[audioholic]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

The issues start when the reserve capacity (as against the cold crank capacity) of the battery start declining.

The symptoms would be the sudden failure of a component - usually one of the sensors as they are sensitive to battery reserve capacity fluctuations.

I think this is getting too exaggerated. Even if we double the horn capacity from its OE rating, the horn isnt something that is used all the time when the vehicle is running. It is used hardly for a second or two once in a while, at least thats how much I use it or someone like Parag. For a car battery, this would make negligible difference especially when the engine is running since there are much higher loads like EPS which draw more current from the vehicle electrical system. Especially this when the engine is running. Ageing of the battery would also not matter much for the horn unless you use the horn when engine is off. Otherwise, the power requirement of the horn is sufficed by the alternator itself. So your claim is true perhaps for continuous electrical load and not horn.

I doubled the horn capacity of my scooter with a 3Ah battery with no modification anywhere and that battery ran for nine years with more horn usage compared to my car since I honk briefly while approaching every bigger vehicle from behind and the battery outlasted my expectations. That would not have been the case if I had used headlights of double capacity.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

The capacity of the fuse is not relevant in this context. The function to be carried out by a relay cannot be substituted by the fuse.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Not just the XL6, every Maruti comes with an OE horn relay now.

The issue being discussed here is different.

The relay and fuse are rated at 15A. The fuse rating is determined based on the load the system or wiring can take. Hence if the modification results in overburdening the system, then the fuse acts as a fail safe. Given all these, what exactly do you want to convey?

Originally Posted by samaspire

Also, remember that size does not matter - the technique does.
.

Are we discussing cars or those private buses with musical horns The only technique I know is to press the horn pad for a brief moment or slightly longer. What are the other techniques?

[AMG Power]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Given all these, what exactly do you want to convey?

Nothing. You are entitled to your opinion.

[B-Taurus]

I'm a relatively new member of Team-BHP, though I have been reading a lot of info since the past few years on the website. While I was doing my research to change my current 12 year old Flamenco Red Fiat Linea petrol (still in pristine condition) it was my brother (another crazy automobile lover) who forwarded the link to Your Honour Leoshahi's and procrj's post on XL6 and I was hooked to it. It took me good 3 days to completely read all these posts and as I finished it I came out not only enlightened, but also longing to own an XL6. I immediately sent out info to friends and colleagues that my dear Fiat Linea is up for sale and went to a NEXA, closer to office, for a TD.

After some delays and waiting, got to lay my hands on an Alpa AT (I was looking for an auto transmission, you need stronger legs and loads of patience to drive a manual transmission in Bangalore). What a drive it turned out to be, it was much better than I had expected, after giving some gyaan to the RM, who had much less info that me about the XL6 (in fact he old me that XL6 has projector headlamp which he later sheepishly admitted was wrong), thanks to Shashi and procrj, I walked out smiling. My 15 year old son is still not convinced that this is a good buy (my wife trusts my research), so have planned to take him to another NEXA, closer home, this Sunday and show him how good and practical a car this is (he prefers an S-Cross instead, but since I also live with my parents, a 6 seater is a good upgrade from my current spacious Linea and boot space is something I'm quite addicted to now).

My budget was 15L INR and I'm sure I wouldn't have found a better package than this. Both Shashi and procrj should ask for incentives from Maruti for inspiring so many of us with their detailed reviews and info.
@procrj: As you are also from Bangalore can you give me more info as to where you got your tyres changed and how/where did you find the other accessories? you may contact me directly as well and share the info. Looking forward to more such posts and info, will post my booking, delivery and driving experience as well.
Note: Getting better than expected response to my Fiat Linea.

[PYSO]

Originally Posted by B-Taurus

Both Shashi and procrj should ask for incentives from Maruti for inspiring so many of us with their detailed reviews and info.

My kids (10 years and 7 years old) selected the XL6, when I had taken my family for a test drive of S Cross.

