[benzinblut]

My Cars, My Love !

As a kid, I’ve pushed our car to start it when the battery was dead
I’ve shed more calories than the karate kid doing wax-on / wax-off despite no Mr. Miyagi keeping an eye
After parking I've again gone back and adjusted my car just because I wanted it 2 more degrees to the left
I love to be a part of this community
I love the sound of a combustion engine
I love my manual transmission
I love the smell of petrol
Heck, I even love those few seconds I wait in my car to idle it after every drive just because it’s good for my turbo

These are some of the emotions which are too close to my heart and I’m sure everyone here feels the same. We’ve all done that to different extents.

For me, cars are not just mere machines; they have a soul, they have a character, they are very much alive, having a throbbing heart under the hood.

Life’s short. I want to enjoy cars as much as I can. To me, cars are special, Every Car is Special!!!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

What a review, dude! My head is dizzy from all the details. Let me go grab my morning cup of coffee first .

My heartiest congratulations on:

1. Choosing an icon. They don't make cars like the S-Cross 1.6 everyday (and in fact, Maruti doesn't anymore).

2. Going the pre-worshipped route. The value you get is unbeatable.

Wish you years & years of driving pleasure.

Originally Posted by benzinblut

Credits: To maintain a systematic flow, I referred to this. I've also referred to GTO's 530d thread which, I feel, is the current benchmark for ownership reviews. If I wouldn’t have referred to these I’d have definitely missed some important points. Inspiration for the concept of the final picture also comes from GTO's 530d thread .

Thanks! I noticed that when going through your review; at first, I was like "hey, this flow looks familiar!!" Even the place where we've shot the exterior pics of our cars is the same (Hermes, Kala Ghoda).

[Dr.Naren]

Fantastic review buddy!! Loved reading it . Rating well deserved 5 stars.

S-Cross 1.6 is one of the best cars today to buy from used market for an enthusiast. Most of the cars on sale are run low and offered at good price too. Maruti has extended warranty option till 5 th year now and you are set.

Originally Posted by GTO

1. Choosing an icon. They don't make cars like the S-Cross 1.6 everyday (and in fact, Maruti doesn't anymore).

2. Going the pre-worshipped route. The value you get is unbeatable.

1. I really hope Maruti make cars like S-Cross 1.6 again.

2. Very true. Initial buyers of S-Cross 1.6 have paid around 17 lakhs and now the car is available for around 9 lakhs (pre-worshipped)

[yogesh.8984]

What a detailed review of pre-worshiped car, sure I remembered GTO’s review of his 530d.

1.6 is such a gem albeit its high pricing. When I test-drove it, I was taken aback (both literally and physically) by the sheer torque it has. You getting it in a pre-worshiped avatar is like getting best of both worlds.

Congratulations and may you have as much fun going ahead as we had reading your stupendous review.

[Flyer]

Fantastic review. Congratulations on your new ride. Always heard great feedback about the S cross 1.6 in the forum. I haven't got a chance to experience this icon. How's the build quality of SCross 1.6 in comparison to your swift?

[sudeepg]

What an awesome review Benzinblut. The pain you have taken to write such a detailed, well structured review with the finest of details and not to mention, straight from your heart shows. I wish I could do 1/4 of what you have achieved.

The 1.6 is indeed an iconic car and the fact that you got a pre-worshipped one is the icing on the cake! If I was in the market for a new car, I'd definitely have waited and looked out for a pre-worshipped 1.6, regardless of where it was in the country. I hope Maruti brings back the 1.6 without any changes to the powertrain and I'd consider buying another S-cross again, nothing else.

Congratulations on your S-cross. I completely agree with you on the lights being too poor on the alpha and if you are willing to go through the pain, there are very good alternatives available and a true professional install can be accomplished. I've done so in my car by upgrading to Morimoto Mini D2S HIDs and also added XP Micros as fog lamps. Together, they are a blast on the highway giving you light near, far and to the sides of the car stretching as far as 5 feet on both sides. The high beam can give you visibility far ahead making for a comfortable cruising at night.

If you ever go the DIY route, feel free to reach out to me and I'll be happy to assist with the brackets required. A good car definitely requires good lights too!

Please note, I don't recommend the M-LEDs from Morimoto as they are a single unit with integrated bulbs.

[KK Sitaram]

I'm a regular with the Tbhp portal but very rarely take the effort to put in my comments/thoughts. I was compelled to write one for such an amazing review by Benzinblut and the sheer attention to details. Kudos I doubt if any of us can take so much time to pen a review like this (did I read 4 months), plain awesome. That said I'm a proud owner of 1.6 Alpha, picked a new one in Grey shade or silver grey they call it in Mar 16 and clocked over 26k. This car is a hoot to drive and its appearance is quite deceptive. I'm in no way exaggerating but a friend who drives a Q3 manual (yep Manual) was blown away by this beast of Scross 1.6 which came at half the price of his mule. I wish you safe miles and this is one car to treasure.
@ Dr. Naren I'm a fan of your mods and if only my bank balance permitted would love to transform mine like the way you hv done it, atleast the headlamps for sure.
I'll in this year start posting my comments more often, specific to the SCross 1.6..

