality is much better than Rapid (maybe only in 1.6, i am not sure)
• Superb Space Utilization in terms of cubby holes, Water holders and Deep arm rest area

Advantage Rapid

• Quality of Switchgear and 3x times better than S Cross (Mainly because of shared parts with Swift)
• Spacing between A-B-C pedals wee bit better than S Cross
• Steering make, fit and finish - S cross is outclassed

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Mi10

I haven't in detail explored the Kizhashi hence cannot comment on that part. However if you are trying to draw a parallel with the S-cross, i would like to highlight a few points.

Coming from a Skoda Rapid, I can very well acknowledge both the good and bad bits of Scross.

Advantage Scross

• Dash Plastic Quality - Beats Rapid Hands down - Well put together and quite robust too
• Door pads - Very unlike Maruthi and is a tad better than Rapid.
• A Pillar, B Pillar and C pillar - The Quality is simply amazing - The rapid appears robust, but when you touch it, one can instantly understand that its not as good as it looks.
• Gear Level Quality is much better than Rapid (maybe only in 1.6, i am not sure)
• Superb Space Utilization in terms of cubby holes, Water holders and Deep arm rest area

Advantage Rapid

• Quality of Switchgear and 3x times better than S Cross (Mainly because of shared parts with Swift)
• Spacing between A-B-C pedals wee bit better than S Cross
• Steering make, fit and finish - S cross is outclassed

Barring the Kiz, no other Suzuki product can compete with the quality that a VAG product offers. Even the Grand Vitara felt cheaper than a Fabia I have only had a short drive in the S-Cross but it surprising to hear that the dash, door panels and ABC pillars are of such good quality. Guess the Kizashi was indeed a sign of good things to come (atleast the newer products from Suzuki are clearly competitive) BTW congratulations on your car and on creating one of the most interesting and gripping stories to read on an ownership review the S-Cross reminds me very much of subarus of the past; not so dashing yet understated styling, practical and yet fun to drive no nonsense product.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

So paying for a car that was more comfy, had a quieter cabin, was more dynamically accomplished barring the softer tuning Suzuki gave and which was far safer doesn't seem foolish to me infact ignoring those aspects and letting badge value make up for all of the clear distinctions, seems more foolish in my opinion

Well; that is how it works in our country doesn't it? I'll admit, I was jealous when Bluu was picking up a Kizashi. I wanted one myself after experiencing the car. I'd still think before putting down 22+ big one's though, which is what the Kizashi was priced in my city.

To set things straight, I drive a car which is known for iffy bits inside and has next to no badge value. The drive was more important for me than the interior.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

you mentioned the efficiency of the motor. I guess your friend had bought the CVT

Yes. 5-6 kmpl in the city cycle. This was a serious pincher for Bluu. No longer is though.

Recognised names like Toyota and Honda struggled to sell their premium cars and one of the primary deterrents was a thirsty petrol motor. With Skoda introducing their lovely TDI motors, there was just no way anyone would want a petrol. There was next to no hope that Suzuki could sell a Kizashi in India, that too with a large petrol motor up front.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

To set things straight, I drive a car which is known for iffy bits inside. The drive was more important for me than the interior.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Yes. 5-6 kmpl in the city cycle. This was a serious pincher for Bluu. No longer is though.

Recognised names like Toyota and Honda struggled to sell their premium cars and one of the primary deterrents was a thirsty petrol motor. With Skoda introducing their lovely TDI motors, there was just no way anyone would want a petrol. There was next to no hope that Suzuki could sell a Kizashi in India, that too with a large petrol motor up front.

Completely agree. The petrol motor had absolutely no faults but the lack of a diesel offering in India and the EU pretty much finished its prospects with Suzuki splitting up with GM and then filing for bankruptcy in the States. Also I felt that the Jatco CVT unit simply did not do any justice to the characterful drive that the car otherwise offered