I was totally not ok with their choice though. My other cars are a Ford Fiesta, and a VW Polo. I assumed that a MPV based car like XL6 simply couldn't satisfy my needs for handling, steering and performance.

I dilly dallied on XL6 for a long time. But everytime I test drove other cars, my kids and my wife increasingly started finding XL6 a better option. I did have a few test drives of XL6, but there is only so much you can stretch the car in a test drive.

It was by chance that I came across this thread by Shashi. And I got the final push and conviction to buy XL6 only by going through this thread.

Having used the XL6 for 7 months now and over 6000 kms - I would say that it's a car you can buy with your eyes shut if your budget is 15 lakhs.

Don't see any other car that brings half as much value as XL6 in that price bracket

Space - excellent
Comfort - excellent
Fuel efficiency - very good
Ride - very good
Handling - very good (comes from someone who owns a Ford Fiesta)
Performace - very good in MT (haven't driven the AT)
Steering - good
Build quality - good
Features - good
Safety - good
Looks - good
Boot space - good

No real deal breakers. And very few cars below 20 lakhs packs so many punches - a rather uncommon mix of utility, practicality, comfort, performance and VFM.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by B-Taurus

My 15 year old son is still not convinced that this is a good buy

I can see why an S-Cross would appeal more to a 15 year old over the XL6. He is just thinking 3 year ahead, when he can start driving, and an XL6 is more of a family car than a "cool" car .

As you are also from Bangalore can you give me more info as to where you got your tyres changed and how/where did you find the other accessories? you may contact me directly as well and share the info.

I have shared details on my thread and if you need more information, I am happy to share. I cant PM you as you are a newbie on TBHP and need to make a minimum of 25 posts before the PM feature is activated.

Originally Posted by PYSO

It was by chance that I came across this thread by Shashi. And I got the final push and conviction to buy XL6 only by going through this thread.

Many a mind has been influenced by this thread

Don't see any other car that brings half as much value as XL6 in that price bracket

Agree with you on this. Wishing you many miles of happy motoring with your XL6.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by B-Taurus

12 year old Flamenco Red Fiat Linea petrol (still in pristine condition) ...........he prefers an S-Cross instead, but since I also live with my parents, a 6 seater is a good upgrade from my current spacious Linea
Note: Getting better than expected response to my Fiat Linea.

Your son is spot on with the replacement for Linea as he won't miss much of Linea with S Cross. The planted ride quality of S Cross is something that is similar to Linea. Our family (experienced with our Punto dynamics) liked S Cross over XL6. We loved the mature no nonsense premium interiors of S Cross. The major miss with S Cross what I found is the punch that it packed with diesel (be it 1.6 or 1.3 MJDs) is missing in 1.5 petrol engine. Since you need a 6 seater then the choice has to be XL6. So you can try to explain your son that S Cross was too good with diesel mill as compared to this 1.5 petrol. XL6 came with petrol as the only choice since launch. I found that the tuning of XL6 petrol is much peppy compared to SCross. Good confusion you have got.

[PYSO]

One of my biggest apprehensions about XL6 was how planted and stable it would feel at Highway speeds. Especially considering its a tall and long vehicle, with rather thin tyres.

On the day of delivery, I upgraded the stock 185 width tyres for 195 width tyres. Ideally I wanted to change to 205 width tyres and 16 inch wheels - but I couldn't go through with that plan.

I have driven an entire 40 km Highway stretch keeping the speed in triple digits (except for a few short instances where the traffic forced me to slow down) and I felt the car was very stable and planted. I think the long wheelbase helps a lot in this. I was quite surprised at how the car behaved at such speeds. I think if I had upgraded to 205 width tyres, the car would have behaved even better. (PS: I am not recommending anyone to do such speeds on our highways. In fact, please avoid such speeds)

If you want to weave your way through moderate city traffic, overtaking every car that's on the road - again XL6 is more than capable for the job. The low end power, plus very good handling comes in handy here. The steering is good, but not as precise as my Ford Fiesta.

