[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I was most intrigued by your decision to shortlist a car with the lighting unit from India Japan Lighting being one of the criteria. I certainly would never have thought that such a component could make or break a PDI but now that you have shared it, I can fully understand why you did it. Such little gems of knowledge can only be found on this wonderful forum.

If I hear any of my friend's planning to buy a XL6, I certainly will ask them to look out for the IJL unit during the PDI, if they even plan to do a PDI that is!

Indeed it was funny to reject a car because of vendor of headlamps.

I had the luxury because of the huge stock my dealer had. They are one of the largest dealers in Eastern India, and you can guess their dominance by the fact that they have some 8-9 huge yards, with close to 3000 cars in stock. Compared to the other dealer who barely had 60-70 in stock.

I had too many options to choose from, hence touched all of them. I try to avoid Lumax as their quality is shoddy mostly. We also have a thread running on the same topic:

Link (LUMAX on Scorpio:Shoddy, Poor Quality OE Headlamp and Fog Lamps On My New Scorpio!)

Lumax these days is relying on Made in China units and components, have a look(pic from my Friend's car):



Regards,
Shashi

[Time_Machine]

Excellent review. Loved reading it. Something that has been ringing in my head after reading your review- the ISG is 60k andnl Li ion battery is 40k. Maruti could have priced this a full grand 1L cheaper. I don't think this mild hybrid system is efficient enough to recover 1L savings in fuel or competent enough to justify spending 1L more. Maruti could have spent it on making the cabin even more premium!

[Ravisankar]

Congratulations for your new car Leoshashi.

Excellent and very descriptive review. While reading, at some point i felt so much joy as it was my new car. The photographs were also amazing.Cheers and wishing you a lot of miles ahead!

[abhi9044]

Excellent Review.

No doubt the XL-6 is a great car and I'm sure that 5-10 years from now on, this is going to be the best maintained XL-6 in India. Many Congratulations on the new purchase.

Rejecting a car because of Lumax headlights was a great step. I think Indian manufacturers try to save each and every penny that they can. For example- Here's my Wagonr's taillights after 3 years since we bought it.



These are made by Minda. And it's not like the car has been neglected. It's always kept in a shaded garage with a cover and had only 5000 kms when this photo was clicked.

Also, those roads that you wanted to avoid with CG have you tackled them with your XL6? I don't know why but I think after getting connected with the new car you might want to avoid them with this one as well. Even I might have done that as well.

And can you also comment on the Leather-wrapped steering wheel? There have been several owners complaining about the leather used by MSIL.

With all that I wish you a million miles ahead filled with beautiful memories with this vehicle.

Abhishek.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Time_Machine

Excellent review. Loved reading it. Something that has been ringing in my head after reading your review- the ISG is 60k andnl Li ion battery is 40k. Maruti could have priced this a full grand 1L cheaper. I don't think this mild hybrid system is efficient enough to recover 1L savings in fuel or competent enough to justify spending 1L more. Maruti could have spent it on making the cabin even more premium!

I was wondering about the same thing during a long drive. Also there is this case of using a specific battery by Exide for the SHVS system to work.

However Maruti did this probably to ease off concerns of low mileage. Remember how they had burnt hands with low real world mileage claims on the SX4 Petrol. A 15+ mileage on the MID and a 19kmpl ARAI claim somehow is a psychological hack. Consider the Brezza petrol MT which doesn't get SHVS, I'm hearing a lot of sub 10kmpl mileage figures and a lot of negative buzz regarding this. Also note how the manual version without SHVS has significantly lower ARAI mileage claims compared to the Automatic which has Smart Hybrid.

Anyways this is entirely my theory and may or may not be right.

Also, the Smart Hybrid system isn't without virtues. The mild boost is actually quite helpful in certain situations.

Originally Posted by abhi9044

Excellent Review.

No doubt the XL-6 is a great car and I'm sure that 5-10 years from now on, this is going to be the best maintained XL-6 in India. Many Congratulations on the new purchase.

Rejecting a car because of Lumax headlights was a great step. I think Indian manufacturers try to save each and every penny that they can. For example- Here's my Wagonr's taillights after 3 years since we bought it.

Yes, since I had the option of selecting a different piece, I opted for that piece which satisfied me completely. And call it a curse but I see things which many people around me fail to notice. That is both good and bad.