[SJM1214]

Aha! An amazing detailed review. Thanks for sharing.

Currently, We are planning to buy a new car for my uncle and we shortlisted an S-cross Zeta (1.3). I regularly use my uncle's Car, So I wanted to go for an S-cross 1.6 but we are late. Your thread gave me a new perspective. A pre-worshipped S-cross 1.6 seems a good idea.

So, now I have two jobs. One, convince my uncle for a pre-worshipped car. Two, search for pre worshipped S-cross 1.6. Thanks once again for this excellent review. Rated Five stars.

[gururajrv]

Oh boy! Am I jealous here

Brilliant attention to detail and seems like you have a lot of patience to have written it down so well.

An appreciation from GTO is like getting a good hike for the effort put in at work!

You deserve to own that beast looking at how well you have described the car(s) you own or have owned!

Rating 5*****

[snaseer]

Fabulous review bro. Rated *****

You have indeed set a benchmark for ownership reviews.

And boy, what an acquisition!!

Wish you and your beast many happy miles together.

[RoverX]

No wonder it took you 4 months to pen down all those details Very well-deserved 5 stars, to this one!
Your attention to detail is simply brilliant, and so is the structuring of the write-up. I totally agree with you on the ineffectiveness of the Bi-Xenons, especially on the high beam - my migraine shot up when I was driving my friend's S-Cross Alpha at night! The alternatives to these are indeed pricey. Do let us know if you find a worthy upgrade, along with the pros and cons.

Wishing you countless spirited and safe miles with your 118 steeds!

[jaunthead]

Congratulations sir! What a sweet deal. I bought the 1.6 in Feb 2017. But under 10lacs for 10k on odo- as good as new.
Beautiful detailed writeup. Wishing you many happy miles with the beast!

[ROG_AK]

Congratulations on the car and the lovely review! It's a rare car and it should keep a smile plastered on your face for years to come

[benzinblut]

Thanks for your wishes guys. Happy that you liked it

Originally Posted by GTO

Even the place where we've shot the exterior pics of our cars is the same (Hermes, Kala Ghoda).

I pass by Horniman Circle on most Sundays. Its filled with photographers on Sunday afternoons and even I found a nice spot under direct sunlight. I knew your pics were clicked somewhere around it. Only after I edited mine did I realized that even the spot was the same. Later I clicked some more pictures at other locations but couldn't get the perfect background, so stuck to these.

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

S-Cross 1.6 is one of the best cars today to buy from used market for an enthusiast. Most of the cars on sale are run low and offered at good price too. Maruti has extended warranty option till 5 th year now and you are set.

Thanks Doc. I have to thank you for being extremely helpful and in the most selfless manner.

Originally Posted by yogesh.8984

You getting it in a pre-worshiped avatar is like getting best of both worlds.

You bet!

Originally Posted by Flyer

How's the build quality of SCross 1.6 in comparison to your swift?

I tried to cover most of it in my review. Its superior in every aspect. The window switches are the same in both cars, but the ones on the S-Cross feel better built. The following lines from my review should summarize it:

The door panels of my Swift used to flex even when attempting to wipe the wax off. That’s not the case with the S-Cross. The sheet metal is definitely a gauge or two thicker than the other Marutis around us that feel tinny. The doors close with a nice heavy sound that Maruti should be forgiven for referring to as a ‘thud’.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

...I've done so in my car by upgrading to Morimoto Mini D2S HIDs and also added XP Micros as fog lamps. Together, they are a blast on the highway giving you light near, far and to the sides of the car stretching as far as 5 feet on both sides. The high beam can give you visibility far ahead making for a comfortable cruising at night.

If you ever go the DIY route, feel free to reach out to me and I'll be happy to assist with the brackets required. A good car definitely requires good lights too!

Thanks man.

After your thread on the Morimotos I seriously thought about giving it a shot, but later decided for XP Micros. I am currently on XP Micros since about 2 weeks and it solved my problem.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

Please note, I don't recommend the M-LEDs from Morimoto as they are a single unit with integrated bulbs.

Point noted Sir!

Originally Posted by KK Sitaram

... Kudos I doubt if any of us can take so much time to pen a review like this (did I read 4 months), plain awesome....

Yes, most of it was compiled after office hours so it took so long. Editing the pictures for comparison and to maintain the size limit also took longer than I planned.

Originally Posted by SJM1214

So, now I have two jobs. One, convince my uncle for a pre-worshipped car. Two, search for pre worshipped S-cross 1.6.

Good Luck!

Originally Posted by RoverX

Do let us know if you find a worthy upgrade, along with the pros and cons.

I have. Will add it to this review soon.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by sudeepg

Please note, I don't recommend the M-LEDs from Morimoto as they are a single unit with integrated bulbs.

I would prefer Morimoto M-LED projector over Mini D2S 4.0. But it is available only in LHD cut off pattern for now. Yes it's a single unit, also proper Bi Led projectors like Morimoto M-LED do not have bulbs in them .

There are few cases of burnt reflector bowls with Morimoto Mini D2S 4.0. M-LED will have better life for sure. Hope they get it in RHD cut off soon.

Originally Posted by benzinblut

Thanks Doc. I have to thank you for being extremely helpful and in the most selfless manner.