Where the car struggles a bit is on ghat roads. You cannot hit the twists and hairpin bends with the same ease and speeds at which you can hit them with a sorted sedan. I don't go to hilly areas more than few times a year - so I couldn't care less.

The other weakeness of the car is that the engine sounds a bit boomy at high rpms (above 4000 rpms). Again it's something I don't do often, and less and less frequently as my age is progressing - so doesn't really bother me.

In summary - it's a car you can have quite some fun with, if you are in the mood to have fun. The "family car" appearance is quite deceptive

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by PYSO

Having used the XL6 for 7 months now and over 6000 kms - I would say that it's a car you can buy with your eyes shut if your budget is 15 lakhs.

Don't see any other car that brings half as much value as XL6 in that price bracket

Space - excellent
Comfort - excellent
Fuel efficiency - very good
Ride - very good
Handling - very good (comes from someone who owns a Ford Fiesta)
Performace - very good in MT (haven't driven the AT)
Steering - good
Build quality - good
Features - good
Safety - good
Looks - good
Boot space - good

No real deal breakers. And very few cars below 20 lakhs packs so many punches - a rather uncommon mix of utility, practicality, comfort, performance and VFM.

So true. It gets overshadowed today in the sea of Seltos, Cretas etc only due to the missing bling like Sunroof etc. And it's good to see the sales rising. People are slowly realising the value it offers.

Originally Posted by KPR

I found that the tuning of XL6 petrol is much peppy compared to SCross.

+1. Not sure whether its the gearing or the tyres, the S Cross petrol feels bit lethargic than XL6. I prefer the ride of XL6 since the S Cross irons out undulations only at higher speeds, and in city I found it a bit too stiff for my liking.

Originally Posted by PYSO

(PS: I am not recommending anyone to do such speeds on our highways. In fact, please avoid such speeds)

+1. The brakes aren't as good as Crysta's and hence one shouldn't go to those speeds with full occupancy. The brakes somehow cannot control that immense momentum. Also our Indian roads are best travelled below 120kmph, you never know when you'll get a surprise.

Where the car struggles a bit is on ghat roads. You cannot hit the twists and hairpin bends with the same ease and speeds at which you can hit them with a sorted sedan. I don't go to hilly areas more than few times a year - so I couldn't care less.

Obviously, we have to respect the fact that it's an MPV at the end of the day.

The other weakeness of the car is that the engine sounds a bit boomy at high rpms (above 4000 rpms). Again it's something I don't do often, and less and less frequently as my age is progressing - so doesn't really bother me.

I find that sound sporty and the punch after 4000 rpm is lovely.

In summary - it's a car you can have quite some fun with, if you are in the mood to have fun. The "family car" appearance is quite deceptive

So true.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Guys, need an advice: While driving long distances, I don't prefer indulging in a long continuous conversation with my fellow passengers, but instead focus on the drive/road conditions.

When both Mom and Dad accompany me, they talk among themselves and hence don't feel bored. But when Mom alone is sitting at rear, she misses some kind of entertainment. Often we cross areas which don't have proper network, so even mobiles are rendered useless. Holding a tab for long is also tedious, so was planning to get some seat mounted solution.

Options I have:

1. Rear Screen Entertainment Android tablet from MGA: I loved the sturdy mounts, doesn't vibrate at all but the screen resolution and size doesn't seem great. The local NEXA showroom has one display unit:

2. Rear Screen Without Android and DVD, but accepts input from USB, MGA: The mount is again sturdy but the display is even smaller and of poor resolution.

3. Buy Proper tablets from Samsung: This will be my preferable option but I'm unable to shortlist a sturdy mount for it. The displays will be of far superior resolution and quality, but I'm not too sure about the mount. Will also work out to be cheaper since one can get decent quality tabs for less than 20k.

Any other solution is welcome.