Also, those roads that you wanted to avoid with CG have you tackled them with your XL6? I don't know why but I think after getting connected with the new car you might want to avoid them with this one as well. Even I might have done that as well.

Yes, I've been regularly taking the XL6 on those roads. While I don't abuse any car over bad roads, or deliberately inflict damage, I'll NEVER be concerned about the XL6 the way I'm for my 800(aka GG).

800 came in my life when I was barely 7 years old. A child's love is hard to get at this stage of life. This is the main reason why NO car will ever invoke the same feelings like GG does.

Talking about practical things, XL6 has a better ride, GC, road presence(so no bullying by Autowallahs), better availability of spares etc. So I'm not concerned at all when putting it through the paces even on bad roads.

Regards,
Shashi

[digitalnirvana]

Excellent excellent review Shashi. It's a delight to read your posts, and you're one of T-H-E most helpful people on here - your Maruti parts thread's popularity bears testament to that. The way you write actually shows you have a bond with your car and its not a machine for you. Wishing you many years and miles of happiness with your steed.

PS - give him/her a name to truly make it your own!

[Nani700]

A hearty congratulations on your new acquisition Leo. Very well written review and detailed pictures of everything gives a clear idea for anyone looking to buy an XL6 in the future. And also the difference between those Osram Led's and halogens for the number plate lights was on another level, Led's always bring a precedent look one expects. Also a great colour choice.

Wishing you several miles journey with your beautiful car!!

[DEEPSAM]

Congratulations Leo, wonderful review, I did check out the XL6 before the lockdown to upgrade from my petrol swift, but now the lockdown has put all plans in the cold storage.

I am curious about the torque wrench you had posted a picture, can you plz let me know the make and model and how do you arrive at the right torque nm?. I have replaced my tyres using the Maruti tool kit, but this looks like a worthy add on.

[joybhowmik]

Loved reading every bit of your review. The photographs you've taken endorse the feelings you have expressed - and it just goes to show, that eventually when you do part with the car, it will be every bit as painful as perhaps when you lost your first tooth.

I do hope you are successful in converting this thread into a long term ownership review and I am looking forward to 15 years of your writing about what's obviously the biggest passion in your life right now. And may I wish you many many more years, if your state allows fitness based registration renewals.

I have marked it as a favorite and pushed it to my list of threads where I follow key ownership experiences.

[SS-Traveller]

Congratulations on choosing (IMO) the best car from the MSIL stable - had this been launched 6 months earlier, I'd have opted for this instead of the Ciaz that I did. The kind of detail you've put in into your review, I don't think I even know that much about either the Ciaz or the XL6 (which I have also had opportunity to drive extensively).

I couldn't help laughing when you talked about buying the S-Presso and then upgraded to a vehicle over twice the price!

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

[b]The 4 Chamber LED Headlights. They don't feature projector units like other Marutis, and hence the light scatters more compared to the focused beams of the Projectors.
High Plus Fogs:

True - those headlights look good, but are not as effective as the projectors. As a direct comparison, the XL6's high beams are not as good as the Ciaz's, and there is less penetration into the distance. I'm tempted to add on a couple of well-focussed driving lamps on the XL6 for use on highways at night. The fog lamps too are not as effective on the XL6 as they are on the Ciaz, perhaps due to the focussing.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

However Maruti did this probably to ease off concerns of low mileage.
...
Also, the Smart Hybrid system isn't without virtues. The mild boost is actually quite helpful in certain situations.

Primary reason the SmartHybrid system exists is to reduce emissions. As opposed to extensive modifications needed to convert conventional engines, especially diesels, to meet BS6 emissions standards, the SmartHybrid system is already low on emissions. As an added benefit, the mild boost is what makes it drive like a diesel, pulling out at low revs on high gear, and moving off from stop on 1st gear without A-pedal input.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by digitalnirvana

Excellent excellent review Shashi. It's a delight to read your posts, and you're one of T-H-E most helpful people on here - your Maruti parts thread's popularity bears testament to that. The way you write actually shows you have a bond with your car and its not a machine for you. Wishing you many years and miles of happiness with your steed.

PS - give him/her a name to truly make it your own!

Thanks boss, I'll surely think of a name in some time.

Originally Posted by Nani700

A hearty congratulations on your new acquisition Leo. Very well written review and detailed pictures of everything gives a clear idea for anyone looking to buy an XL6 in the future. And also the difference between those Osram Led's and halogens for the number plate lights was on another level, Led's always bring a precedent look one expects. Also a great colour choice.

