[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by AviC

Hi Shashi, I have fallen in love with this thread and keep on visiting it for new updates as if it is a Netflix series.

Thank You

I have read some articles that there might be a facelift early next year. Do you guys feel there is a chance for this to happen?

I don't think there will be an update anytime soon. See this way, Ciaz's last update was Mid 2018. Ertiga's last update was Nov 2018. In comparison, XL6 was launched in August 2019. If you discount the lockdown months, the XL6 has been on sale for barely 1.5 year.

So Maruti has a lot of models to update before XL6 is even considered for an update. Also it has been selling well. Facelift is at least a year away IMO. Secondly, even if any update comes, it will largely be a cosmetic job, with better looking alloys being the only significant update(expected).

Regards,
Shashi

[sachin__]

I own Zeta AT for last six months and had put around 5000km. I would say car is a pleasure to drive, with great economy and comfortable for family of six.

But I feel headlight should have been little better.

And brakes can improve. This might be personal preference But I feel brakes feel little sluggish. Perhaps, it might be due a big car.

Maruti can improve the interior plastics.

Definitely I would recommend this car to my friends.

[chandrak]

Originally Posted by sachin__

But I feel headlight should have been little better.

And brakes can improve. This might be personal preference But I feel brakes feel little sluggish. Perhaps, it might be due a big car.
.

Just got back from my first long trip, Hyderabad to Bhadrachalam (~750 kms round trip/two days) and I totally echo the feeling about brakes and the headlights.

Also, I drove a 2019 Ertiga diesel MT in December 2019 for a week long vacation to Belur and Halebeedu and I had to try hard to keep the speed below 100 kmph. This time, my 2021 XL6 petrol, it felt like I was pushing the engine hard to move beyond 80 kmph the few times I tried to take it to 100, so may be the engine is a bit under powered.

But it has been a butter smooth ride all along. Unfortunately, no pics as I was driving the whole time and it was raining hard.

Best,
Chandra

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by sachin__

I own Zeta AT for last six months and had put around 5000km. I would say car is a pleasure to drive, with great economy and comfortable for family of six.

And brakes can improve. This might be personal preference But I feel brakes feel little sluggish. Perhaps, it might be due a big car.

Congratulations on the new purchase. Yes the brakes may "feel" a bit uninspiring but when needed, they are more than adequate. Couple of examples from this very forum:

Originally Posted by sierrabravo98

I used to be one of those owners who used to crib about the poor brakes of the XL6. That changed when a brain dead tractor waala cut into my lane when I was doing >85kmph with barely 60m of space. The brakes brought the fully loaded car down to about 20kph with enough space left. I have started respecting the brakes ever since. Keep in mind that my car is an Automatic. The Manual will have better braking feel and effectiveness. Attaching a video of the aforementioned incident.

https://Youtu.be/4orTYoELwlw

TLDR: The brakes do a fine job for the type of vehicle the XL6 is. Just don't drive it like a hot hatch and you will be fine.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Déjà vu moment for me. I was under similar impression that the brakes on XL6 are average at best, and had a certain expectation about how effective it will be at certain speeds. Had a similar moment as yours on highway when I was almost sure that given the speed, load of the car and deceleration available on board, I'll crash into the truck or the divider.

Still naturally I panic-braked and the car shed speeds with tremendous urgency and I appeared like a fool since the car had almost stopped with good enough gap to spare. The car felt almost possessed with a mind of its own.

Later realised that this was the BA(brake assist) feature in action.

https://Youtu.be/psy4u8NZZOI

But I feel headlight should have been little better.

Not doubting your observations, but did you try lifting the focus a bit? It immensely helps with the illumination. Please have a look at this post: Headlamp focus (My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review)

Originally Posted by chandrak

Also, I drove a 2019 Ertiga diesel MT in December 2019 for a week long vacation to Belur and Halebeedu and I had to try hard to keep the speed below 100 kmph. This time, my 2021 XL6 petrol, it felt like I was pushing the engine hard to move beyond 80 kmph the few times I tried to take it to 100, so may be the engine is a bit under powered.

I wouldn't call it underpowered, but that effortless pulling trait is a characteristics of diesels and to get the same pull, you need to downshift and revv in a petrol.

__________________________________________________ ___________

Update: Got this Black and Decker branded Car food Cooler/Warmer from Amazon. Paid Rs. 4,515 after card discounts. I was eyeing these since quite a long time and even Maruti has one in their MGA range, made by Dometic and retailing for around Rs. 6400. There are similar models on offer from other brands like Tropicool

I opted for B&D largely because:

-The color scheme looks nice.
-was priced more attractively. All are of same design and made at perhaps the same factory in China.
-Has extra side pouches over other brands.
-My city has 2 service points

Quick facts:

-Consumes 42watt(H)/48watt(C)
-It's NOT a replacement for Compressor based coolers. This one uses Peltier Effect for temperature changes and has no moving parts or refrigerant. Claims to heat upto 60 degrees and cool 20 degrees below ambient temperature.
-It's a solution to keep your hot food hot and cool beverages cool. Maintains the temperature effortlessly, but don't expect it to chill your warm water bottles quickly. It may cool normal temperature contents but not before an hour of drive at least. This is why Pre-Chill is recommended, and then it can easily maintain that temperature.
-Has seat belt provision which ensures the unit doesn't become a projectile in case of hard braking.
-Doesn't come with AC pins or cable. However it can be used on AC power using a converter like this

Some pics:

Leaving on a road trip with family soon. Can't wait to use this.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Detailed post on Auto Dimming IRVM: This is one of the features I badly missed on the XL6, specially when other cheaper Marutis got it.