Regards,
Shashi

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Guys, need an advice

3. Buy Proper tablets from Samsung: This will be my preferable option but I'm unable to shortlist a sturdy mount for it. The displays will be of far superior resolution and quality, but I'm not too sure about the mount. Will also work out to be cheaper since one can get decent quality tabs for less than 20k.

I'll suggest you to go with option 3.


I've been using this. I won't say it's great but does the job properly. I've used it on my trip to Gurgaon for my son to be in his car seat. I'll list my pros and cons.

Pros -

• Can use your own tablet which is handy.
• Can remove the tablet when parking the car at isolated places to prevent break in.
• Can connect it to the car's audio system using Bluetooth or auxillary cable.
• Can remove the mount as and when required.

Cons -

• The mount may not be as per your liking, it's not rock solid sturdy by your standards but fine by mine.
• The mount can hurt a person getting in or out of the car if the front passenger seat is pushed way back, have got hurt myself.
• The mount can be very dangerous in case of a collision if someone is not using rear seatbelts.

Overall, I'm satisfied with this product. It's been over 2 years and it's not broken down. I'll suggest to order it or something similar and try. If it doesn't suit you, return it.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

I'll suggest you to go with option 3.

+1 for Tab holder. Have been using one for the last 7 years in my Ertiga for similar reasons for my daughter.

[Leoshashi]

Carpet mat woes fixed to some extent: While the carpet mats look great, it's a pain to keep them clean. The driver side mat already had worn out due to heels of my formal shoes. Thankfully a friend who owns an XL6 had got PVC mats from showroom for free, and he had put 7D mats. So I put that PVC mat for driver seat, while the other mats remained carpet type.

The carpet mats are quite prone to absorbing liquid if any spill happens, and are also susceptible to absorbing dust. Was looking for a fabric/carpet coating which could solve this issue to some extent as it makes the fabric water repelling. This was also necessary for monsoons, since wet footwear is quite common.

Introducing, Gyeon Q2 Fabric coat which promises to do exactly that:

Firstly clean the surfaces to be treated comprehensively. I vacuumed all the carpet mats properly.

Spray the Gyeon coat generously, while making sure none of that falls over any kind of painted surface. Also it's recommended not to touch the contents directly, I used a pair of Nitrile gloves for it.

After spraying, work the contents into the fabric with your hand.

Let it dry for sometime. I allowed the carpet to dry overnight. Gives a very nice water beading if any liquid spill happens(screenshot from official video):

Official video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoijRtDRi0U

A detailed video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l7AZwpN3-0

PS: The PVC mat on the driver side is so much easier to clean, no drama or coating needed.

I had applied it more than a month ago, and it's been working great and as expected.
************************************************** ***********

The XL6 is doing its job without a fuss, and it did witness some lovely sceneries during the ongoing rainy season:

The odo reading as of now:

Regards,
Shashi

[rahulskumar]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Introducing, Gyeon Q2 Fabric coat which promises to do exactly that:

I'm not a big fan of using chemicals inside cabin. These may be odourless and we dont know the impact on our health when used in closed cabin. Just use those 5D mats and replace them when they are worn out.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

I'm not a big fan of using chemicals inside cabin. These may be odourless and we dont know the impact on our health when used in closed cabin. Just use those 5D mats and replace them when they are worn out.

Since these are certified and meant to be used for carpets and fabric inside cabin, I'd expect them to be safe. And if we were to doubt the claims, there have been reports of even plastics and leather trims giving off carcinogenic fumes when left under sun. There is no limit to that and it's impossible to escape it in this day and age.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The carpet mats are quite prone to absorbing liquid if any spill happens, and are also susceptible to absorbing dust.

I have been eyeing a similar product like what you have applied on your interior carpets. Its called Gardx. I did not apply it to my carpets as I was not sure of its effectiveness. I've not understood how it really works or can be effective. As this is the inside of the car, does the water just dry up on the mats? How is it at handling wet mud, dust or grime? I assume some amount of vacuuming is still necessary?