Wishing you several miles journey with your beautiful car!!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DEEPSAM

Congratulations Leo, wonderful review, I did check out the XL6 before the lockdown to upgrade from my petrol swift, but now the lockdown has put all plans in the cold storage.

I am curious about the torque wrench you had posted a picture, can you plz let me know the make and model and how do you arrive at the right torque nm?. I have replaced my tyres using the Maruti tool kit, but this looks like a worthy add on.

There is a better option available now on Amazon, by Amazon basics.

and how do you arrive at the right torque nm?.

Joke aside, these values are mentioned in Service manuals which workshops have.

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Loved reading every bit of your review. The photographs you've taken endorse the feelings you have expressed - and it just goes to show, that eventually when you do part with the car, it will be every bit as painful as perhaps when you lost your first tooth.

I do hope you are successful in converting this thread into a long term ownership review and I am looking forward to 15 years of your writing about what's obviously the biggest passion in your life right now. And may I wish you many many more years, if your state allows fitness based registration renewals.

I have marked it as a favorite and pushed it to my list of threads where I follow key ownership experiences.

Thanks boss, I don't intend to sell this car anytime soon. It will remain with me till the time it works fine and the Government lets it run. Like my 800, I cannot guarantee association with the XL6 till my last breath. I will add another second car to my garage next year, hopefully the Jimny 4WD if MSIL launches it.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Congratulations on choosing (IMO) the best car from the MSIL stable - had this been launched 6 months earlier, I'd have opted for this instead of the Ciaz that I did. The kind of detail you've put in into your review, I don't think I even know that much about either the Ciaz or the XL6 (which I have also had opportunity to drive extensively).

Thanks Sir. The XL6 is indeed a very pragmatic choice from the MSIL stable.

I couldn't help laughing when you talked about buying the S-Presso and then upgraded to a vehicle over twice the price!

Don't forget the 2L rupees Ritz ZXi I was initially eyeing.

The fog lamps too are not as effective on the XL6 as they are on the Ciaz, perhaps due to the focussing.

Yes they are set a bit too low. The hood is raised in the XL6, the fogs are placed and focused low, so it hardly makes its presence felt. Raising it up by two threads makes a good difference.

the mild boost is what makes it drive like a diesel, pulling out at low revs on high gear, and moving off from stop on 1st gear without A-pedal input.

Indeed, Bottom end of this engine is terrific.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Guys, take a glimpse of the huge collection of cars my dealer keeps in stock. You will surely find atleast one piece in your desired spec and shade anytime!









You probably now understand what gave me the luxury of rejecting many cars in PDI for silly reasons.

[locusjag]

Mr.Shashi, you have a deep connection with all things Maruti/Suzuki right? I was asking a fellow member about changing the Automatic Transmission Fluid of my used A Star and he had asked me to contact you when it comes to advise on parts.

Having said that - you have just taken an undesirable car (my opinion, till now, i.e.) and made it seem superb to me. How does this happen? I usually cannot digest monocoque Utility Vehicles and I tend to worship body on frame Utility Vehicles. This is not so bad after all. "Why not?" says my mind.

And thanks for that added bit of info about the additional structural member in Xl6 vis-a-vis the Ertiga.

[samaspire]

What a wonderful review - makes me want to go buy an XL6 now!!! And I absolutely do not need another car, nor can I afford one now. But if I do end up buying one, I know I do not need to rack my brains on modifications and maintenance - I'll just copy you.

But seriously, the way you chose your car, did the PDI, took delivery and are now taking care of it - it was not extraordinary for YOU (and only you). That is your superpower. Mere mortals can only watch and admire. I'll bet this review will add atleast 10 cars per month to Maruti's sales chart.

Now that you have a family car, I can guess what the next big event in your life will be. Only this time, let your parents do the choosing and the PDI.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

I'll NEVER be concerned about the XL6 the way I'm for my 800(aka GG)

I'd like to bet a small amount of money against that prediction!

You checked the make of your lamps during the PDI - I think that's clue enough of how much care the XL6 will receive over its lifetime. Sure it may get to see some rough stuff, but will be cared equally once back home too.

Congrats once again Shashi. Nice detailed report which will become a lovely future report like the GG thread, I'm sure.