Auto-Dimming IRVM Perfected!- The decal work to hide wiring didn't look as clean from outside, mostly since it was embedded in my mind that the dotted pattern present in other cars was missing.

Solution: I had procured a film sheet with similar dotted pattern from Aliexpress way back in 2018. It goes on like sun-film using sliding agent. Cutting it to shape was the toughest job, and I later went with a curved design since it was hiding the imperfections brilliantly. Used a scalpel to cut the film as perfectly as I could. Had to relocate the fastag a bit, but since it was pasted over a mobile screen-guard , it was easily done.

Before:

After:

Tools used:

Film:

Regards,
Shashi

[AviC]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

So Maruti has a lot of models to update before XL6 is even considered for an update. Also it has been selling well. Facelift is at least a year away IMO. Secondly, even if any update comes, it will largely be a cosmetic job, with better looking alloys being the only significant update(expected).

Do you think there is a chance of them launching a diesel variant with bigger display, 5/6 speed AT apart from the cosmetic changes you mentioned? I am looking for the AT variant as the Mrs cannot drive a manual.

I am a little biased but do you think a 4 speed AT is good in 2021? I intend to keep the car for 8-10 years. I know a lot of people are buying it and I have read Sharathcorp’s post as well and he seems to be happy!

I wish I could get the AT variant for a day’s drive from somewhere so that I can try it for a long drive - city + highway.

I had enquired at 2 Nexa Showrooms in Mumbai and had offered to pay for the fuel and take it on a weekday as per their convenience, but they disagreed.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by AviC

Do you think there is a chance of them launching a diesel variant with bigger display, 5/6 speed AT apart from the cosmetic changes you mentioned? I am looking for the AT variant as the Mrs cannot drive a manual.

Not happening. Firstly the Diesel itself is doubtful IMO. Secondly they aren't bringing any proper AT even if Diesel comes.

I am a little biased but do you think a 4 speed AT is good in 2021? I intend to keep the car for 8-10 years.

The Gearbox is ultra reliable so long term ownership will not be an issue. Don't get swayed by the number of speeds it has on offer, I've driven the AT and it's a good gearbox unless you demand uber-quick shifts like say a DSG. That's where it disappoints. The gearing is such that at 100kmph, it is more relaxed than the Manual. The number of gears hardly matters in real life TBH if it's driven sedately like a family car.

Do take a long TD and see if it fulfills your needs.

Regards,
Shashi

[lionell]

Originally Posted by AviC

I am a little biased but do you think a 4 speed AT is good in 2021? I intend to keep the car for 8-10 years. I know a lot of people are buying it and I have read Sharathcorp’s post as well and he seems to be happy!

I have the AT as well. Its adequate for the city, but on the highway when fully loaded you do feel that more advanced gearing could have worked in favour. Coming from the DSG GT TSI Polo it felt inadequate but I got used to it and now work around it.

One thing I want to point out is that the AT mileage is a far cry from what's advertised and the real world economy may pinch you, especially in Mumbai. I get 9-10kmpl in bumper to bumper traffic, sometimes it even lesser on excruciatingly painful traffic day. Fuel isn't going to get cheaper. On the highways I start getting around 17-19 depending on the driving style. Plus I have a permanently mounted roof box so that is also an aerodynamics issue.

Keep the mileage in mind, else its a bullet proof gearbox and the blessings your left leg will give are incomparable.

[AviC]

Originally Posted by lionell

One thing I want to point out is that the AT mileage is a far cry from what's advertised and the real world economy may pinch you, especially in Mumbai. I get 9-10kmpl in bumper to bumper traffic, sometimes it even lesser on excruciatingly painful traffic day. Fuel isn't going to get cheaper. On the highways I start getting around 17-19 depending on the driving style. Plus I have a permanently mounted roof box so that is also an aerodynamics issue.

Keep the mileage in mind, else its a bullet proof gearbox and the blessings your left leg will give are incomparable.

I have a diesel i20 MT and it gives me 11.5-12 kmpl in mumbai traffic. The best I have got is 19.5 kmpl driving from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. As per my calculations, running the car for 50 kms x 22 days x 12 months would make a difference of ~26k a year considering the difference in mileages and cost of Petrol and diesel. I think it is fair.

For my calculations, I have considered the following:

Running per day - 50 kms
Cost of petrol - ₹111
Cost of diesel - ₹102
XL6 mileage - 10 kmpl
Diesel car mileage - 11.5 kmpl

The biggest point here is that I do not prefer to take my car everyday. At most, I will take it to office 11 days a month on average which makes the yearly increase in fuel (running) costs manageable.

