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Originally Posted by Abhishek_Garg Did a test drive of ZX AT petrol today.
GX auto petrol is a good 17.62 L ex showroom.
Now, XL6 top variant auto is 11.6 L ex showroom, and had all bells and whistles. Its slightly smaller than Innova from outside but inside space is comparable. Mileage is about 12-14kmpl in city. But, built quality is light 1100-1200kgs compared to 1800kgs Innova. Innova is definitely safer in terms of crash etc and looks to be built to last 15years.
Question: should we put 6Lakhs more on Innova compared to XL6 ? Please suggest. |
I have extensive experience with the XL6 Automatic as it is my father's primary car and I have driven it quite extensively on every possible road condition that our country has to offer (expressways/hills/no-roads... You name it). I have not driven the Crysta but have travelled extensively in it too (again the terrains range from broken roads of Ladakh to the highways of Rajasthan). With that in mind, my views are as follows.
1.) The Crysta is clearly a segment (or a segment and a half) above the XL6. That will reflect in everything in the car. Be it the materials used (inside/outside) or the engine etc.
2.) The XL6 can go toe to toe with the Crysta in terms of seating comfort in the first 2 rows. I have driven the XL6 900kms in a single day without any apparent fatigue. There nothing between them. Some people do think the Captain Seats in Crysta are wider but, in my experience, that does not affect the comfort offered. The third row of the XL6 has bouncy character to it yet the space offered is adequate (more than the Hector Plus IIRC). Maybe a tad less than the Crysta. Should be fine for adults less than 175cm tall for 3-4 hours.
3.) The XL6 Automatic offers fantastic FE on the highway if driven sedately between 90-100kmph. I have often seen the car deliver more than 20kmpl on a tankful to tankful basis. In City, the FE depends on the traffic conditions. I have seen figures as low as 4-5kmpl in Central Delhi gridlocks. However, in a free flowing traffic scenario, expect 11-14kmpl. I also don't understand the derision that fellow forum members reserve for the 4 speed TC offered on the XL6 (or any other Maruti car). It is very smooth and gets the job done in an excellent manner in any use-case a sedate driver (whom Maruti Cars are targeted at) might throw at it. I simply love it.
4.) The Crysta has a ladder-frame chassis so it is bound to be heavier. Still, 600 kg extra mass can prove to be a boon as well as a bane depending on the situation. Though the XL6 should be rated 3 star by the GNCAP, we don't know anything about the Crysta. My personal belief is that the Crysta is safer.
So, if money is not an object, you should go with the Crysta without any second thought. The lesser FE and a bit tricky ingress/egress is the only real disadvantages of the Crysta vis-a-vis the XL6.
As for the XL6, built to a cost is how I would define it after living with it for almost 13000kms in 11 months (the edge of the hornpad flexes dangerously if you apply a bit of pressure with your thumbs). I was initially opposed to my parents getting the XL6 (what with Maruti tincan yada....yada....). However, I have come to appreciate the sheer value that this car offers at the price point it is sold at. Yes, it is a tin can with only a 3 star safey rating and Maruti grade plastics in the interior. That is the only drawback that the car possesses. If you can learn to live with that, then it is not a bad choice at all.
Please feel free to ask any doubts you might have regarding the XL6 Automatic. Hope I could prove to be of some help.
P.S: The LED headlights on the XL6 are overrated. God forbid if you are ever out on an unlit tarred road (without lane markers) on a rainy night, you will effectively be blind.
P.P.S: Do excuse my incoherent writing style. I am working to improve on this aspect.