[lionell]

Originally Posted by AviC

The biggest point here is that I do not prefer to take my car everyday. At most, I will take it to office 11 days a month on average which makes the yearly increase in fuel (running) costs manageable.

Absolutely right. What I was talking about is the ‘initial shock’ that one gets seeing the mileage figures. When you dig deeper and get into the actual comparisons and calculations you realise the bigger picture.

[AviC]

Originally Posted by lionell

I have the AT as well. Its adequate for the city, but on the highway when fully loaded you do feel that more advanced gearing could have worked in favour. Coming from the DSG GT TSI Polo it felt inadequate but I got used to it and now work around it.
[/i]

I have a Nano AMT and I absolutely love driving it. I guess if I can love the AMT, AT will be adequate too. Heck I even took it from Mumbai to Shirdi to experience how it fares on long drives.

What I meant when I asked if a 4 Speed AT is adequate is that on the highway, while cruising at 100-110 kmpl, I hope it doesn’t feel that the engine is stretched to its limits. But Leoshashi already mentioned it that the engine is more relaxed as compared to the MT while cruising at 100 kmph.

My i20 cruises at ~100 kmph at 1.9-2k rpm on the 6th gear and feels very relaxed and in fact instills confidence to speed up further (which I don’t usually).

The only reason to think of this upgrade is that my parents are senior citizens and ingress and egress is now a problem and the Mrs has developed motion sickness in diesel vehicles.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Leaving on a road trip with family soon. Can't wait to use this.

Place visited: Deoghar

Prelude: When grandma breathed her last in early 1990, shortly after my mom getting married, "visit Deoghar on your way back" were her last words. Call it destiny, everytime it was planned, something or the other went wrong. Then everyone got busy with their lives and that desire remained in mom's heart for 31 years. Last year she took voluntary retirement but then COVID happened and all religious places were shut down. Last month, mom again expressed her desire to visit the place and I was determined to fulfill that for her, and time decided was after Durga Puja.

We both have been vaccinated, still I wasn't too excited to visit such places where large gatherings happen. We agreed not to enter crowded places. We visited the temple in evening but the crowd was maddening. A friend in local administration advised us to come early next day. We visited at the recommended time and found the place almost empty. Thus it was the best darshan one can hope for.

Routes available: 1. via Barhi 2. via Hazaribagh-Bagodar 3. Via Phusro

The road via Phusro was in shambles due to regular commute of coal laden trucks as reported by BHPian Blowhornok, and the stretch between Ormanjhi and Sikidri valley is also broken post rains. The stretch of Hazaribagh-Bagodar was also a bit battered due to rains, and we decided to skip it and opt for long but beautifully surfaced roads. Had some job at Dhanbad so decided to club it during the return leg.

Route Taken: Ranchi-Barhi-Dumri-Giridih-Deoghar(5 hours).
Return leg: Deoghar-Giridih-Dumri-Dhanbad-Chas-Ranchi(7 hours)

Distance travelled: 753.8 km
Fuel taken: 40.48L
Efficiency: 18.62kmpl

Problematic areas: Town of Giridih is quite congested with narrow roads. Best to take the 2 lane which bypasses the city rather than taking the town head on as advised by Google. The outskirts of Deoghar may be problematic and surface is average at best. On the return leg, Dhanbad-Chas 4 lane was closed for some work, hence I had to travel through some really nasty roads. An example of the massive pothole we crossed:

https://youtu.be/SsUPz3UTp2E

Some pics:

On GT road, near Bagodar

Near Joda-Pahari, Giridih

Beautiful 2 lane road:

At our Deoghar Stay:

The famous Baidyanath temple:

The Van :

Pic of the odo:

Beautiful 6 lane part of the Dumri-Dhanbad section of GT road:

Rare sight, a broken down new Fortuner:

Mom had absolutely no issue travelling for long hours in the XL6 and that alone makes the purchase worth it.

Regards,
Shashi

[Blow Horn Ok]

Good to know that the "van" was put to use for the original intended purpose. The average fuel efficiency is also good for the size of the car.

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The Gearbox is ultra reliable so long term ownership will not be an issue. Don't get swayed by the number of speeds it has on offer, I've driven the AT and it's a good gearbox unless you demand uber-quick shifts like say a DSG. That's where it disappoints. The gearing is such that at 100kmph, it is more relaxed than the Manual. The number of gears hardly matters in real life TBH if it's driven sedately like a family car.

Do take a long TD and see if it fulfills your needs.

Regards,
Shashi

Can wholeheartedly second this. I was hell bent on City CVT, until I actually experienced the Ciaz AT. The usual "ancient" "4 speed only" cliches came to mind initially. TDed the city first, and was amazed while I TDed the Ciaz later on. The same box is used in the XL6, perhaps with altered tuning, so rest assured you yourself would change your mind after a TD.

I also feel the AT outperforms the MT, due to the TC which multiplies torque at certain conditions. (definitely outperforms during roll on acceleration after kickdown, not so sure about 0-100 kmph)

[DDIS_RE650]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Place visited: Deoghar

At our Deoghar Stay:

Attachment 2222716

Kindly let us know the hotel/property name, we are also planning to vistit Deoghar from Patna.